Our Commitment to Safeguarding
Safeguarding means protecting people's health, well-being and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. FreeBird Associates Ltd. acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people and ‘adults at risk’. We are committed to ensuring our safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and local safeguarding arrangements.
FreeBird Associates Ltd. will therefore;
Ensure everyonewho undertakes work on behalf of the company understands their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding,and is provided with appropriate learning opportunities to recognise, identify and respond to signs of abuse, neglect and other safeguarding concerns relating to children, young people and ‘adults at risk’.
Ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of incidents/concerns of abuse in line with legislative requirements and the procedures set out in local policies and guidance.
Ensure decisions about actions taken are reached in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the associated Code of Practice, where applicable.
Ensure that confidential, detailed and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns are maintained and securely stored.
Ensure, where appropriate, that those working on behalf of FreeBird Associates Ltd. have satisfactorily completed a DBS Check and other vetting procedures relevant to the nature of their role.
Prevent the employment/deployment of those judged to be unsuitable to work with children, young people and ‘adults at risk’.
Ensure robust safeguarding arrangements and procedures are in operation.
All individuals representing or working on behalf of the company have a responsibility to follow the guidance laid out in this and related policies. In particular, they should familiarise themselves with, and work within, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly multi-agency arrangements for safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk, which are available from the Cornwall Council website: www.cornwall.gov.uk
Concerns about a child or young person under the age of 18 years.
In the event that an individual working for, or representing, FreeBird Associates Ltd. has concerns about the welfare of a childor young person, they should, without delay, contactand seek advice from:
Multi-agency Referral Unit: 0300 123 1116
Out of Hours Service: 01208 251300
If the concern is about a professional working with a child or young person, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) should be contacted on:
Cornwall - 01872 326536
Any information concerning actual or potential abuse or neglect relating to a child or young person should also be discussed with one of the Directors of FreeBird Associates Ltd. as soon as possible and a record kept of the concern and any actions taken.
Concernsabout an ‘adult at risk’
In deciding whether to raise a safeguarding concern, the following questions should be considered:
v Is the person an ‘adult at risk’ as defined within the Care Act 2014?
v Is the person experiencing, or at risk of, abuse and neglect?
v What is the nature and seriousness of the risk?
v What does the adult at risk want to happen now?
In all instances where there are concerns about an ‘adult at risk’, as defined above, the following principles will apply.
The adult at risk should experience the safeguarding process as empowering and supportive. Therefore, any individual working for, or representing, FreeBird Associates Ltd will seek to agree actions with the adult at risk, taking into consideration their desired outcomes of any support provided.
Consent should be sought where possible. However, there are occasions when a concern may need to be raised without without the person’s consent, for example:
v It is in the public interest, for example,
Ø there is a risk to other ‘adults at risk’, or
Ø the concern is about organisational abuse, or
Ø the concern or allegation of abuse relates to the conduct of an employee or volunteer within an organisation providing services to adults at risk, or
Ø the abuse or neglect has occurred on property owned or managed by an organisation with a responsibility to provide care
v a person is subject to coercion or undue influence, to the extent that they are unable to give consent
v it is in the adult’s vital interests (to prevent serious harm or distress or life- threatening situations)
v the person lacks capacity to make specific decisions to consent and a decision is made to raise a safeguarding concern in the person’s ‘best interests’ (Mental Capacity Act 2005)
However, not withstanding the above, it is acknowledged that those working for, or on behalf of, FreeBird Associates Ltd. are most likely to hear about potential or actual abuse during a training session and will not have access to the individual to whom the concerns relate. This must not delay any appropriate action being taken and advice should be sought as soon as possible from the Adult Safeguarding Triage team on01872 326433.
Any information concerning actual or potential abuse or neglect relating to an adult at risk should also be discussed with one of the Directors of FreeBird Associates Ltd. as soon as possible, and a record kept of the concern and any actions taken.
Capacity to consent – Mental Capacity Act 2005
The law presumes that adults have capacity to make their own decisions. However there will be times and situations in which an individual lacks capacity. In deciding whether the adult at risk has capacity to consent to a concern being raised, consider if the adult has capacity to make informed decisions and give valid consent:
v About other people being informed?
v About actions which may be taken under the multi-agency policy and procedure?
v About their own safety, including an understanding of longer-term harm as well as immediate effects? and
v How to take action to protect themselves from future harm?
If the adult at risk has capacity to decide about raising a safeguarding concern their consent should be sought, unless to do so may place a person at risk or it is not possible to seek that person’s consent. If the adult at risk lacks capacity to make an informed decision or give valid consent, and Best Interest decision will need to be made in line with the principles of thre Mental Capacity Act.
Making a Safeguarding Adults Referral
Advice on whether to make a referral can be soughtfrom the Adult Safeguarding Service on 0300 1231 116 (option 3) or direct contact with The Triage team on 01872 326433
When making a safeguarding adults referral, anyone working on behalf of FreeBird Associates Ltd. must complete an interagency adults safeguarding referral form.This can be accessed from www.cornwall.gov.uk/safeguardingadults, together with guidance notes about how to complete it.
Once completed, it should be sent to adultsafeguardingconcerns@cornwall.gov.uk using the info@freebirdassociates.comemail address. A response from the Safeguarding Service should be received within 2 working days and it is the responsibility of the referrer to follow this up immediately if no response has been received within this time-frame.
If out of hours the form should be sent on the next working day following the concern. It is not necessary to contact or to send the form to the Out of Hours Service. However, the Out of Hours Service can provide help with urgent social care if that is required 01208 251300
Safeguarding Adults enquiries
The Care Act 2014 requires that each local authority must
'make enquiries, or cause others to do so, if it believes an adult is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect. An enquiry should establish whether any action needs to be taken to prevent or stop abuse or neglect, and if so, by whom.'
Care Act Guidance 14.10
It is the responsibility of everyone working for, or on behalf of, FreeBird Associates Ltd. to fully co-operate with those undertaking Safeguarding enquiries.
This policy was written on August 2018 and will be reviewed in 12 months time, or in the event of changes to legislation, policy and good practice guidance.
Anna Elwood and Corinne Leverton
Directors
FreeBird Associates Ltd.