Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding vulnerable adults is a part of the wider role of safeguarding and promoting welfare.  This refers to the activity which is undertaken to protect specific vulnerable adults who are suffering or are at risk of suffering significant harm. As adults and/or professionals or volunteers, everyone has a responsibility to safeguard vulnerable adults and promote their welfare.

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults – and in particular protecting them from significant harm – depends upon effective joint working between agencies and professionals that have different roles and expertise.

Some of the most vulnerable adults and those at greatest risk of social exclusion, will need co- ordinated help from health, education, social care, and quite possibly the voluntary sector and other agencies, including justice services.

For those vulnerable adults who are suffering, or at risk of suffering significant harm, joint working is essential, to safeguard and promote their welfare and – where necessary – to help bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes against them. All agencies and professionals should:

• be alert to potential indicators of abuse or neglect;
• be alert to the risks which individual abusers, or potential abusers, may pose to vulnerable adults;
• share and help to analyse information so that an assessment can be made of the individual’s needs and circumstances;
• contribute to whatever actions are needed to safeguard and promote the individual’s welfare;
• take part in regularly reviewing the outcomes for the individual against specific plans; and
• work co-operatively with other carers unless this is inconsistent with ensuring the individual’s safety.

As one holistic development of its major activities the charity seeks to serve the needs of vulnerable adults, promoting their well being & protecting vulnerable adults from harm.

In doing so the charity takes seriously the welfare of all vulnerable adults who come in contact or over the phone or who are involved in its events.

The charity:

• aims to ensure that they are welcomed into a safe, caring environment with a happy and friendly atmosphere
• recognises that it is the responsibility of each one of its members, to prevent the neglect, physical, sexual or emotional abuse of vulnerable adults and to report any abuse discovered or suspected.
• recognises its responsibility to implement, maintain and regularly review procedures, which are designed to prevent and to be alert to such abuse
• is committed to supporting, resourcing and training those who work with vulnerable adults and to providing supervision.
• is committed to form good links with the statutory social services authorities for Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults.

PROCEDURES :

For reasons of consistency and practicality, the charity’s procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults will be the same as those for safeguarding children and young people except where the law, or the specific circumstances of an individual’s need require otherwise.

You may come across vulnerable adults or adults at risk of harm.  They should never experience harm or abuse of any kind.  We want you to be alert to any signs or patterns of abuse or anything that may concern you.   Always raise your suspicions.  Be assured you will always be supported by the charity because not raising your concerns is worse than raising a suspicion that is incorrect.  If anyone tells you of any type of abuse then remain calm, listen and reassure them that it will be taken seriously.  

Don’t promise confidentiality as you will need to speak to a limited number of people once you have this information and we ask that you ALWAYS report this to SNJ chairperson.