Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
Principles
The Mid Devon Messenger takes seriously its responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of its Listeners, who may be regarded as vulnerable adults with risks associated with their visual impairment and other disabilities.
Purpose
The purpose of this Policy and its Procedures is:
- To meet the statutory requirements of the Care Act 2014 in respect of our responsibilities towards adults at risk;
- To ensure liaison and co-operation as necessary with the Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) of Torbay and Devon Safeguarding Adults Partnership;
- To ensure that Trustees and Volunteer Members are aware of their responsibilities for safeguarding and have clear procedures to follow when dealing with issues concerning safeguarding;
- To ensure that Listener Members are aware that the Mid Devon Messenger has a Safeguarding Policy in place.
Glossary of Terms
Safeguarding Adults describes all steps taken to ensure adults at risk are
safe from abuse.
Adult at Risk describes an adult at risk of abuse or neglect. This is usually an
adult who has care and support needs, and who is unable to protect
themselves from abuse or neglect because of their care and support needs.
Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons. It may take the form of physical, sexual, emotional/ psychological, financial abuse or neglect.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is the public body set up to help prevent unsuitable people from working with adults with care and support needs. DBS maintains a list of people who are barred from working with adults at risk.
Information and Responsibility
- Volunteers with access to vulnerable adults will be given a copy of this policy and procedures document.
- All Listener Members will be made aware of the policy and procedures by means of the MDM newsletter and website.
- The Trustees and Team Co-ordinator will decide which Volunteers will require a DBS check.
- Home visits will be arranged in advance so that Listeners can arrange for someone to be present with them if they wish.
- The Team Co-ordinator is the Lead for Safeguarding.
- The Lead for Safeguarding will be the person to whom any Volunteer Member should report their concerns and who will decide whether to report the concerns to the multi-agency safeguarding adults contact point.
- The Lead for Safeguarding will give an annual report to the Trustees on changes to Safeguarding Policy; identify Volunteer Members who have received a copy of this document during the year; give the number of safeguarding incidents (without detail or name); and give the names of Volunteer Members who have undergone DBS checks.
- This policy and procedures document will be reviewed annually by the Lead for Safeguarding and Trustees.
PROCEDURES
NB: The Mid Devon Messenger is responsible for referral, not for investigation.
Raising a Concern
Raising a Safeguarding Concern means reporting your concerns that a person over 18 years of age:
- Has or may have needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs),
- Is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and
- As a result of those needs is unable to protect him/herself against abuse or neglect, or the risk of it.
Guidance for Volunteers
Every person working with adults with care and support needs (paid or unpaid) has a duty of care within this Safeguarding Adults procedure. If a person discloses abuse to you directly, the following principles apply:
- Assure them that you are taking the concerns seriously;
- Do not be judgemental or jump to conclusions;
- Listen carefully to what they are telling you, stay calm, get as clear a picture as you can. Use open-ended questions;
- Do not start to investigate or ask detailed or probing questions;
- Explain that you have a duty to tell the MDM Lead for Safeguarding or Chairman;
- Obtain advice from Care Direct obtained from Care Direct on 0345 1551 007 or csc.caredirect@devon.gov.uk;
- In very rate circumstances, if you believe that a crime may have been committed, explain that the Lead for Safeguarding or Chairman will make a referral to the Police;
- Reassure the person that they will be involved in decisions about them;
- Make an accurate record as soon as possible, noting what was said or seen, putting the event into context, and giving the date, time and location. All such confidential records must be dated, signed and securely stored.
Alleged Abuse by Volunteers
When concerns or allegations involve Volunteers, immediately contact the Lead for Safeguarding or the Chairman. See below for contact details. If you think that a crime has been committed, call the Police on 999.
Alleged Abuse by Other Persons
Volunteers having a concern through a disclosure or some other means about a Listener receiving abuse from another person/s, should immediately contact the Lead for Safeguarding or the Chairman. If you think that a crime has been committed, call the Police on 999.
Contacts to Raise a Safeguarding Concern
Lead person for Safeguarding:
Name: Catherine Makepeace, Team Co-ordinator
Telephone: 01884 257689
Chairman:
Name: Helen McIntosh
Telephone: 01884 562639
Mobile: 07834 688838
September 2021