This policy statement relates to safeguarding adults, who come under the Care Act 2014, from abuse or neglect. Further guidance is available from http://www.safeguardingcambspeterborough.org.uk/adults-board/

An adult at risk is a person aged 18 years or over who

• Has support and care needs
• Is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect
• As a result, those care and support are unable to protect themselves from the risk or experience of abuse or neglect.

UK Chinese Women Connect Association (UKCWC) when working with adults will

• Promote their health and welfare.   
• Respect and promote their rights. 
• Work in a way which safeguards the wellbeing of each adult and protects them from abuse and neglect. 
• Take appropriate steps if they become aware of any signs / incidents of abuse and neglect.  
• Ensure group members and volunteers are not expected to be alone or left unsupervised with adults who may be at risk, or to attend to their personal care needs.  

Policy Aims 

• To promote good practice and ensure that volunteers are able to work in an environment where there is irregular and low intensity contact with adults with confidence  
• To provide adults who may be at risk with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the company of participating volunteers 
• To allow volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific Safeguarding Adults issues  
• Monitor the level of contact with adults at risk to ensure that the contact is infrequent and of low intensity and below the threshold of DBS check requirements  
• To ensure that adults at risk and their carers (if appropriate) are aware of what to do if they have a concern and that they would feel confident to pass their concern on. UKCWC will maintain an effective code of conduct and complaints policy.
• We will ensure adults at risk are protected when our activities are undertaken online. This will include ensuring livestream events only include people who are invited by asking people to register and issue a login and password. 

To achieve this, the board will appoint the Committee responsible for this policy. 

The Committee will: 

• • Ensure that the welfare of adults at risk is given the highest priority by the organisation, its management and volunteers  
  • Promote good practice and ensure that volunteers are able to work with adults at risk with confidence  
  • Ensure that this Practice Guidance and Procedures is enacted and monitored including the briefing, training and gathering feedback from volunteers 
  • Monitor contact with adults at risk to ensure that the frequency and intensity of contact is consistent with the DBS threshold levels
  • Act as the main contact for disclosing information around safeguarding adults at risk concerns  
  • Ensure that the concerns of adults at risk are heard and acted a upon 
  • Be responsible for reporting incidents or concerns to appropriate authorities 
  • Attend appropriate training relevant to the level of engagement with adults at risk to ensure all staff/volunteers remain up to date with current practice and legislation 
  • Ensure volunteers have access to further appropriate information

• Where appropriate report your concern https://www.safeguardingcambspeterborough.org.uk/concerned/ 

UKCWC is committed to supporting the right of adults at risk to be protected from abuse and neglect and to making sure all staff and volunteers work together, in line with the Cambridgeshire County Councils Safeguarding Adults Policy, and act promptly when dealing with allegations or suspicions of abuse or neglect. 

We think that: 

• SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS – Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone. We will work together to prevent and minimise abuse. If we have concerns that someone is being abused our loyalty to the adult at risk comes before anything else – our group, other service users, our colleagues and the person’s friends and family. 

DOING NOTHING IS NOT AN OPTION – If we know or suspect that an adult is being abused, we will do something about it.

Safeguarding reporting for all staff & volunteers

If you think someone is in immediate danger and needs urgent help, please call the police on 999. As soon as it is safe to do so make the Committee aware of the situation.

If an adult at risk tells you they are being abused 

If abuse is revealed, check that you have heard correctly but do not reframe or suggest anything that may have taken place as this may be said to prejudice any investigation. Write down what you have heard without asking leading questions, confirming when the alleged abuse took place and by whom.  If they are not in immediate danger inform the Safeguarding lead who will pass on their concerns to the correct authorities.  If you are unable to contact the Safeguarding lead contact the appropriate authority yourself – numbers are shown below.

If you suspect an adult at risk is being abused or observe abuse taking place

If you think someone is in immediate danger and needs urgent help, please call the police on 999. If there is no immediate danger contact the Safeguarding lead.  

If someone you’re working with makes allegations that an adult at risk is being abused. Ask the person to confirm their allegation. Write down what you have heard without asking leading questions, confirming when the alleged abuse took place and by whom and tell them you will inform the Safeguarding lead who will pass on their concerns to the correct authorities.

If you observe a crime contact the police on 101 or 999 if urgent

If someone you’re working with makes allegations that a serious crime has been committed (not related to safeguarding). Ask the person to confirm their allegation and write down what they say. Tell them this must be reported to the police.  Contact police on 101 or 999 

If someone you’re working with makes allegations of terrorist activity 

Ask the person to confirm their allegation and write down what they say.  Tell them this must be reported to the police. Contact the Anti-Terrorist hotline 0800 789 321 or Police 101 or 999.

If you have concerns about the radicalisation of someone you work with contact the safeguarding lead who will pass on your concerns to the Prevent Team 01480 422596

If the safeguarding lead is not available and you have a concern that an adult at risk is being subjected to harm, abuse or neglect you should call

Peterborough 01733 747474

Cambridgeshire 0345 045 5202

Outside office hours contact the emergency duty team on 01733 234724

If you suspect someone is in immediate risk ring the police on 999. If a crime has been committed but the person is not in immediate danger ring 101.

Where possible you should have the adult’s consent to report your concern and a conversation with the adult about what they want to happen

Once you have reported it you should make the UKCWC safeguarding lead aware of the actions taken at the earliest opportunity.

This Policy applies to all colleagues (employees, volunteers, trustees, secondees, students, etc.) and other people representing UKCWC who have contact with vulnerable people. 

This policy should be read alongside:

UKCWC code of conduct policy

UKCWC data protection policy

UKCWC complaints policy

Appendix A Guidance Notes on forms of abuse

Safeguarding Adults aims to:

• Stop abuse or neglect wherever possible
• Prevent and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect to adults with care and support needs
• 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 address what has caused the abuse or neglect

Who is an adult at risk?

Some adults are more at risk of being abused than others, such as:

• older people
• people with a visual or hearing impairment
• people with a physical disability
• people with learning disabilities or mental health problems
• people living with HIV or AIDS who have care and support needs

Local Authorities have safeguarding duties which will apply to an adult who:

• has 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 are unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of, abuse or neglect.

(Section 42 -The Care Act 2014)

How to spot if an adult is at risk?

• Physical abuse – Including assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, restraint or inappropriate physical sanctions.
• Domestic violence – Including psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse; so called ‘honour’ based violence.
• Sexual abuse – Including rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography. Witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the adult has not consented 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, cyber bullying, isolation or unreasonable and unjustified withdrawal of services or supportive networks.
• Financial or material abuse – Including theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse of misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits. 
• Modern slavery – Encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude. Traffickers and slave masters use whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce, deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment.
• Discriminatory abuse – Including forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment; because of race, gender and gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion. 
• Organisational abuse – Including neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home, for example or in relation to care provided in one’s own home. This may range from one off incidents to on-going ill treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes or practices within an organisation. 
• Neglect and acts of omission – Including ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.
• Self-neglect – This covers a wide range of behaviour neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding.

(Adapted from a model policy provided by Cambridgeshire County Council with amendments taken form Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Adult Safeguarding Board and guidance for Community buildings from Cambridgeshire Acre)

Appendix B: Guidelines for responding to abuse or suspicion of abuse

DO

• • Do treat any allegations extremely seriously and act at all times towards the person as if you believe what they are saying.
  • Do tell the person they are right to tell you.
  • Do reassure them that they are not to blame.
  • Do be honest about your own position, who you have to tell and why. Ask them for their consent. If they refuse consent tell them you will have to talk to the safeguarding lead who will take advice. 
  • Do tell the person what you are doing and when, and keep them up to date with what is happening.
  • Do take further action – you may be the only person in a position to prevent future abuse – tell your nominated person immediately.
  • Do write down everything said and what was done 
  • Do seek medical attention if necessary.

• Do inform any carers unless there is suspicion of their involvement. 

DON’T

• Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
• Don’t interrogate the person – it is not your job to carry out an investigation – this will be up to the police and social services, who have experience in this.
• Don’t cast doubt on what the person has told you, don’t interrupt or change the subject.
• Don’t say anything that makes the person feel responsible for the abuse.
• Don’t Do Nothing – make sure you tell your nominated safeguarding lead immediately – they will know how to follow this up and where to go for further advice.