Your organisation should have policies relating to the welfare of visitors, staff, and volunteers. These policies will underpin the Safeguarding Adults Policy and should be referenced in it.
Safeguarding templates will help your organisation respond, report, and refer
The Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedure Document should be focused on ensuring that processes are put in place to keep adults safe. An appropriate referral model should be developed that offers direction to people on how to respond, what they should record, and when they should report internally and externally to statutory agencies.
It is important to explain that it is not the responsibility of people in your organisation to interview or investigate if they have a concern about abuse. Statutory agencies such as the police or social care are responsible for this.
Other Policies and Procedures that Support Safeguarding Adults
Your Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures should be supported by other organisational policies. They will help to support an environment in which everyone can feel safe and supported.
The other organisational policies that should support your Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures should include the following – but please note that this is not an exhaustive list:
- Codes of conduct for all staff, volunteers, and visitors
- A clear job description for the role of Safeguarding Adults Lead Officer or Welfare Officer
- Safe recruitment and training of staff and volunteers
- Whistleblowing
- Safeguarding children
- Equality
- Social media
- Complaints
- Disciplinary
- Selection
- Trips away
- Duty of care
- Supervision
- Roles and responsibilities
- Working with parents and carers
Our policy templates list some examples of good and poor practice. Many issues raised by organisations regarding adults are issues that can be resolved by implementing your welfare policies.
Your organisation should always promote the adult’s wellbeing in your safeguarding arrangements. People have complex lives, and safety is only one of the things they want for themselves. Professionals should work with the adult to establish what safety means to them, and how that can be best achieved. You should not be advocating “safety” measures that do not take account of individual well-being. For more information, please refer to Section 14.8 of the Care Act 2016.
Key Takeaways for Your Organisation
Your organisation should:
- Have clear policy and procedures in place for safeguarding adults, and ensure that everyone is aware of them, including all of your staff and volunteers.
- Have a designating officer in place for adult safeguarding.
- Create a culture that means that everyone feels able to discuss concerns.
- Know the contact details of the Local Authority Safeguarding Adults team.
In the event of a safeguarding issue, follow this process:
- Seek consent from the person concerned. If you feel that they do not have capacity to consent, you can act without consent but you must log your decision.
- Collect all available relevant facts and appropriate information.
- Make a written record of the concern.
- Tell the person involved what you are going to do about the concern and note any views that they may have regarding how they wish the matter to be dealt with.
- Tell only the people who need to know – such as your safeguarding officer.
- Consider the balance between listening to someone’s wishes and needing to refer information where others may be at risk.
- Inform the person involved about the outcome of any process.
If someone is injured or at immediate risk, take immediate action. Seek help by dialling 999 for police or ambulance.
Safeguarding Audits
We have over 25 years experience safeguarding adults across all types of organisations. Our independent audits review your current policies, practices, training and investigations to give you recommendations and advice on how to improve safeguarding in your organisation.
Safeguarding Audits