The Hospital of St Mary the Virgin (Rye Hill and Benwell) Almshouses Charity

Safeguarding Adults Policy

oved by Trustees: 19 March 2019
Next Review: not later than March 2021

1. This Policy will demonstrate that The Hospital of St Mary the Virgin (Rye Hill and Benwell) Almshouses Charity (“the Charity”) is committed to keeping safe adults at risk with whom it works alongside. The Charity acknowledges its duty to act appropriately to any allegations, reports or suspicions of abuse.

2. The Charity recognises that it is important to have a policy and procedures in place so that all managers, staff, Trustees, the Clerk, volunteers, third parties working with the Charity and service users can work to prevent abuse and know what to do should a concern arise.

3. The Charity will appoint a suitably trained Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager (DASM), normally the Charity’s Manager.

4. The policy and procedures, based on the Newcastle’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures documents, have been drawn up in order to enable the Charity to:

• promote good practice and work in a way that can prevent harm and abuse occurring;

• ensure that any allegations of abuse or suspicions are dealt with appropriately
and the person experiencing abuse is supported; and

• stop abuse occurring.

5. The policy and procedures relate to the safeguarding of adults at risk. Adults at risk are defined as individuals aged over 18 who:

• have needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs) and;

• is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect; and

• as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect (Care Act, 2014).

6. The policy applies to all managers, staff, Trustees, the Clerk, volunteers, service users and third-party providers and anyone working on behalf of the Charity. It is acknowledged that significant numbers of adults at risk are abused and it is important that the Charity has a Safeguarding Adults Policy and a set of procedures to follow and puts in place preventative measures to try and reduce those numbers. In order to implement the policy and procedure, the Charity will work to:

• stop abuse or neglect wherever possible;

• prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect to adults with care and support needs;

• promote the wellbeing of the adult(s) at risk in safeguarding adults arrangements;

• safeguard adults in a way that supports them in making choices and having control about how they want to live;

• promote an approach that concentrates on improving life for the adults concerned;

• raise awareness of safeguarding adults to ensure that everyone can play their part in preventing, identifying and responding to abuse and neglect;

• provide information and support in accessible ways to help people understand the different types of abuse, how to stay safe and what to do to raise a concern about the safety or well-being of an adult; and

• address what caused the abuse or neglect.

7. This policy will enable the Charity to:

• ensure that all managers, staff, Trustees, the Clerk, volunteers, service users and third-party providers are familiar with this policy and associated procedures;

• work with other agencies within the framework of the Newcastle Safeguarding Adults Board Policy and Procedures, issued under Care Act 2014 statutory guidance;

• act within its Data Protection Policy (which includes the requirements of the GDPR) and obtain permission from service users before sharing information about them with another agency;

• pass information to the Local Authority when more than one person is at risk. For example: if the concern relates to a worker, volunteer or organisation who provides a service to adults with care and support needs or children;

• inform service users that where a person is in danger, a child is at risk or a crime has been committed then a decision may be taken to pass information to another agency without the service user’s consent;

• make a safeguarding adults referral to the Local Authority as appropriate;

• endeavour to keep up to date with national developments relating to preventing abuse and welfare of adults; and

• ensure that the Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager (DASM) understands his/her responsibility to refer incidents of adult abuse to the relevant statutory agencies (Police/Local Authority).

8. The Charity’s Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager (DASM, normally its Manager) may be contacted at:

• 0191 274 0136

• admin@hsmtv.org

• The Manager, Hospital of St Mary the Virgin Almshouses, Thomas Horsley House, 349 Benwell Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 6NG

9. This policy should be read in conjunction with the Newcastle’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures documents which are available at:

www.newcastle.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/adult-social-care/safeguarding-adults-information-for-professionals/ newcastle-safeguarding-adults-inter-a

This policy and associated procedures are kept in the Manager’s Office at Thomas Horsley House and are available on-line to the Manager, Trustees and Clerk.