Safeguarding Policy

Section 01

Purpose

We Are Care works in care. Many of the people our care staff support are adults with care and support needs, and may be at risk of abuse or neglect. This policy sets out how we identify safeguarding concerns, how we respond to them, and how we work with statutory partners to keep people safe.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. This policy applies regardless of role, seniority or contract type.

Section 02

Scope & definitions

This policy is aligned to the Care Act 2014 and statutory guidance, and applies in any setting where We Are Care’s care staff are delivering or supporting care.

Adult at risk

An adult (18+) who has needs for care and support (whether or not those needs are being met), is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect, and as a result of their needs is unable to protect themselves from the abuse or neglect or its risk.

Categories of abuse

• Physical abuse — including hitting, restraint, or inappropriate sanctions
• Domestic violence — including psychological, physical, sexual, financial or so-called “honour-based” violence
• Sexual abuse
• Psychological / emotional abuse
• Financial or material abuse
• Modern slavery — including human trafficking, forced labour, domestic servitude
• Discriminatory abuse
• Organisational abuse — including neglect or poor practice within an organisation, often resulting from poor culture or systems
• Neglect and acts of omission
• Self-neglect

Section 03

Our safeguarding principles

We Are Care operates by the six statutory safeguarding principles set out in the Care Act 2014:

1. Empowerment — people supported to make their own decisions, with informed consent
2. Prevention — better to take action before harm occurs
3. Proportionality — the least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented
4. Protection — support and representation for those in greatest need
5. Partnership — local solutions through services working with their communities
6. Accountability — transparency in delivering safeguarding

Section 04

Roles & responsibilities

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Currently Vicky Welfare (Level 3 Adult Safeguarding). The DSL is the named point of contact for all safeguarding concerns at We Are Care, holds responsibility for the safeguarding response, and reports directly to the board.

Deputy DSL

Joel Dawson. Covers the DSL when unavailable.

Every We Are Care worker and director

• Is responsible for recognising and reporting safeguarding concerns
• Must complete safeguarding training and refreshers (see Section 08)
• Must follow this policy and the procedures of the setting they are working in
• Must not investigate alleged abuse themselves — the role is to recognise, record and report

Section 05

How to raise a concern

If you suspect or witness abuse or neglect, or someone discloses it to you:

1. Make sure the person is safe. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999.
2. Listen and reassure. Don’t promise confidentiality — tell them you have to share what they’ve said with people who can help.
3. Don’t investigate. Do not interview, contradict or challenge the alleged abuser. Do not contaminate evidence.
4. Record what you saw or were told. Date, time, place, exact words used, your observations — in factual language, separating fact from interpretation.
5. Report immediately. Contact the DSL by phone or email. Out of hours, contact the on-call director. Do not delay until your next shift.

Section 06

Our response

Section 07

Confidentiality & information sharing

Information about safeguarding concerns is shared on a strict need-to-know basis with the people who need it to keep someone safe. We follow the Caldicott principles and the Data Protection Act 2018 / UK GDPR. Lawful bases for sharing personal data in safeguarding contexts include legal obligation, vital interests of the data subject, and substantial public interest.

We do not promise confidentiality to a person who discloses abuse to us — we explain that we have to share the information with those who can act on it, and we will tell them who we are sharing with where appropriate.

Section 08

Training & competence

• All We Are Care workers complete safeguarding adults training on induction, before any deployment
• Refresher training every two years, or sooner where role or regulation requires
• The DSL completes enhanced safeguarding training and stays current with sector practice
• Training records are held in We Are Care’s care operating systems and surfaced to providers and inspectors on request

Section 09

External reporting

The following external bodies may need to be involved in a safeguarding response:

• Local Authority Adult Safeguarding Team — the lead statutory body. Contact varies by area; details held on file by the DSL.
• Police — 999 for immediate danger, 101 otherwise
• Care Quality Commission (CQC) — for matters affecting registered care providers
• NHS / safeguarding teams — where health services are involved
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) — for referrals where a worker may pose a risk to vulnerable people

Section 10

Review & ownership

This policy is owned by the We Are Care board of directors. The Designated Safeguarding Lead leads on operational implementation: it’s embedded in worker induction, reinforced in refresher training, surfaced in the day-to-day workflow, and refreshed continually as statute, statutory guidance or sector practice calls for it. A summary of safeguarding activity is reported to the board quarterly.

Published at wearecare.co.uk/policies/safeguarding.

Section 11

Use of Baton

Baton may help capture, route or remind. Safeguarding judgement, escalation and referral remain human-owned.