Corporate Safeguarding Policy

Purpose

The purpose of the policy is to set out the roles and responsibilities of the Council workforce including elected members and to ensure everyone is clear on their obligations to promote the safety and well-being of children, young people and adults at risk.

The policy will provide a framework to prevent, detect and report neglect and abuse in respect of children, young people, and adults at risk.

The information within the policy will give assurances to the public, service users, councillors, employees, volunteers, and people working on behalf of the Council that there are sound arrangements in place to safeguard and protect children, young people and adults at risk.

The policy will provide Council employees and councillors with clear guidelines to identify when a child or adult may be at risk of harm and how to respond.

For the purpose of the policy, ‘workforce’ is defined as those engaged by the Council, including permanent and temporary employees, students, volunteers, workers employed by employment agencies, contractors and consultants.

The Policy covers the whole workforce and elected members, and whilst everyone will have varied levels of contact with children, young people and adults at risk, everyone should be aware of potential indicators of neglect and abuse and be clear about what to do if they have concerns.

The policy does not require the Council workforce to take on the responsibility of determining whether abuse/neglect is taking place, however, it is necessary for anyone with reasonable concern about the potential abuse or neglect of a child, young person or adult, to report that concern.

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Principles

The Council adopts the following principles in relation to safeguarding children and adults;

• Create and maintain safe environments for children and adults with whom they are in contact.
• When risks are identified appropriate action is taken.
• Welfare of children and adults at the heart of policies and procedures
• Every child and adult has the right to be protected from harm, exploitation and abuse.
• Partnership working with children, families, carers and adults is at the heart of our work to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults.
• Respect the rights, wishes, feelings and privacy of children and adults by listening to them and minimise any risks that may affect them.
• The whole workforce understands safeguarding and their responsibilities and accountabilities.
• Invest in early intervention and preventative work to try and avoid situations where abuse or allegations of abuse or harm may occur.
• All tendering and commissioning contracts explicitly detail the safeguarding obligations within this policy and are managed/monitored through the life of the contract.
• Challenging poor and unsafe practice.

This policy requires effective partnership working, co-operation and collaboration between all those involved with children, young people and adults at risk to ensure that the principles above are adopted.

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Scope

Whilst specialist children and adult services lead on dealing with enquires regarding concerns that individuals may be at risk of harm, everyone has a responsibility to safeguard the well-being of adults and children who may be at risk whatever their role.

The policy covers all functions and services of the Council and applies to all Council employees, elected members, foster carers, individuals undertaking work placements, volunteers and anyone carrying out work on behalf of the Council, including independent contractors and consultants.

The Council also has a duty to ensure that other organisations commissioned to provide services on their behalf have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the well-being of adults and children. The Council will work to safeguard children and adults in line with the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 which defines:

A child at risk is a child who is experiencing or at risk of abuse, neglect or other kinds of harm and;

• Has needs for care and support whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs.

An adult at risk is an adult who is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect and;

• Has needs for care and support whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs and;
• As a result of those needs is unable to protect him or herself against the abuse or neglect or risk of it

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Legislation, Policy and Guidance

Legislation which is contained within the various Acts and identified below enshrine the right to protection from abuse. The legal starting point in achieving this objective is professionals’ duty to report allegations of abuse and neglect. The law also identifies the Local Authority as the lead organisation in making enquiries to identify whether an individual is at risk and in coordinating the response to protect. In practice this is never achieved in isolation or without clear leadership and accountability for the work, which is equally set out in law, along with the duty to cooperate and collaborate with others.

The Council recognises that good practice in safeguarding brings together all activity aimed at promoting safe practice and preventing abuse and neglect. For this reason, and because the law, policy, guidance and regulations change from time to time, it is impossible to provide an exhaustive list of relevant legislation and associated documents but the most significant are listed below:

• Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014
• Education Act 2002 – plus “Keeping Learners Safe” – The role of local authorities governing bodies and proprietors of independent schools under the Education Act 2002
• Children Act 1989 and 2004
• Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998
• Mental Capacity Act 2005
• Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019
• Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015
• Housing Act 2004
• Licensing Act 2003 
• Human Rights Act 1998
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
• UN Principles for Older Persons and Human Rights 
• Modern Slavery Act 2015
• Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015

The Council will ensure that practice is compliant with the following policies and procedures:

• Wales Safeguarding Procedures
• Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 and related Codes of Practice, Guidance and Regulations.
• Working Together to Safeguard People Volume 5 – Handling Individual Cases to Protect Children at Risk³
• Working Together to Safeguard People: Volume 6 – Handling Individual Cases to Protect Adults at Risk⁴
• WLGA Corporate Safeguarding Good Practice Guidance⁵
• Carmarthenshire County Council, Whistleblowing policy
• Carmarthenshire County Council DBS Policy
• Carmarthenshire County Council Behavioural Standards Policy
• Carmarthenshire County Council Code of Conduct

Employees and councillors should also act in accordance with the relevant professional Code of Conduct. The intention is that the Corporate Safeguarding Policy will supplement and not replace any responsibilities already set out in legislation, policy or guidance set out above or elsewhere. Those using this policy must be mindful of changes to legislation, guidance, policy and regulations that may have occurred post-publication of this document.

³ Working together to safeguard people - Volume-5 pdf
⁴ Handling individual cases to protect adults at risk - Volume 6 pdf
⁵ Corporate Safeguarding Good Practice Guidance (wlga.wales)

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Strategic Context

At a strategic level, this approach to safeguarding is underpinned by the council’s core values:

• One Team
• Integrity
• Customer First
• Excellence
• Take Responsibility
• Listening

and supports the delivery of the Council’s 4 wellbeing objectives as set out within the Council’s Corporate Plan.

• Start Well
• Live Well
• Age Well
• Healthy, Safe and prosperous Environment

At an all-Wales level, keeping people safe contributes to the Wellbeing goals set out in the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales.⁶

⁶Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 - The Essentials (pdf)

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Governance

At a corporate level, the responsibility for monitoring the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements across the Council is delegated to the Corporate Safeguarding Group.

All Heads of Service have a safeguarding role and there will be a safeguarding lead Head for each directorate who will attend the corporate safeguarding group. The Council will discharge its strategic statutory safeguarding responsibilities through Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) in each Council Directorate. In Carmarthenshire Council, all Heads of Service assume the DSL role. The DSLs will represent their Directorate at the Corporate Safeguarding Group and act as a conduit for the dissemination of safeguarding information to and from the Corporate Safeguarding Group.

The Corporate Safeguarding Group has reporting responsibilities to the Corporate Management Team, Health and Social Services Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet.

The Corporate Safeguarding Group (Safe Governance)

The Corporate Safeguarding Group provides ‘Safe Governance’ and, through an agreed work programme, developed and monitored by its associated corporate safeguarding delivery groups, and through close partnership working aims to ensure the council fulfils its statutory safeguarding duties. It will ensure all service areas have robust safeguarding arrangements in place which are regularly audited and monitored.

Observations of Cabinet, Scrutiny, Internal Audit and external regulators and auditors will steer and influence the priorities of the Corporate Safeguarding Group. Under the Corporate Safeguarding Group Terms of Reference, Designated Safeguarding Leads are ‘responsible for obtaining from and disseminating back into their service areas information and actions; they will be accountable for the completion of actions and tasks attributed to their service area’.

The Corporate Safeguarding Group will publish an Annual Report which will identify changing themes, learning and strategies implemented to address those changes, draw attention to the Council’s performance in complying with the Corporate Safeguarding Policy, and include an audit of each service areas’ safeguarding performance.’ The report will be submitted to the Health and Social Services Scrutiny Committee via the Corporate Management Team (CMT).

The Chair of the Corporate Safeguarding Group will notify the Mid and West Wales Regional Safeguarding Board of any urgent matters arising or emerging themes which may have regional, multi-agency relevance.

Membership of the Corporate Safeguarding Group will consist of the following officers-

• Chair -Director of Communities (Statutory Director of Social Services)
• Lead Member for Corporate Safeguarding (Health and Social Services)
• Deputy Chief Executive - People Management and Performance
• Director of Education and Children’s Services
• Head of Children and Family Services
• Head of Adult Social Care
• Child Protection Service Manager (LADO)
• Adult Protection Senior Manager (LADO)
• Directorate Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL)
• Delivery Group Chair - Safe Partnerships
• Delivery Group Chair - Safe Workforce & workplace
• Delivery Group Chair - Safe Practice & Performance

Designated business support will be provided. Other Officers will be co-opted as required and agreed by the group.

Members of the Corporate Safeguarding Group will take an active role in ensuring it meets its objectives.

Each group member will champion safeguarding within their directorate and the wider organisation. They will be responsible for raising awareness of corporate safeguarding responsibilities and ensuring high levels of compliance.

Each group member will have urgent access to the Statutory Director of Social Services, Assistant Chief Executive or Lead Member for Corporate Safeguarding if required.

The Corporate Safeguarding Group is supported by three Delivery Groups each with their own key areas of focus. The delivery groups will meet on a quarterly basis and will regularly report to the Corporate Safeguarding Group. The groups will be chaired by a senior officer who will ensure robust oversight of the priority areas and associated action plans and performance measures. Some of the key areas of focus are listed below:

 

Safe Workplace/Workforce Delivery Group

• Safeguarding as everyone’s responsibility
• Safe recruitment
• Training needs analysis
• Training Delivery
• Workforce and Workplace policies
• DBS Policy/checks
• External Contracts/Volunteers
• Roles and responsibilities
• Awareness raising/communication
• Reporting abuse neglect

 

Safe Practice and Performance Delivery Group

• Safeguarding Policies
• Performance measures
• Audits/inspection
• Reviewing and Monitoring
• Embedding shared Learning
• Sharing information
• Improvement actions/Good practice
• Early intervention/Prevention
• Child/Adults voice/making safeguarding personal.
• Advocacy
• Service user involvement/feedback
• Communication

 

Safe Partnerships Delivery Group

• Links to MAWW Regional Safeguarding Board
• Links to Regional Partnership Board
• Links to VAWDASV Strategic Board
• Links with statutory partners
• Links with CSP/Contest Board
• Multi Agency Policies and Procedures
• Multi Agency Training
• Multi Agency Audits
• Multi Agency Performance and Reviews

 

Regional Safeguarding Boards

In addition, the Council has a role as Lead Partner and member of the Mid and West Wales Regional Safeguarding Board. (CYSUR and CWMPAS). The Board is a multi-agency statutory partnership which works to protect and safeguard adults and children. They have responsibility to:

• Protect children who are experiencing, or are at risk of abuse, neglect or other kinds of harm and to prevent children from becoming at risk of abuse, neglect or other kinds of harm.
• Protect adults who, have care and support needs (whether the local authority is meeting any of those needs), and are experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect. To prevent those adults from becoming at risk of abuse or neglect.

The Board has a statutory duty to develop an Annual Plan on a regional basis and has an overall responsibility for challenging relevant agencies in relation to the measures that are in place to protect children and adults at risk.

 

CYSUR is the Mid and West Wales Regional Safeguarding Children Board. It is an acronym for Child and Youth Safeguarding; Unifying the Region and is also the Welsh word for Reassurance. CYSUR is an amalgamation of the former Local Safeguarding Children Boards in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.

CWMPAS is the Mid and West Wales Regional Safeguarding Adults Board. It is an acronym for Collaborative Working and Maintaining Partnership in Adult Safeguarding and is also the Welsh word for Scope. CWMPAS also stretches across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.

CYSUR and CWMPAS are collectively known as the Mid and West Wales Regional Safeguarding Board.

 

Carmarthenshire Local Operational Group (LOG)

Reporting to the Mid and West Wales Regional Safeguarding Board, the Local Operational Group (LOG) is the operational multi-agency body for safeguarding adults and children in Carmarthenshire.
Membership of the LOG consists of managers and practitioners in Social Services, Education, Higher and Further Education, Health, Police, Probation and the Voluntary Sector. Part of the LOG’s remit is to work collaboratively to ensure joint safeguarding arrangements operate effectively in Carmarthenshire.

 

Health and Social Services Scrutiny Committee

The role of the Scrutiny Committee is to review and scrutinise decisions and make reports or recommendations in connection with the discharge of any of the Council’s functions whether by the Cabinet or another part of the Council.

The scrutiny committee will provide constructive challenge to the Council about its safeguarding activity in an impartial and independent manner.

 

Download the Corporate Safeguarding Governance Structure

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Roles and Responsibilities

Social Services (Adult and Children’s Services) have the responsibility for receiving and responding to concerns about Children and Adult Services have the responsibility for receiving and responding to concerns about adults at risk. However, all staff in the Council have a responsibility for safeguarding.

All employees, councillors and volunteers have the duty to report concerns about abuse and neglect. This is not a matter of personal choice.

Statutory Director of Social Services

This role as defined by the Social Services and Well-Being Act 2014 has the final and indivisible responsibility for safeguarding issues to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults at risk. This role is fulfilled by Carmarthenshire Council’s Director of Communities.

The Statutory Director of Social Services has legal accountability for ensuring the Council has appropriate safeguarding measures in place to protect children, young people, and adults at risk and is the Chair of the Corporate Safeguarding Group.

The Director is responsible for reporting the effectiveness of these arrangements on a corporate level to the Chief Executive, Senior Management Team, Cabinet, and Council.

The statutory Director of Social Services is the point of contact for all other Directors to report serious safeguarding concerns, which may occur in their service area.

The Statutory Director of Social Services is responsible for ensuring appropriate action is taken including reporting to the Chief Executive and Lead Cabinet Member as necessary. Where appropriate areas of concern may be reported to the Regional Safeguarding Board.

The Chief Executive

The Chief Executive will ensure that there are effective safeguarding arrangements in place, including policies and procedures, that those policies and procedures are implemented, that there are effective governance arrangements in place and that all statutory requirements are being met.

Through one-to-one meetings with the statutory Director of Social Services, the Chief Executive is kept informed of relevant safeguarding issues.

Council Leader

The Council Leader has a clear commitment to safeguarding, however, the principle responsibility for safeguarding children and adults and corporate safeguarding is included in the portfolio of the lead cabinet member for Health and Social Services.

The Council Leader is responsible overall for providing political leadership to ensure the Council fulfils its duties and responsibilities for safeguarding.

Lead Cabinet Member (Health and Social Services)

The Lead Cabinet Member for Health and Social Services acts as the lead for all aspects of Corporate Safeguarding.

The Lead member for Health and Social Services will have regular one to one meeting, with the Statutory director for Social Services and is kept informed and updated on relevant corporate safeguarding matters. They will also attend the Corporate Safeguarding Group.

The Lead Member will be briefed on any sensitive cases that may be considered for Child or Adult Practice Reviews or may otherwise become a matter of public interest.

The Lead Member will work closely with, and take professional advice from, a range of Senior Officers within the Authority, as appropriate. The Lead Member will liaise and consult with other Cabinet Members on individual matters likely to affect their portfolios as set out in the Council’s Scheme of Delegation.

Cabinet Members

Cabinet Members will have regular meetings with directors and Heads of Service to ensure there is appropriate awareness and understanding of any corporate safeguarding matters within their respective Portfolio areas.

The Statutory Director of Social Services will brief relevant cabinet members on the effectiveness of adult protection/child protection arrangements and sensitive cases, which may become the subject of an adult practice or child practice review or may otherwise become a matter of public interest.

All Elected Members

All elected members must familiarise themselves with this Policy, access training on their responsibilities and seek advice from the Director of Social Services if they are unclear about their responsibility for safeguarding.

The Corporate Safeguarding Policy will be communicated as part of the mandatory induction programme for all new elected members.

All elected members will be expected to attend training in respect of safeguarding children and adults at risk, Violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence and any additional safeguarding training priorities.

Elected members’ duties will be to keep children, young people and adults who are at risk, safe by:

• Ensuring that everyone understands their safeguarding responsibilities and accountabilities.
• Contributing to the creation and maintenance of a safe environment.
• Promoting safe practice and challenging poor or unsafe practice.
• Identifying where there are concerns and taking appropriate action to address them.

Directors

Directors are responsible for ensuring and assuring the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements within their respective directorates.

They are responsible for reporting any serious safeguarding concerns that may arise in their directorates to the Statutory Director of Social Services. They will brief their respective Cabinet Members on any safeguarding issues and on the general effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements and ensure that a departmental lead plays a full role within the governance arrangements of the authority.

Directors are responsible for ensuring the workforce within their Directorates are appropriately trained to identify and respond to safeguarding concerns.

Directors are responsible for ensuring that they have safeguarding operational procedures in place and Safeguarding Self-Evaluation Audits are undertaken for the relevant service areas within their Directorate.

Directors are required to report to the Corporate Safeguarding Group on safeguarding risks in their service area and the effectiveness of their directorate safeguarding arrangements.

Heads of Service

All directorates will appoint a Head of Service as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for their respective service area. Through their Management Teams they will be jointly responsible for ensuring that all the statutory requirements in terms of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults receive due consideration.

All Heads of Service must ensure that where those posts are designated as regulated activity, their staff are checked through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) procedures and conform to the Policy and Guidelines for Safeguarding Children and Adults.

All Heads of Service must establish arrangements to ensure that staff comply with the requirement of this policy.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Everyone should know who to contact in their organisation for advice and they should not hesitate to discuss their concerns no matter how insignificant they may appear. Whilst every effort should be made to contact the Designated Safeguarding Lead, anyone can contact social services directly. Every service area within the Council is required to nominate a Designated Safeguarding Lead for dealing with safeguarding children and adult issues. In Carmarthenshire this is a Head of Service. They are responsible for:

• Acting as an overarching and key source of advice and support for other staff in their Service on all safeguarding issues
• Ensuring robust arrangements are in place for staff to access day to day practice advice and support for safeguarding from their line managers
• Support staff to refer or take the lead in reporting safeguarding concerns to Social Services as appropriate
• Being familiar with the Council’s Corporate Safeguarding Policy and the Wales Safeguarding Procedures as they relate to Children’s and Adult’s safeguarding
• Ensuring the operational procedures for safeguarding within the directorate are compliant with legislation and statutory guidance and are issued to all staff
• Representing their service area on the Corporate Safeguarding Group
• Ensuring compliance with policies and guidance within their service area and reporting this to the Corporate Safeguarding Group
• Attending relevant training
• Ensuring members of the workforce within their Services attend training at levels appropriate to their roles and functions and maintain management information in relation to attendance on training
• Ensuring safeguarding responsibilities are highlighted through staff induction processes, team meetings, supervision and staff briefings
• Ensuring safeguarding audits are completed regularly

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

All Local Authorities will have an identified senior manager responsible for safeguarding who is accountable and responsible for allegations against professionals and those in a position of trust. The title given to the role is the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Carmarthenshire Council has a LADO for Childrens services and a LADO for Adult Services. The LADO will also work with children’s and adults’ services to give advice and guidance on safeguarding.

Line Managers and Supervisors

Every line manager/supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the workforce for whom they are responsible (including agency, consultants, and volunteers) receive the training they need, in accordance with the National Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Standards, proportionate to their role and responsibilities.

Managers must proactively analyse where risks to safeguarding are most likely to arise in their service(s) and ensure they have appropriate operational procedures and supporting systems in place to manage these well.

They must ensure safeguarding is part of every employee/volunteer’s induction and identify anyone who is likely to come into contact with children or adults at risk as part of their role. They must ensure that where required, DBS checks are undertaken at the appropriate level.

Safeguarding should be a standardised item for staff supervision and team meetings.

Managers must ensure that all employees/volunteers are aware of how to report safeguarding concerns and to whom and that they are aware of the Council’s Whistleblowing Policy.

Managers are responsible for ensuring employees/volunteers are aware that they must conduct themselves in a manner that safeguards and promotes the wellbeing of children and adults at risk.

Managers must provide employees/volunteers with guidance about responding to safeguarding concerns as required.

Managers must ensure that contracts and agreements satisfy the Council’s requirements for training, induction and guidance and that ongoing monitoring is in place to ensure continued consistency with the contract requirements.

Service Commissioners/Contract Managers

Commissioners will be responsible for ensuring that contractual arrangements specify responsibilities in relation to safeguarding in accordance with the Policy and existing commissioning policy.

When commissioning services, careful consideration must be given as to what safeguarding measures are required of contractors or service providers. For example:

• DBS checks at the appropriate level – it is expected that DBS checks must be in place for any commissioned transport services
• Safeguarding policies
• Safeguarding training
• Ethical supply chain practice
• Modern slavery policy.

This would apply to services where contractors are likely to come into contact with children, young people or adults at risk and can form part of the contract management arrangements.

Contract Managers (who may also be commissioners) have responsibility to ensure that the proposals and requirements set out in contracts or Service Level Agreements are adhered to by providers on an ongoing basis through the term of the contract and to ensure that they are aware of any new developments e.g. changes in legislation or guidance and communicated through contract management events.

Contractors are also responsible for informing relevant managers of the Council about any concerns they may have, and to report safeguarding concerns to Adult or Children's Social Services department.

All Staff/Officers

Every service area of the Council has a role to play and must take full ownership of their safeguarding responsibilities. The Council expects every member of the workforce to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of any child or adult at risk involved in Council activity and report their concerns to Social Services.

Designated Child Protection Teacher (DCPT)

The DCPT has responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. All schools will also have their own child protection policy. The policy will identify the key personnel.

Any concerns around safeguarding should be reported to the DCPT or the deputy in their DCPO’s absence.

Although the Designated Child Protection Teacher is the person with responsibility for child protection and safeguarding, if a member of staff has concerns that a matter has not been addressed, they can make a direct referral to Social Services.

Corporate Safeguarding Lead

The Corporate Safeguarding lead will work with the Council’s statutory Director for Social Services to ensure there are effective arrangements to safeguard and protect children and adults at risk across the Council. Specifically to:

• Monitor the implementation of and compliance with this Policy across the Council
• Ensure that there is a corporate safeguarding training programme in place
• Set out clear lines of accountability.
• Ensure that there are Designated Safeguarding Leads within each service area.
• Ensure that annual service reports are prepared.
• Ensure that the annual corporate safeguarding report for Scrutiny is delivered.

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Recognising and Responding to Concerns

All employees should be alert to the possibility of abuse. An individual may become concerned about the safety or wellbeing of an individual in a number of ways:

• The person may tell you.
• The person may say something that worries you.
• A third party may voice concerns.
• You may see something – an incident or an injury or other sign.

Staff, volunteers and contractors can be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the Council, as they go about their day-to-day jobs, because safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Examples of these are:

• Housing Officers – several reviews into children and adults being harmed have identified the importance of Housing Officers, who have a unique insight into the lives of families and can spot signs of abuse, neglect or exploitation.
• Waste Management – refuse collectors go to the same houses and communities every week and can notice when a child might be suffering or at risk of abuse
• Parks and Gardens – staff or contractors can be alert to places where children and young people congregate, and identify concerning behaviours that might indicate some form of abuse or exploitation is occurring
• Environmental Health – in the course of their day-to-day work inspecting premises, officers can consider safeguarding issues they may come across, in licensed premises, hotels or people’s homes.

Any person responsible for, or working with, children or adults at risk in any capacity, whether paid or unpaid, has a duty of care towards them both legally and contractually and as a responsible moral citizen. This includes a duty to behave in a manner that does not threaten, harm, or put people at risk of harm from others.

All parts of the workforce have a responsibility to conduct themselves in their private lives in a manner that does not compromise their position in the workplace or call into question their suitability to work with children or adults at risk. This is explicit in the Wales Safeguarding Procedures (section 5)

The duty to report is a legal requirement and failure to report appropriately will be considered a serious matter.

It is not the responsibility of any one individual to determine whether or not abuse has taken place or if an individual is at risk of harm; however, they do have a responsibility to act if they have any concerns.

Protecting children and adults is not just the role of Councils, it requires effective multi agency working and the cooperation of the wider community and partner agencies, to develop and implement co-ordinated activity, using local evidence and information, appropriately shared. Councils have a unique local and community leadership and advocacy role, working alongside the community, police and other public bodies, to ensure that children, young people and adults remain safe in the places where they live and meet. Abuse should not be perceived as occurring solely in the family home. Risk and harm outside the family home also needs to be understood and responded to, to enable the creation of safe spaces for the people of Carmarthenshire.

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Dealing with a safeguarding concern

• Stay calm and listen carefully, offer reassurance to the child, young person or adult.
• Use reflective listening and ask open non-judgemental questions – (what, who, where, when).
• Do not promise the child or adult confidentiality.
• Record (in the persons own words).
• Seek further advice from your DSL or social services if required.
• Explain to the parents/individual/carer/family that you are referring your concern and gain consent to do so, unless by doing so you think you will put the child or adult at increased risk of harm.

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Reporting a concern

If you have any worries regarding the safety of a child, young person, or adult, then you must notify your Designated Safeguarding Lead person and/or make contact with Children or Adult Services Central Referral Teams.

The Central Referral Teams are the initial point of contact for people seeking services and activities for children, families, and adults locally or for advice and guidance on how to get extra support, or to raise an issue or concern around the welfare of a child, young person or adult.

Staff within these teams will ensure any cross-boundary issues are explored and make enquiries as required as part of their duties.

If a concern is about a child, contact the Children Services Referral Team (Children’s Services) on 01554 742322.

If the concern is about an adult, contact the Adult Services Advice and Assessment Team (Delta Wellbeing) on 0300 333 2222.

The Social Services Out-of-Hours Team should be contacted on 0300 333 2222 if the issue arises after 5.00pm, Monday to Friday and on weekends and Bank Holidays.

The Police must be contacted immediately if a child or adult is in danger, or a crime has been committed.

Employees may also contact the Local Authority Designated Officers (LADO)

Children - Rebecca Robertshaw, RRobertshaw@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
Adults - Cathy Richards, CRichards@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Or the Designated Safeguarding Leads

Avril Bracey- Communities, ABracey@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
Jan Coles – Education and Children, JColes@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
Paul Thomas – Chief Executives, PRThomas@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
Helen Pugh – Corporate Services, HLPugh@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
Jackie Edwards – Place and Infrastructure, JMEdwards@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

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Monitoring and Review

Carmarthenshire County Council has an effective governance framework. The Corporate Safeguarding Group will publish an Annual Report which will draw attention to the Council’s performance in complying with the Corporate Safeguarding Policy.

The report will be submitted to the Corporate Management Team, Health and Social Services Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet and will provide the opportunity for challenge on the work undertaken.

The Corporate Safeguarding Policy will be reviewed annually.

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Appendix 1- Categories and Indicators of Abuse & Neglect

Categories and indicators of abuse and neglect- Children

Safeguarding means protecting people's health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.
Section 197(1) of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 specifies the categories of abuse which are:

• Physical
• Sexual
• Psychological/Emotional
• Neglect
• Financial

Financial abuse has been added as new category for Children under the Social Services & Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.

Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect – (All Wales Child Protection Procedures 2008)

A child is abused or neglected when somebody inflicts harm or fails to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger. A child or young person up to the age of 18 years can suffer abuse or neglect and require protection via an inter-agency child protection plan.

Physical abuse

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or caregiver fabricates or induces illness in a child whom they are looking after.

Emotional abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. It may involve causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, for example by witnessing domestic abuse within the home or being bullied, or, the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill treatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

Neglect

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. It may involve a parent or caregiver failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger, or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs. In addition, neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance misuse.

Child Sexual Abuse

Child Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a form of sexual abuse where children are sexually exploited for money, power or status. It can involve violent, humiliating and degrading sexual assaults. In some cases, young people are persuaded or forced into exchanging sexual activity for money, drugs, gifts, affection or status. Consent cannot be given, even where a child may believe they are voluntarily engaging in sexual activity with the person who is exploiting them. Child sexual exploitation doesn't always involve physical contact and can happen online. A significant number of children who are victims of sexual exploitation go missing from home, care and education at some point.

See also VAWDASV

 

Safeguarding children in education

All schools will have an identified a Designated Child Protection Teacher (DCPT) with responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. All schools will also have their own child protection policy. The policy will identify the key personnel. Any concerns around safeguarding should be reported to the DCPT or the deputy in  their DCPO’s absence.

Staff should ensure they keep full and accurate records of their concerns, including details of any disclosures, and should include action taken e.g. ‘referred to DCPT’. Record keeping is vitally important when dealing with  safeguarding and records should be clear, precise and distinguish fact and opinion.

Records must always include the name of the child, date of incident/concern, full name of the person making the record and details of action taken and people spoken to.

Although the Designated Child Protection Teacher is the person with responsibility for child protection and safeguarding, if a member of staff has concerns that a matter has not been addressed, they can make a referral themselves.

Remember Child Protection is everyone’s responsibility, and any individual can make a referral to children’s services assessment team. Professionals cannot remain anonymous when making referrals.

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Appendix 1 cont'd - Categories and indicators of abuse – Adults at Risk

Categories and indicators of abuse – Adults at Risk

Section 197(1) of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 provides definitions of ‘abuse’ and ‘neglect’.

Abuse means physical, sexual, psychological, emotional or financial abuse (and includes abuse taking place in any setting, whether in a private dwelling, an institution or any other place).

Neglect means a failure to meet a person’s basic physical, emotional, social or psychological needs, which is likely to result in an impairment of the person’s well-being (for example, an impairment of the person’s health).

The following is a non-exhaustive list of examples for each of the categories of abuse and neglect:

Physical abuse

Hitting, slapping, over or misuse of medication, undue restraint, or inappropriate sanctions.

Types of physical abuse

• Assault, hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, hair-pulling, biting, pushing
• Rough handling
• Scalding and burning
• Physical punishments
• Inappropriate or unlawful use of restraint
• Making someone purposefully uncomfortable (e.g. opening a window and removing blankets)
• Involuntary isolation or confinement
• Misuse of medication (e.g. over-sedation)
• Forcible feeding or withholding food
• Unauthorised restraint, restricting movement (e.g. tying someone to a chair)

Possible indicators of physical abuse

• No explanation for injuries or inconsistency with the account of what happened
• Injuries are inconsistent with the person’s lifestyle
• Bruising, cuts, welts, burns and/or marks on the body or loss of hair in clumps
• Frequent injuries
• Unexplained falls
• Subdued or changed behaviour in the presence of a particular person
• Signs of malnutrition
• Failure to seek medical treatment or frequent changes of GP

Sexual abuse

Rape and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the vulnerable adult has not or could not consent and/or was pressured into consenting.

Indicators of sexual abuse can be both physical and behavioural, including:

• New emergence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
• New difficulty sitting or walking
• Pelvic injury
• Bruises on inner thighs or around the genital area
• Anal or genital pain, bleeding, or irritation
• Bloody, torn, or stained undergarments
• Extreme agitation
• Withdrawal from social interactions
• Panic attacks, or emerging post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms
• Inappropriate, aggressive, or unusual sexual behaviour
• Suicide attempts

Psychological abuse

Threats of harm or abandonment, coercive control, humiliation, verbal or racial abuse, isolation or withdrawal from services or supportive networks (coercive control is an act or pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation, intimidation, or other abuse that is used to harm, punish or frighten the victim)

Types of psychological or emotional abuse

• Enforced social isolation – preventing someone accessing services, educational and social opportunities and seeing friends
• Removing mobility or communication aids or intentionally leaving someone unattended when they need assistance
• Preventing someone from meeting their religious and cultural needs
• Preventing the expression of choice and opinion
• Failure to respect privacy
• Preventing stimulation, meaningful occupation or activities
• Intimidation, coercion, harassment, use of threats, humiliation, bullying, swearing or verbal abuse
• Addressing a person in a patronising or infantilising way
• Threats of harm or abandonment
• Cyber bullying

Possible indicators of psychological or emotional abuse

• An air of silence when a particular person is present
• Withdrawal or change in the psychological state of the person
• Insomnia
• Low self-esteem
• Uncooperative and aggressive behavior
• A change of appetite, weight loss/gain
• Signs of distress: tearfulness, anger
• Apparent false claims, by someone involved with the person, to attract unnecessary treatment

Neglect

Failure to access medical care or services, negligence in the face of risk-taking, failure to give prescribed medication, failure to assist in personal hygiene or the provision of food, shelter, clothing; emotional neglect. (See also self-neglect)

Types of neglect

• Failure to provide or allow access to food, shelter, clothing, heating, stimulation and activity, personal or medical care.
• Providing care in a way that the person dislikes.
• Failure to administer medication as prescribed Refusal of access to visitors.
• Not taking account of individuals’ cultural, religious or ethnic needs.
• Not taking account of educational, social and recreational needs.
• Ignoring or isolating the person.
• Preventing the person from making their own decisions.
• Preventing access to glasses, hearing aids, dentures, etc.
• Failure to ensure privacy and dignity.

Possible indicators of neglect:

• Poor environment – dirty or unhygienic.
• Poor physical condition and/or personal hygiene.
• Pressure sores or ulcers.
• Malnutrition or unexplained weight loss.
• Untreated injuries and medical problems.
• Inconsistent or reluctant contact with medical and social care organisations.
• Accumulation of untaken medication.
• Uncharacteristic failure to engage in social interaction.
• Inappropriate or inadequate clothing.

Financial abuse

In relation to people who may have needs for care and support and includes:

• an unexpected change to their will.
• sudden sale or transfer of the home
• unusual activity in a bank account
• sudden inclusion of additional names on a bank account
• signature does not resemble the person’s normal signature
• reluctance or anxiety by the person when discussing their financial affairs
• giving a substantial gift to a carer or other third party
• a sudden interest by a relative or other third party in the welfare of the person.
• bills remaining unpaid
• complaints that personal property is missing
• a decline in personal appearance that may indicate that diet and personal requirements are being ignored
• deliberate isolation from friends and family giving another person total control of their decision-making.

Any of the above forms of abuse could be motivated by the personal characteristics of the victim. This may make it a hate crime. These involve a criminal offence perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s actual or perceived disability, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation and transgender.

Self-Neglect

Capacity is a highly significant factor in both understanding and intervening in situations of self-neglect.

Self-neglect can happen as a result of an individual's choice of lifestyle, or the person may:

• be depressed,
• have poor health,
• have cognitive (memory or decision making) problems or be physically unable to care for self.

Types of self-neglect

• Lack of self-care to an extent that it threatens personal health and safety.
• Neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings.
• Inability to avoid self-harm.
• Failure to seek help or access services to meet health and social care needs.
• Inability or unwillingness to manage one’s personal affairs.

Indicators of self-neglect:

• Very poor personal hygiene.
• Unkempt appearance.
• Lack of essential food, clothing or shelter.
• Malnutrition and/or dehydration.
• Living in squalid or unsanitary conditions.
• Neglecting household maintenance.
• Hoarding.
• Collecting a large number of animals in inappropriate conditions.
• Non-compliance with health or care services.
• Inability or unwillingness to take medication or treat illness or injury.

 

Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (VAWDASV)
A range of forms of violence are recognised within the term VAWDASV. Many of these terms are used as umbrella terms, and are not mutually exclusive, these include:

Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
Gender based violence constitutes violence that is directed against a person based on gender. It represents a breach of the fundamental right to life, liberty, security, dignity, equality between women and men, non-discrimination and physical and mental integrity (Council of Europe, 2011).

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Intimate partner violence is behaviour by an intimate partner or ex-partner that causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm, including physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse, economic abuse and controlling behaviours (World Health Organisation, 2017)

Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA)
The term domestic violence and abuse is used to refer to violence in a domestic setting, including intimate partner violence, but the term can also encompass child to parent violence or abuse of older people or abuse by any member of a family or household.

Sexual Violence and Abuse (SVA)
Sexual violence, sexual assault or harassment involves any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, or other act directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting (World Health Organisation, 2012b). Sexual violent acts can take place in a range of settings and can include rape within marriage or dating relationships; rape by strangers; sexual abuse of children; forced prostitution or the trafficking of people for the purpose of sexual exploitation and sexual harassment (Krug et al., 2002).

Coercive Control
Coercive control is an act or pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish or frighten the victim. This controlling behaviour is designed to make a person dependent by isolating them from support, exploiting them, depriving them of independence and regulating their everyday behaviour (Women's Aid, 2020b). Coercive control often involves physical violence and sexual coercion and there is evidence that cases involving coercive control are more likely to result in serious harm, including domestic homicide, than cases that involve discrete acts of physical violence (Myhill and Hohl, 2019

Forced Marriage
Forced marriage is where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with some learning disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used. It is recognised as a form of violence against women and men, domestic/child abuse, a form of modern slavery, and a serious abuse of human rights.

Child Marriage
In relation to child marriage, any child (under the age of 18) is considered incapable of freely choosing to marry. Complications arise when there is legal entitlement for a child to marry earlier (from 16 years of age) with parental consent, as in the UK.

So called Honour Based Abuse (HBA)
For some communities, the concept of ‘honour’ is deemed to be extremely important, to compromise a family’s ‘honour’ is to bring dishonour and shame and this can have severe consequences. The punishment for bringing dishonour can be emotional abuse, physical abuse, family disownment and in some cases even murder. In most so-called honour-based abuse cases there are multiple perpetrators.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Female genital mutilation (FGM) involves all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, other injury to, or alteration of the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons.

Modern Slavery/Human trafficking
Modern slavery is a serious crime that violates human rights. These crimes include holding a person in a position of slavery, servitude forced or compulsory labour, or facilitating their travel with the intention of exploiting them soon after. Victims are forced, threatened, or deceived into situations of subjugation, degradation and control which undermine their personal identity and sense of self. Within this, human trafficking involves the forced exploitation of others, typically for sexual or labour purposes.

Although human trafficking often involves an international cross-border element, it is also possible to be a victim of modern slavery within your own country. It is possible to be a victim even if consent has been given to be moved.

Children cannot give consent to being exploited therefore the element of coercion or deception does not need to be present to prove an offence.

Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual conduct. This included having received unwanted and or offensive sexually explicit emails or SMS messages, or offensive and/or inappropriate advances on social networking sites

Adolescent Dating Violence (ADV)
Adolescent dating violence (ADV), also called adolescent relationship abuse refers to emotional, physical or sexual abuse of a dating or sexual partner where at least one person is an adolescent.

Hate Crime
A Hate Incident is any incident which the victim, or anyone else, thinks is based on someone’s prejudice towards them because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or because they are transgender.

Further information on Hate Crime (including how to report a hate crime) can be found on the Carmarthenshire Community Safety Partnership website: Hate Crime.

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Appendix 2 - Carmarthenshire County Council Corporate Safeguarding Self Assessment Audit Tool

Introduction

In accordance with Carmarthenshire’s Corporate Safeguarding Policy, all organisations that provide services for or work with adults at risk, children, young people and families are expected to conduct an audit of their safeguarding practices, based on a process of self-evaluation.

Directors will be responsible for ensuring that they have safeguarding operational procedures in place and undertake an annual audit of their directorate using the Corporate Safeguarding Self-Assessment Audit Tool.

The following self-assessment framework is set out in three sections covering three identified standards underpinning ‘safeguarding’ and requires each service area to think about their own practices and procedures within their relevant settings. It is designed to give an understanding of how the theme of ‘safeguarding’ is being successfully achieved in a particular service area currently, and how this might be developed.

In addition, the self- assessment gives the Council with an overview of safeguarding practices across the entirety of its service areas and can ensure that safeguarding compliancy and duties are being effectively met, the data from the annual self evaluations will be integral to informing planning of service delivery and thus improving the wellbeing outcomes for Carmarthenshire citizens.

The self-assessment audit will be completed annually and will ask you to consider the last rolling 12-month period.

Standards:

1. Policy/Practice (Robust) - How robust are your safeguarding practices in your service area? (policies & procedures adopted and in use/safe recruitment/ compliancy/training/audits and inspections/reporting).
2. Environment (Safe) - How safe does your service area feel to citizens that access your services, and to your staff working in your service area? (atmosphere/buildings/e-safety/information sharing/complaints and compliments).
3. Culture (Effective) - How effective is your service area approach to safeguarding? (Effectively working with others to protect children and adults at risk and promote the wellbeing of citizens, i.e. through commissioned services/effective communication and engagement with staff and volunteers to embed safeguarding into practice and service area planning).
   
   

Guidance for the completion of the Self-Assessment Audit Tool

The audit tool is a self- assessment tool that covers the three standards. Within each of the standards there are measures which you should provide evidence to demonstrate how effectively your service area is currently meeting each standard and where improvements can be made.

In the evidence section you have been provided with some brief examples in italics, this is not a minimum list of expectations and is provided as an illustrative example for assistance only, it is your responsibility as the service manager for your service areas to provide the correct evidence to illustrate how the measures are being effectively met. Think carefully about the practices and procedures across your relevant service area and RAG rate as outlined below.

Be aware that you may need to think about multiple sites/venues when answering the questions. You are submitting the self- evaluation in respect of your portion of the service area; however, this will then be collated with the returns of the other service managers to make a collective self-evaluation for the entirety of the service area.

Where relevant, be specific in your audit regarding which service is being commented upon if you identify an issue with one specific site/service in your area. For example, in your portfolio you may be responsible for multiple sites and identify that the practices for on-site contractors’ attendance is being managed differently to the policy in place and that of other sites. Therefore, your audit should capture the main RAG rating for your general performance and if a specific issue for a certain site/service is identified this should be recorded within the “Further action required” box as to how this will be addressed.

Be prepared to allow enough time to gather the required information and consult with your team managers/admin/etc. who may have the information per site/venue, etc.

Remember that you can also contact your Designated Safeguarding Lead in your service area, HR partners (e.g. for data on training records), or the Senior Manager for Safeguarding for Children or Adults Services for any other advice or assistance on the completion of this self-assessment tool.

Self-assessment rating

The traffic light system relates to how a service area assesses itself against achieving the minimum standard. If your service area assesses itself, as red or amber you should record in the “Further action required” box what you feel is necessary, or if you are unsure identify that support/advice from your Designated Safeguarding Lead to improve on this measure that is required to move forward.
At the end of each standard, you have the opportunity to reflect on the measures providing a narrative on what you feel as a service area you do well; where you can improve and if you require any assistance in embedding ‘safeguarding.’

GREEN - Means everything is in place, up to date, and meets the required minimum standard
AMBER - Means that something requires review or improvement
RED - Means something needs to be developed as a matter of urgency or the measure needs to be addressed urgently

Once completed the self-evaluation form should be returned on the specified date to your Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Full audit template available from the Senior Manager for Corporate Safeguarding
Cathy Richards, CRichards@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

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