Herring House Trust Lived Experience Volunteer Scheme

Safeguarding Policy & Procedure

Purpose of Policy

The purpose of this policy is to protect people, at risk adults and any service users involved with the LIved Experience Collective Volunteer Scheme (LECVS), from any harm that may be caused due to their coming into contact with Brew Crew. This includes harm arising from:

  • The conduct of Volunteers or Staff associated with the LECVS.
  • The design and implementation of LECVS’s programmes and activities.

The policy lays out the commitments made by LECVS and informs Volunteers and Staff of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. This policy does not cover:

  • Safeguarding concerns in the wider community not perpetrated by LECVS Volunteers or Staff.

What is safeguarding?

In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples' health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. In the LECVS, we understand it to mean protecting people and at risk adults, from harm that arises from coming into contact with our Volunteers or Staff.

It means taking all reasonable steps to prevent harm, exploitation, abuse and harassment from occurring; to protect people, especially vulnerable adults from that harm; and to respond appropriately when harm does occur. This definition draws from our values and principles and shapes our culture.

It pays specific attention to preventing and responding to harm from any potential, actual or attempted abuse of power and trust. Types of abuse include:

  • Physical
  • Psychological/emotional
  • Sexual
  • Financial or material
  • Neglect and acts of omission
  • Discrimination
  • Institutional

Who is responsible for safeguarding?

  • All Volunteers and Staff involved with the LECVS.
  • Other professionals whilst engaged with work or visits related to the LECVS.

Policy principles

  • The LECVS believes that everyone we come into contact with, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or ethnic origin has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
  • The LECVS will not tolerate abuse and exploitation by Volunteers or Staff. This policy will address the following areas of safeguarding: Adult safeguarding, and protection from exploitation and abuse. The LECVS commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work.

Prevention

The LECVS will:

  • Ensure all Volunteers and Staff have access to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this policy.
  • Design and undertake all its activities in a way that protects people from any risk of harm that may arise from their coming into contact with LECVS.
  • Implement stringent safeguarding procedures when recruiting, managing and deploying Volunteers and Staff.
  • Ensure Volunteers and Staff receive training on safeguarding at a level commensurate with their role in the organisation.
  • Follow up on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process.

Response

These procedures set out what action is to be taken if a member of Volunteer or Staff suspects that a person has been abused or is at risk of abuse. Procedures also cover circumstances in which a member of Volunteer or Staff is accused of abuse.

Designated Staff

The designated member of staff for the protection of vulnerable adults is the Lived Experience lead and senior Management. Their role is to ensure:-

  • Policies and procedures required by law are in place.
  • All Volunteers and Staff must be aware of the procedures, how to follow them and receive appropriate training.
  • Specific concerns are discussed and appropriate action is taken.
  • Accurate records relating to individual service users are kept in a secure place.

Procedures for Volunteers and Staff

  • If any member of Volunteer or Staff is concerned about a person they must inform the Lived experience Lead immediately.
  • Clear, precise and factual information about the concern must be recorded by the person raising it on the same day and signed and dated.
  • The lived experience Lead will decide, in conjunction with the member of staff/Volunteer raising the issue and Senior Management whether to make a referral to Social Services or the Police.
  • If a referral is made, a written report of the concerns will be sent to Social Services or Police as soon as possible.

When to be Concerned

Volunteers and Staff should be concerned about a service user if they:

  • Have any injury for which there is no explanation, or for which the explanation changes or is inconsistent.
  • Regularly has unexplained injuries or frequent injuries which may appear to have reasonable explanation.
  • Exhibits significant changes in behaviour, emotional well-being or attitude.
  • Discloses an experience in which he/she or another service user may have been exploited.
  • Discloses an experience in which he/she or another service user may have been significantly harmed.

Confidentiality

It is essential that confidentiality in maintained at all stages of the process when dealing with safeguarding concerns. Information relating to the concern and subsequent case management should be shared on a need to know basis only, and should be kept secure at all times.

Dealing with a Disclosure

If a person discloses that they have been abused in some way, Volunteers or Staff should take the following action:-

  • Explain to the service user that it is not always possible to promise confidentiality, though we will do our utmost to keep information confidential or to make other promises which it might not be possible to keep.
  • Allow the person to talk freely.
  • Accept what is being said without displaying shock or disbelief.
  • Use listening skills.
  • Ask minimal questions – keep them open and not direct.
  • Reassure the person that they are not to blame.
  • Stress that it was the right thing to disclose.
  • Do not criticise the perpetrator.
  • Explain what has to be done next and who has to be told.

Record Keeping

When a service user has made a disclosure, Volunteers and Staff must:-

  • Make brief notes on the service user’s logs as soon as possible after the conversation, noting the date, time and place of the disclosure and any non-verbal communication by the service user.
  • Record statements and observations not interpretations and assumptions.
  • Keep the notes in a secure place for seven years.

Support

It is recognised that dealing with a disclosure of abuse by a person is a stressful experience and a member of Volunteer or Staff should seek support from the Lived Experience Lead or Senior Management. Further support can be arranged for Volunteers and Staff supporting service users if it is required.

Allegations involving Volunteers and Staff

If a service user (or their representative) makes an allegation of abuse against a member of Volunteer or Staff, the person receiving it must take it seriously and immediately inform the Lived experience lead or in their absence Senior Management.

Any member of Volunteer or Staff who has concerns that a service user may have been abused by another member of Volunteer or Staff must immediately inform the Lived experience lead or in their absence Senior Management.

The Lived experience lead or in their absence Senior Manager will assess the accusation as soon as possible to decide the following:-

  • If the accusation constitutes a possible criminal offence it should be referred to the Police or Social Services as appropriate, without delay.
  • If the accusation constitutes a breach of the LECVS Volunteer Policy, it will be dealt with through the Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.
  • During the time that the accusation is being investigated, either internally or by an external agency, the member of Volunteer or Staff will have no contact on behalf of the LECVS with the service user making the accusation. During the period of investigation, other work duties of the member of Volunteer or Staff will be reassessed to ensure they have no further unsupervised contact with service users. This could result in a volunteer standing down while investigations are completed.
  • If either the Lived Experience Lead or Senior Manager is named and therefore under investigation, all duties of care will be the responsibility of alternative Senior Manager and the Chairperson of HHT Management Committee;
    Colin Beales
    Chair of HHT Management Committee
    51 St Nicholas Rd
    Great Yarmouth. NR30 1NR

November 2024