Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Procedure

This procedures document provides staff and volunteers with the steps they should take if they have concerns regarding the safety of vulnerable adults engaged in activities provided by Moder Dy CIC.

1.0 Responding to concerns about a vulnerable person’s welfare

If a vulnerable adult is in immediate danger, call the police on 999.

If a vulnerable adult is not in immediate danger report your concerns to Esther Renwick, Safeguarding Lead.

Mobile: 07399 405519

Email: esther@moderdy.org

If Esther is not available please report your concerns to Marc Chivers, Safeguarding Deputy Lead.

Mobile: 07824 996506

Email: marc@moderdy.org

If the Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Lead cannot be contacted and a vulnerable person is not in immediate danger contact the Duty Social Worker 9am-5pm: 01595 744468 Out of hours: 01595 695611

1.1 What to say to a vulnerable person and how to respond

Start by talking to the person in private, if you feel able to do so. Mention some of the things that concern you; for instance, that they’ve become depressed and withdrawn, have been losing weight or seem to be short of money.

Let them talk as much as they want to. Be mindful that if they’ve been abused they may be reluctant to talk about it because they are afraid of making the situation worse, do not want to cause trouble, or may be experiencing coercion or threats.

It’s best not to promise the person that you will not tell anyone what’s been said. If an adult is being abused or neglected, it’s important to find help for them and stop the harm. Stay calm while the person is talking, even if you’re upset by what you hear, otherwise they may become more upset themselves and stop telling you what’s been going on.

It can be very difficult for an abused or neglected person to talk about what’s been happening to them. Unless you’re concerned for their immediate health and safety and feel it’s vital to act straight away, give them time to think about what they’d like to do. If you’re right and the person has been abused or neglected, ask them what they’d like you to do. Let them know who can help them, and tell them you can seek help on their behalf if they want or if it’s difficult for them to do so themselves. It’s important to listen to what they say and not charge into action if this is not what they want.

2.0 Managing allegations against staff and volunteers

Where it is alleged that any person working for or volunteering with Moder Dy CIC has:

• Behaved in a way that has harmed a vulnerable adult, may have harmed a vulnerable adult, or might lead to a vulnerable adult being harmed

• Possibly committed or is planning to commit a criminal offence against a vulnerable adult

• Behaved towards a vulnerable adult(s) in a way that indicates they are unsuitable to work with vulnerable people

• Behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed, an adult at risk

• This applies if the allegation is about a current incident or has occurred historically

An adult is a person aged of 16 years and over in Scotland (18 in the rest of the UK).

The allegation may concern one or more vulnerable adults. The allegation can be about any adult at risk, for example an adult at risk: involved in a fundraising or participation activity, that a member of staff or volunteer has contact within their community/home life, is the son or daughter or family member of the employee or volunteer.

Allegations of abuse must be reported immediately to the Safeguarding Lead or in their absence the Safeguarding Deputy Lead. An allegation made against a member of staff or volunteer will necessitate their immediate suspension pending investigation. The family/carer/social worker of the vulnerable adult must be notified and the incident reported to the police for their investigation.

3.0 Recording concerns and information sharing

If you have concerns about a vulnerable person’s welfare or safety, it’s vital all relevant details are recorded. This must be done regardless of whether the concerns are shared with the police or social services. Keep an accurate record of:

the date and time of the incident/disclosure
the date and time of the report
the name and role of the person to whom the concern was originally reported and their contact details
the name and role of the person making the report (if this is different to the above) and their contact details
the names of all parties who were involved in the incident, including any witnesses
the name, age and any other relevant information about the person who is the subject of the concern (including information about their carers/social worker and family)
what was said or done and by whom

Make sure the report is factual. Any interpretation or inference drawn from what was observed, said or alleged should be clearly reported as such. The record should always be signed and dated by the person making the report.

4.0 Code of conduct for staff and volunteers

4.1 The role of staff and volunteers

In your role at Moder Dy CIC you are acting in a position of trust and authority and have a duty of care towards vulnerable people we work with. We expect people who take part in our services to display appropriate behaviour at all times. This includes behaviour that takes place outside our organisation and behaviour that takes place online.

4.2 Role and responsibility of staff and volunteers

You are responsible for:

• prioritising the welfare of vulnerable people

• providing a safe environment vulnerable people - ensuring equipment is used safely and for its intended purpose - having good awareness of issues to do with safeguarding and taking action when appropriate.

• following our principles, policies and procedures - including our policies and procedures for safeguarding and child protection, whistleblowing and online safety

• staying within the law at all times

• challenging all inappropriate behaviour and reporting any breaches of the behaviour code to Esther Renwick or Marc Chivers

• reporting all concerns about abusive behaviour, following our safeguarding procedures - this includes inappropriate behaviour displayed by an adult or child and directed at anybody of any age.

4.3 Respecting vulnerable people

You should:

• listen to and respect people at all times

value and take vulnerable peoples contributions seriously, actively involving them in planning activities wherever possible

• respect a person’s right to personal privacy as far as possible.

4.4 Diversity and inclusion

You should:

• treat people fairly and without prejudice or discrimination

• understand that vulnerable people are individuals with individual needs

• respect differences in gender, sexual orientation, culture, race, ethnicity, disability

and religious belief systems, and appreciate that all participants bring something valuable and different to the group/organisation

• challenge discrimination and prejudice

• encourage vulnerable adults to speak out about attitudes or behaviour that makes them uncomfortable.

4.5 Appropriate relationships

You should:

• promote relationships that are based on openness, honesty, trust and respect

• avoid showing favouritism

• be patient with others

• exercise caution when you are discussing sensitive issues with vulnerable people

• ensure your contact vulnerable people is appropriate and relevant to the nature of the activity you are involved in

• ensure that whenever possible, there is more than one adult present during activities with vulnerable people - if a situation arises where you are alone with a vulnerable person, ensure that you are within sight or can be heard by other adults - if a vulnerable person specifically asks for or needs some individual time with you, ensure other staff or volunteers know where you and the vulnerable person are

• only provide personal care in an emergency and make sure there is more than one adult present if possible - unless it has been agreed that the provision of personal care is part of your role and you have been trained to do this safely.

4.6 Inappropriate behaviour

When working with vulnerable people, you must not:

• allow concerns or allegations to go unreported

• take unnecessary risks

• smoke, consume alcohol or use illegal substances

• develop inappropriate relationships with vulnerable people

• make inappropriate promises vulnerable people

• engage in behaviour that is in any way abusive - including having any form of

sexual contact with a vulnerable person

• let vulnerable people have your personal contact details (mobile number, email or postal address) or have contact with them via a personal social media account

• act in a way that can be perceived as threatening or intrusive

• patronise or belittle vulnerable people

• make sarcastic, insensitive, derogatory or sexually suggestive comments or gestures to or in front of vulnerable people.

4.7 Upholding this code of behaviour

You should always follow this code of behaviour and never rely on your reputation or that of our organisation to protect you. If you have behaved inappropriately, you will be subject to our disciplinary procedures. Depending on the seriousness of the situation, you might be asked to leave Moder Dy CIC. We might also make a report to statutory agencies such as the police and/or the local authority social services.

If you become aware of any breaches of this code, you must report them to Esther Renwick or Marc Chivers. If necessary, you should follow our whistleblowing procedure and safeguarding procedures.

4.8 Photography and sharing images guidance

It’s important that vulnerable people feel happy with their achievements and have photographs and films of their special moments. Family and friends also want to be able to share vulnerable peoples successes when they have been part of a special event or activity.

However, some vulnerable people may not be comfortable with images of themselves being shared.

For example:

if they have experienced abuse they may worry about the perpetrator tracing them online
vulnerable people who choose not to have contact with some members of their family may decide to minimise their online presence
they may have religious or cultural reasons for choosing not to be photographed.

It’s important to be aware of safeguarding issues when taking photos of or filming vulnerable adults. The potential for misuse of images can be reduced if organisations are aware of the potential dangers and put appropriate measures in place. You should also consider the data protection implications of making, using and storing images of vulnerable people for your organisation’s use.

We’ve put together guidance to help you think about and mitigate the risks involved with making and sharing images of vulnerable people.

4.9 Risks of sharing images online

Sharing photographs and images of children on social media or other online platforms carries potential risks. For example:

vulnerable people may become susceptible to grooming if a photograph is shared alongside information that makes them identifiable. This includes: personal details; a tag with location information
inappropriate images of vulnerable people may be shared online
images may be copied, downloaded, screenshotted or shared by anyone
images of vulnerable people may be adapted and used inappropriately
photos or videos may appear in internet search results
depending on the terms and conditions of using an online platform, the image may be owned by the platform once it’s been posted. Platforms may then license images for use by third parties – such as for commercial purposes
each photo or video, and any comments on them, become a part of a person’s public image. This may affect them later during their life

5.0 Consent to share images of vulnerable people

Vulnerable people should always be consulted about the use of their image and give consent to it being used and shared.

5.1 How to obtain consent

Make sure the vulnerable person understands what they are agreeing to.

Make them aware that a photo or video is being taken.
Explain what the image is going to be used for.
Ask for their consent to share their image and record this on a written consent form.
Tell them how long their consent is valid for and how long you will keep the image for.
Explain what you will do if the person changes their mind and withdraws consent at a later stage.
Make it clear that if a person’s image has been used online or in printed publications it will be very difficult to recall it if consent is withdrawn.

It’s good practice to share your photography policy with vulnerable people and or their key worker or social worker and seek their consent at the beginning of the year. You may also need to get additional consent in specific circumstances (if for instance, you are bringing in a professional photographer or the photos might appear in the local or national media).

5.2 What to do if consent is not given

If person does not want to have their photo taken or shared, you should respect their wishes.

No one should be excluded from an activity because you don’t have consent to take their photograph.

In advance of a photography session you should agree with the person the best way for them to be identified so the photographer knows not to take photos of them. This might involve giving them a badge, sticker or wristband. Whichever method you choose, you should make sure people don’t feel singled out or isolated.