Safeguarding Adults Policy
Last reviewed: January 2023
- Designated Person
The co-ordinator and the Artistic Director are responsible for the implementation of the policy for the weekly workshops and performances. It is their duty to ensure that all those taking part are aware of the procedures and that risk assessments are in place for performances/off-site visits. The co-ordinator and Inspiring Arts practitioners work in collaboration with trustees to ensure risk assessments are fully in place.
All concerns, or allegations are to be made to the designated person and they are responsible for acting on such information by following the procedure.
- Background Checks
All staff are to provide 2 referees, which are to be checked, and are also to have background checks made with the Disclosure and Barring Service.
- Code of Behaviour
All employees, including carers and volunteers, are expected to treat each other & groups with whom they are working with respect; racism, bullying, homophobia, sexism & religious discrimination will not be tolerated; neither will be shouting or using oppressive behaviour.
Artists and volunteers are not expected to carry out any intimate care tasks unless they have been employed specifically for that task.
Members of staff may not form relationships (other than normal working relationships) with any member of a group with whom they are working.
Staff are not to restrain members of a group UNLESS they have received the appropriate training.
- Information for members of the group.
All participants and associated parties have access to this policy, and information on what to do & who to contact if they have a concern or problem.
- Confidentiality
All information that employees share with carers is to be considered confidential. That is to say that personal information given to carers by staff members should not be discussed with anyone outside of GC. It is especially important that personal information given by one staff member is NOT shared with other members of the group.
If a person has learning difficulties staff must ensure that a person is giving informedconsent to use their image for the purpose stated.
However, it is a legal requirement that workers should share information about abuse as directed in section 6 below.
- Reporting of Suspicions of Abuse.
All employees are to note the definitions of abuse listed below. If they have any suspicions that a person may be suffering, or may be at risk of suffering significant harm, then they must make the designated person aware UNLESS the allegation is about the designated person, in which case they should inform the co-ordinator (Penny Marten-Smith).
- Reporting allegations
In the event of an allegation, the designated person should record the following information. Name & contact details of Victim, & Parents / Carers (where applicable)
Time of incident.
What was seen.
What was said.
Who was there.
What evidence there is.
Who else has been told about the incident.
Whether the Parents /Carers have been told (where applicable).
- Next Steps.
The designated person should share the details of the allegation with the following people UNLESS they are the person against whom the allegation has been made.
The relevant safeguarding Adults Board:
For projects in Devon, Care Direct 0345 155 1007 or out of hours
Emergency Duty Service on 0845 6000 388
The Directors of Inspiring Arts, a senior member of staff from Get Changed Theatre Company.
If the allegation is against a worker for IA/GC, they should be removed immediately and should not be re-employed until the allegation has been fully investigated & resolved.
emailing csc.caredirect@devon.gov.uk
Categories Of Significant Harm and Their Definitions
Evidence of any one indicator from the following lists should not be taken on its own as proof that abuse is occurring. However, it should alert workers to make further assessments and to consider other associated factors. The lists of possible indicators and examples of behaviour are not exhaustive, and people may be subject to several abuse types at the same time.
Physical abuse
Types of physical abuse
- Assault, hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, hair-pulling, biting, pushing
- Rough handling
- Scalding and burning
- Physical punishments
- Inappropriate or unlawful use of restraint
- Making someone purposefully uncomfortable (e.g. opening a window and removing blankets)
- Involuntary isolation or confinement
- Misuse of medication (e.g. over-sedation)
- Forcible feeding or withholding food
- Unauthorised restraint, restricting movement (e.g. tying someone to a chair)
Possible indicators of physical abuse
- No explanation for injuries or inconsistency with the account of what happened
- Injuries are inconsistent with the person’s lifestyle
- Bruising, cuts, welts, burns and/or marks on the body or loss of hair in clumps
- Frequent injuries
- Unexplained falls
- Subdued or changed behaviour in the presence of a particular person
- Signs of malnutrition
- Failure to seek medical treatment or frequent changes of GP
Domestic violence or abuse
Types of domestic violence or abuse
Domestic violence or abuse can be characterised by any of the indicators of abuse outlined in this briefing relating to:
- psychological
- physical
- sexual
- financial
- emotional.
Domestic violence and abuse include any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. It also includes so called ‘honour’-based violence, female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
Coercive or controlling behaviour is a core part of domestic violence. Coercive behaviour can include:
- acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation
- harming, punishing, or frightening the person
- isolating the person from sources of support
- exploitation of resources or money
- preventing the person from escaping abuse
- regulating everyday behaviour.
Possible indicators of domestic violence or abuse
- Low self-esteem
- Feeling that the abuse is their fault when it is not
- Physical evidence of violence such as bruising, cuts, broken bones
- Verbal abuse and humiliation in front of others
- Fear of outside intervention
- Damage to home or property
- Isolation – not seeing friends and family
- Limited access to money
Sexual abuse
Types of sexual abuse
- Rape, attempted rape or sexual assault
- Inappropriate touch anywhere
- Non- consensual masturbation of either or both persons
- Non- consensual sexual penetration or attempted penetration of the vagina, anus or mouth
- Any sexual activity that the person lacks the capacity to consent to
- Inappropriate looking, sexual teasing or innuendo or sexual harassment
- Sexual photography or forced use of pornography or witnessing of sexual acts
- Indecent exposure
Possible indicators of sexual abuse
- Bruising, particularly to the thighs, buttocks and upper arms and marks on the neck
- Torn, stained or bloody underclothing
- Bleeding, pain or itching in the genital area
- Unusual difficulty in walking or sitting
- Foreign bodies in genital or rectal openings
- Infections, unexplained genital discharge, or sexually transmitted diseases
- Pregnancy in a woman who is unable to consent to sexual intercourse
- The uncharacteristic use of explicit sexual language or significant changes in sexual behaviour or attitude
- Incontinence not related to any medical diagnosis
- Self-harming
- Poor concentration, withdrawal, sleep disturbance
- Excessive fear/apprehension of, or withdrawal from, relationships
- Fear of receiving help with personal care
- Reluctance to be alone with a particular person
Psychological or emotional abuse
Types of psychological or emotional abuse
- Enforced social isolation – preventing someone accessing services, educational and social opportunities and seeing friends
- Removing mobility or communication aids or intentionally leaving someone unattended when they need assistance
- Preventing someone from meeting their religious and cultural needs
- Preventing the expression of choice and opinion
- Failure to respect privacy
- Preventing stimulation, meaningful occupation or activities
- Intimidation, coercion, harassment, use of threats, humiliation, bullying, swearing or verbal abuse
- Addressing a person in a patronising or infantilising way
- Threats of harm or abandonment
- Cyber bullying
Possible indicators of psychological or emotional abuse
- An air of silence when a particular person is present
- Withdrawal or change in the psychological state of the person
- Insomnia
- Low self-esteem
- Uncooperative and aggressive behaviour
- A change of appetite, weight loss/gain
- Signs of distress: tearfulness, anger
- Apparent false claims, by someone involved with the person, to attract unnecessary treatment
Financial or material abuse
Types of financial or material abuse
- Theft of money or possessions
- Fraud, scamming
- Preventing a person from accessing their own money, benefits or assets
- Employees taking a loan from a person using the service
- Undue pressure, duress, threat or undue influence put on the person in connection with loans, wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions
- Arranging less care than is needed to save money to maximise inheritance
- Denying assistance to manage/monitor financial affairs
- Denying assistance to access benefits
- Misuse of personal allowance in a care home
- Misuse of benefits or direct payments in a family home
- Someone moving into a person’s home and living rent free without agreement or under duress
- False representation, using another person’s bank account, cards, or documents
- Exploitation of a person’s money or assets, e.g. unauthorised use of a car
- Misuse of a power of attorney, deputy, appointeeship or other legal authority
- Rogue trading – e.g., unnecessary, or overpriced property repairs and failure to carry out agreed repairs or poor workmanship
Possible indicators of financial or material abuse
- Missing personal possessions
- Unexplained lack of money or inability to maintain lifestyle
- Unexplained withdrawal of funds from accounts
- Power of attorney or lasting power of attorney (LPA) being obtained after the person has ceased to have mental capacity
- Failure to register an LPA after the person has ceased to have mental capacity to manage their finances, so that it appears that they are continuing to do so
- The person allocated to manage financial affairs is evasive or uncooperative
- The family or others show unusual interest in the assets of the person
- Signs of financial hardship in cases where the person’s financial affairs are being managed by a court appointed deputy, attorney, or LPA
- Recent changes in deeds or title to property
- Rent arrears and eviction notices
- A lack of clear financial accounts held by a care home or service
- Failure to provide receipts for shopping or other financial transactions carried out on behalf of the person
- Disparity between the person’s living conditions and their financial resources, e.g., insufficient food in the house
- Unnecessary property repairs
Modern slavery
Types of modern slavery
- Human trafficking
- Forced labour
- Domestic servitude
- Sexual exploitation, such as escort work, prostitution, and pornography
- Debt bondage – being forced to work to pay off debts that realistically they never will be able to
Possible indicators of modern slavery
- Signs of physical or emotional abuse
- Appearing to be malnourished, unkempt or withdrawn
- Isolation from the community, seeming under the control or influence of others
- Living in dirty, cramped, or overcrowded accommodation and or living and working at the same address
- Lack of personal effects or identification documents
- Always wearing the same clothes
- Avoidance of eye contact, appearing frightened or hesitant to talk to strangers
- Fear of law enforcers
Discriminatory abuse
Types of discriminatory abuse
- Unequal treatment based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex or sexual orientation (known as ‘protected characteristics’ under the Equality Act 2010)
- Verbal abuse, derogatory remarks or inappropriate use of language related to a protected characteristic
- Denying access to communication aids, not allowing access to an interpreter, signer, or lip-reader
- Harassment or deliberate exclusion on the grounds of a protected characteristic
- Denying basic rights to healthcare, education, employment, and criminal justice relating to a protected characteristic
- Substandard service provision relating to a protected characteristic
Possible indicators of discriminatory abuse
- The person appears withdrawn and isolated
- Expressions of anger, frustration, fear, or anxiety
- The support on offer does not take account of the person’s individual needs in terms of a protected characteristic
Organisational or institutional abuse
Types of organisational or institutional abuse
- Discouraging visits or the involvement of relatives or friends
- Run-down or overcrowded establishment
- Authoritarian management or rigid regimes
- Lack of leadership and supervision
- Insufficient staff or high turnover resulting in poor quality care
- Abusive and disrespectful attitudes towards people using the service
- Inappropriate use of restraints
- Lack of respect for dignity and privacy
- Failure to manage residents with abusive behaviour
- Not providing adequate food and drink, or assistance with eating
- Not offering choice or promoting independence
- Misuse of medication
- Failure to provide care with dentures, spectacles, or hearing aids
- Not taking account of individuals’ cultural, religious, or ethnic needs
- Failure to respond to abuse appropriately
- Interference with personal correspondence or communication
- Failure to respond to complaints
Possible indicators of organisational or institutional abuse
- Lack of flexibility and choice for people using the service
- Inadequate staffing levels
- People being hungry or dehydrated
- Poor standards of care
- Lack of personal clothing and possessions and communal use of personal items
- Lack of adequate procedures
- Poor record-keeping and missing documents
- Absence of visitors
- Few social, recreational, and educational activities
- Public discussion of personal matters
- Unnecessary exposure during bathing or using the toilet
- Absence of individual care plans
- Lack of management overview and support
Neglect and acts of omission
Types of neglect and acts of omission
- Failure to provide or allow access to food, shelter, clothing, heating, stimulation and activity, personal or medical care
- Providing care in a way that the person dislikes
- Failure to administer medication as prescribed
- Refusal of access to visitors
- Not taking account of individuals’ cultural, religious, or ethnic needs
- Not taking account of educational, social, and recreational needs
- Ignoring or isolating the person
- Preventing the person from making their own decisions
- Preventing access to glasses, hearing aids, dentures, etc.
- Failure to ensure privacy and dignity
Possible indicators of neglect and acts of omission
- Poor environment – dirty or unhygienic
- Poor physical condition and/or personal hygiene
- Pressure sores or ulcers
- Malnutrition or unexplained weight loss
- Untreated injuries and medical problems
- Inconsistent or reluctant contact with medical and social care organisations
- Accumulation of untaken medication
- Uncharacteristic failure to engage in social interaction
- Inappropriate or inadequate clothing
Self-neglect
Types of self-neglect
- Lack of self-care to an extent that it threatens personal health and safety
- Neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health, or surroundings
- Inability to avoid self-harm
- Failure to seek help or access services to meet health and social care needs
- Inability or unwillingness to manage one’s personal affairs
Indicators of self-neglect
- Very poor personal hygiene
- Unkempt appearance
- Lack of essential food, clothing, or shelter
- Malnutrition and/or dehydration
- Living in squalid or unsanitary conditions
- Neglecting household maintenance
- Hoarding
- Collecting many animals in inappropriate conditions
- Non-compliance with health or care services
- Inability or unwillingness to take medication or treat illness or injury
County Lines – County lines is a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs out of bigger cities into one or more smaller towns in the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of ‘deal line’. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money, and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence and weapons. Concerns should be reported to the police on 101.
For more information
Email: info@getchanged.com
https://mylife.devon.gov.uk/form/Safeguarding-Concern#!/onbehalfof
