Calm Connect Safeguarding Adults Policy

Calm Connect is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults at risk, engaged in the breadth of its activities.

All volunteers and trustees working on behalf of Calm Connect must promote the welfare and safety of adults at risk.

Volunteers and trustees may receive disclosures of abuse and observe adults at risk who are at risk. This policy will enable volunteers/volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific adult protection issues.

Trustees and volunteers should be vigilant at all times about adult safeguarding.

Within face-to-face supervision meetings, volunteers will be able to raise concerns about adults at risk, and volunteers will be monitored around safeguarding (where appropriate).

Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons.

Abuse may consist of a single act or repeated acts. It may be physical, verbal or psychological, it may be an act of neglect or an omission to act, or it may occur when a vulnerable person is persuaded to enter into a financial or sexual transaction to which he or she has not consented, or cannot consent. Abuse can occur in any relationship, and it may result in significant harm to or exploitation of the person subjected to it.

The Department of Health, in its ‘No Secrets’ report, suggests the following as the main types of abuse.

Physical abuse – including hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, misuse of medication, restraint, or inappropriate sanctions.

Sexual abuse – including rape and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the vulnerable adult has not consented, or could not consent or was pressured into consenting.

Psychological abuse – including emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, isolation or withdrawal from services or supportive networks.

Financial or material abuse – including theft, fraud, exploitation, pressure in connection with wills, property or inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits.

Neglect and acts of omission – including ignoring medical or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, social care or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.

Discriminatory abuse – including racist, sexist, that based on a person’s disability, age or sexuality and other forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment.

Organisational abuse – Organisational or institutional abuse is the mistreatment of people brought about by poor or inadequate care or support, or systematic poor practice that affects the whole care setting. It occurs when the individual's wishes and needs are sacrificed for the smooth running of a group, service or organisation.

Self-Neglect - refers to an unwillingness or inability to care for oneself and/or one’s environment. It encompasses a wide range of behaviours, including hoarding, living in squalor, and neglecting self-care and hygiene.

Modern Slavery – Modern Slavery is an international crime, it can include victims that have been brought from overseas, and vulnerable people in the UK. Slave Masters and Traffickers will deceive, coerce and force adults into a life of abuse, callous treatment and slavery.

Domestic Abuse – 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. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse: psychological physical, sexual, financial and emotional. For Domestic abuse support please visit www.gdva.org.uk for queries and/ information, in the first instance.

Other forms of abuse to be aware of are:

Forced Marriage – (where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning disabilities or reduced capacity, cannot) consent to the marriage as they are pressurised, or abuse is used, to force them to do so).

Mate Crime – (is a form of crime in which a perpetrator befriends a vulnerable person with the intention of then exploiting the person financially, physically or sexually).

Female Genital Mutilation, FGM – (is a procedure where the female genitals are deliberately cut, injured or changed, but there's no medical reason for this to be done, It's also known as female circumcision or cutting, and by other terms, such as Sunna, gudniin, halalays, tahur, megrez and khitan, among others, It's illegal in the UK and is child abuse).

When working with adults at risk, it is important to consider the welfare and wellbeing of children in the household. Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) show there is risk of harm to children when different parental and environmental risk factors are present in combination or over periods. This is particularly in relation to domestic abuse, parental mental ill health, and alcohol or substance misuse.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) must always report such concerns both to Adult Safeguarding and to Children Social Care Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on the same day that concerns have been raised/notified. To report concerns to the MASH, phone 0208 921 3172 (9am-5pm); or 0208 854 888 (after 5pm). If you are unsure what to do, phone 0208 921 2267 for advice and guidance (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm). See below for contact details of Adult Safeguarding.

Any suspicion, allegation or incident of abuse must be reported to the Designated Adult Protection Officer in the council, on that working day where possible. Tel: 0208 921 2304. (Out of hours: 020 8854 8888). Fax: 020 8921 3392. The Police should be contacted on 101 or 999 in an emergency or if the volunteer or trustee believes or suspects that a crime has been committed.

Safeguarding Adults Team – Only use this number for information and advise not to raise a new concern :Phone: 020 891 3888: E-mail adultsafeguarding@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Calm Connect Named Safeguarding Adults at Risk Officer is: Name Rowan Contactable via Telephone 07962400996 Email: calmconnectuk@gmail.com

Link to the Royal Greenwich Safeguarding Adults Board website is here http://greenwichsafeguardingadults.org.uk/

Royal Greenwich Me learning Training – available to all services operating within Royal Greenwich (insert link when Live). For help with registering, contact: has-workforce@royalgreenwich.gov.uk