Safeguarding
Safeguarding means protecting people’s heath, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.
Creating a safe and welcoming environment, where everyone is respected and valued, is at the heart of safeguarding. It’s also about being ready to respond safely and effectively if there is a problem.
Lancashire Mind’s commitment to safeguarding
Lancashire Mind is committed to prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all people who use our services, our staff and volunteers in everything that we do. We have a code of conduct for staff and volunteers which outlines our behaviour expectations.
Lancashire Mind follows the NSPCC’s safer recruitment guidelines and the safer recruitment policy. All staff have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check carried out prior to starting in their role. A DBS check is a way for employers to check a criminal record, to help decide whether someone is a suitable person to work for them. Any staff working directly with people who use services will have an enhanced DBS check.
All staff complete level 2 safeguarding adults and safeguarding children and young people training. Lancashire Mind has a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and several Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads who all complete level 3 safeguarding training. The DSL acts as the main source of support, advice and expertise for safeguarding in Lancashire Mind.
Alongside this regular training, Lancashire Mind supports learning through a regular safeguarding working group along with team meetings and supervisions for staff.
What should you do if you have a safeguarding concern?
If you have a concern about a child or young person you can contact the NSPCC: 0808 800 5000
If you have concerns about an adult you can contact the Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Mental Health Crisis Line: 0800 953 0110
If you have concerns about the conduct of a staff member or volunteer please refer to our Whistleblowing Policy
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Safeguarding adults
Our values
• Adults with care and support needs are not inherently vulnerable but they may come to be at risk of abuse.
• Vulnerability can be a temporary state that can be affected by many different factors.
• Abuse occurs when someone’s human and/or civil rights are violated by someone else.
• Abuse is never acceptable.
• All adults have equal rights to protection from abuse.
• We are committed to ensuring that every adult who participates in activities or has contact through a third party with Lancashire Mind is provided with a safe environment and is protected from abuse.
We will meet our commitment to protect adults from abuse through the following means:
• Awareness: we will ensure that all staff and volunteers are aware of the problem of adult abuse
• Prevention: we will ensure, through awareness raising and good practice, that staff and volunteers minimise the risks to vulnerable adults
• Reporting: we will encourage staff and volunteers to report all safeguarding concerns and make sure they are clear what steps to take when they are
• Responding: we will ensure that action is taken to support and protect adults where concern arises regarding possible abuse.
To ensure the above standards are met, Lancashire Mind will:
• Take seriously any concerns raised.
• Take positive steps to protect adults who are the subject of any concerns.
• Support staff, volunteers or others who raise concerns or are the subject of a concern.
• Co-operate appropriately and effectively with any subsequent process of investigation.
• Listen to and take seriously the views and wishes of vulnerable adults.
• Be guided by the six safeguarding principles – empowerment, prevention, proportionality, protection, partnership, accountability.
• Work in partnership with carers and other professionals to ensure the protection of vulnerable adults.
Action to take
If an adult is at risk of serious, immediate harm staff should contact the local area Adult Services or the Police on 999. All safeguarding concerns will be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or Deputy DSL.
"Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. It protects people's health, wellbeing and human rights, enabling all individuals to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. "
Safeguarding children
Our values
- All abuse of children is an abuse of their rights
- All children have equal rights to protection from abuse and exploitation
- Abuse is never acceptable
- We have a commitment to protecting all children with whom we work
- When we work through partners, they have a responsibility to meet minimum standards of protection for children in their services/programmes
We will meet our commitment to protect children from abuse through the following means:
Awareness: we will ensure that all staff and volunteers and others are aware of the problem of child abuse.
Prevention: we will ensure, through awareness and good practice, that staff, volunteers and service users and others minimise the risks to children.
Reporting: we will ensure that staff, volunteers and others are clear what steps to take where concerns arise regarding the safety of children.
Responding: we will ensure that action is taken to support and protect children where concerns arise regarding possible abuse.
In order that the above standards of reporting and responding are met, Lancashire Mind will ensure that it:
– Takes seriously any concerns raised
– Takes positive steps to ensure the protection of children who are the subject of any concerns
– Supports children, staff or other adults who raise concerns or who are the subject of concerns
– Acts appropriately and effectively in instigating or co-operating with any subsequent process of investigation
– Is guided through the child protection process by the principle of ‘best interests of the child’
– Listens to and takes seriously the views and wishes of children
– Works in partnership with parents/carers and/or other professionals to ensure the protection of children.
Actions to take
If a young person is at risk of serious, immediate harm staff should contact the local area Children’s Services or the Police on 999. All safeguarding concerns will be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy DSL.
