Everyone has the right to be safeguarded against potential danger. In order to safeguard its members and/or customers, your organisation or group must have a well-defined set of policies and procedures. You will need to have the ability to:
-Keep your members safe
-Address any problems that may arise
Policies and procedures for the protection members or employees are critical components to the successful operation of any organisation. Good governance, health and safety, financial management, staff supervision and management, and the supervision and management of personnel are all required to support members or employees.
What is safeguarding?
The process of ensuring that vulnerable persons in society have their rights, health, and wellbeing protected is referred to as safeguarding. Everyone in the workplace is responsible for keeping a watchful eye out for possible indicators of abuse and neglect, and this duty is especially important if there are vulnerable adults or children present.
Who can be considered a vulnerable adult?
A vulnerable adult is a person aged eighteen or older who may be in need of care services as a result of the following factors:
- Age
- Physical or mental disability
- Physical or mental illness
- Inability to look after themselves and protect themselves from exploitation, threat and harm
- Incapacity to report abuse
How to write a safeguarding policy?
A clear and written safeguarding helps everyone in an organisation have a better understanding of what is expected of them and of the roles they play in maintaining safety around them. This is how you should proceed to create your own policy:
- Put someone in charge of safeguarding
The name of the person you have chosen to act as your designated safeguarding person, as well as their contact information should be communicated to everyone. This person should be responsible for offering guidance and support to other members of staff, as well as ensuring that the protection of people is prioritised in everything that you do. You should also include the name and contact information of a deputy in the event that the designated person responsible for safeguarding cannot be reached.
- Provide the tools to recognise signs of abuse
Abuse is sadly more common than one might think. It is present in all layers of society, from work to the home. It is essential for staff members, volunteers, and others in positions of trust to have an understanding of the various forms of abuse that a person may suffer from, as well as the signs and symptoms associated with abuse of this kind. We strongly encourage all employees who are responsible for ensuring the safety of others to participate in training that will not only teach them how to recognise different types of abuse but also how to respond appropriately when they do.
- Offer support
It is essential that every member of staff has the chance to discuss with their line manager any aspect of the safeguarding programme about which they have concerns, and the best way to accomplish this is to provide regular supervision. The processes that you have in place should detail the supervision that is provided for your employees, volunteers, and other people who are in a position of trust.
- Create a process to deal with abuse
Every organisation ought to have policies and procedures in place to ensure that any allegations levelled against a member of staff are investigated and handled in the appropriate manner. Discussing any allegation made against a member of staff with the Local Authority Designated Officer is the appropriate next step. If the complaint is levelled against a lead individual in your organisation, the situation needs to be examined once more with the LADO. It is the responsibility of the organisation to guarantee that the victim is protected and kept at a distance from the individual who is the subject of the complaint. Regardless of whether or not the incident is investigated by the police, there should still be an internal inquiry conducted, and consideration should be given to the operation of disciplinary procedures. Depending on the specifics of the occurrence, this could result in an immediate suspension as well as the eventual termination of employment.
Having a strong safeguarding policy put in place in your organisation is absolutely critical to create a safe environment for everyone to evolve and thrive in. You should make sure to involve everyone and create a strong policy that is understood and easy to follow. Do not hesitate to get in contact with safeguarding professionals in order to create a policy that suits your establishment the best.