POLICIES & PROCEDURES:
SAFEGUARDING & PREVENT
Crosby Training recognises that it has an explicit duty to safeguard and protect Vulnerable Adults from abuse. The overall intention and purpose behind the Crosby Training safeguarding policy is underpinned by the fundamental principles of the Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.
The policy applies to the Company’s role as a training centre
The aim of this policy is to establish our approach to Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding, in order to:
• Provide a safe learning environment; this includes off site visits and activities including work placements and or work based activities
• Identify vulnerable people who are suffering, or suspected to be suffering significant harm (including harm from sexual exploitation) and ensure appropriate action to preserve their safety, both at home and at Crosby Training
As part of our safeguarding ethos, Crosby Training encourages people to respect the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberties and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Crosby Training ensures that partisan political views are not promoted in the teaching and training of any subject and where political issues are addressed, we take reasonable steps to offer a balanced presentation of the opposing views of people. Under duties imposed as part of the Prevent Duty Guidance 2015, Crosby Training will ensure that situations are risk assessed, that they will work in partnership with other agencies, that all staff are suitably trained and the IT policies will ensure that young people and vulnerable adults are safe from terrorist and extremist material when accessing the internet in Crosby Training.
1. Definition of terms
The term ‘Vulnerable Adult’ refers to any adult aged 18 years and over who are or may be, in need of community care services because of learning disability/difficulty or other disability, age or illness, and who are, or who may be, unable to take care of themselves or unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation.
The term ‘child’ refers to anyone who has not yet reached his or her 18th birthday. The fact that a child has reached 16 years of age, is living independently or is in further education, is a member of the armed forces, is in hospital or custody in the secure estate for children and young people, does not change his or her status or entitlement to services or protection.
Significant harm refers to “Ill treatment (including sexual abuse and forms of ill-treatment that are not physical); the impairment of, or an avoidable deterioration in, physical or mental health; the impairment of physical emotional, social or behavioural development.” (Law Commission).Vulnerability can apply to a wide range of disabilities and situations, including those adults at risk owing to their caring role or family responsibilities.
2. Definition of abuse
Abuse can involve any one or more of the following:
Physical Abuse: any form of physical injury to a vulnerable adult aged 18 plus, including avoidable poisoning, where there is definite knowledge of a reasonable suspicion that injury was inflicted or knowingly not prevented by any person having actual custody of the vulnerable adult. It is important to understand that the seriousness of the injury is an unreliable index of the risk to the vulnerable adult, and diagnosis of abuse will normally be both medical and psychosocial.
Neglect and failure to thrive: persistent or severe neglect of a vulnerable adult (for example, exposure to danger (including cold and starvation) which results (or may result) in the serious impairment of the vulnerable adult’s health and development. Diagnosis will normally be both medical and psychosocial.
Emotional Abuse: behaviour that seriously undermines the development of a child or vulnerable adult’s competence. This may include:
• Persistent hostility;
• Persistent failure to respond;
• Seriously unrealistic expectations, whether under or over;
• Grossly inappropriate stimulations of a vulnerable adult’s aggression or sexuality;
• Serious exploitation of a vulnerable adult for the gratification of another’s needs;
• Grossly inconsistent care.
Sexual Abuse: the involvement of vulnerable adults in sexual activities they may not understand, to which they are unable to give informed consent, which violate the social taboos of family life.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Female Genital Mutilation is illegal under the FGM Act 2003. The EO Manager retains further information regarding the sign and indicators of abuse.
3. Prevent
We strive to uphold British Values (Democracy, Rule of Law, Individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs and promote the Prevent strategy to safeguard our company and customers.
The Prevent strategy launched in 2007, seeks to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It is the preventative strand of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST.
Objectives of the Prevent strategy are to:
• Respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat from those who promote it.
• Prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support
• Work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation that we need to address. If there are concerns that anyone is becoming radicalised and or involved in an organisation, which could ultimately cause harm, this needs to be reported to a designated safeguarding officer immediately.
Safeguarding action may also be needed to protect learners from:
• Bullying including online bullying and prejudice-based bullying
• Racist, disability and homophobic or transphobic abuse/gender based violence against women
• The impact of new technologies on sexual behaviour for example, sexting (sexual exploitation)
• Teenage relationship abuse
• Substance misuse
• Issues that may be specific to al local are or population for example gang activity and youth violence
• Domestic violence
• Fabricated or induced illness
• Any other issues which could pose a risk to vulnerable adults.
4. Responsibilities
All staff are required to undergo a DBS check.
All staff working for Crosby Training are responsible for the operation of this policy to ensure the safety of all, including vulnerable adults and children attending or visiting Crosby Training to safeguard and to promote their welfare and to take appropriate decisions about how this can be achieved. It is the Company’s responsibility to report alleged or suspected abuse and to notify the appropriate agencies so that they can investigate and take appropriate action. It is the responsibility of designated Safeguarding manager to oversee and coordinate individual cases where concerns are raised about a person, whether an employee volunteer or learner paid or unpaid the designated safeguarding person should keep in regular contact with their counterparts in partner organisation to highlight good practice.
5. Training
Information will be provided to all staff to ensure that they are aware of these procedures.
Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Level 1 training will be offered to all staff every 3 years.
Level 2 will be provided every 2 years for staff members who hold Safeguarding responsibilities.
6. Communication, implementation and monitoring of the procedures:
A copy of all policies are issued to staff on appointment and the intentions of all policies and their application, are covered in the staff induction programme.
Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults Policy is addressed at staff and customers’ inductions as part of their rights and responsibilities. All company policies are displayed at each centre on the company noticeboards.
It will be the responsibility of the named Safeguarding Officers to review and monitor the procedures and to seek the advice of the local authority’s social service department annually.This policy document forms part of the Crosby Training Safeguarding Handbook. The Crosby Training PREVENT Action Plan supports this policy.
This policy has been written in consultation with a number of organisations and with reference to the following documents:
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2015, Education and Training ( Welfare of children) Act 2021, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 as amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015.
Policy Docs : V2022 MP Review date Jan 2026
