Guidance on why your organisation needs a policy and procedure for safeguarding adults

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• Policies, procedures and guidance do not in themselves keep people safe. It is only people who keep other people safe. However, it is important that anyone working within, or receiving, a service from your organisation understands that the organisation has a zero tolerance of abuse and also what action will be taken in respect of abusive behaviour.
• It is important that trustees, directors, managers, staff and volunteers understand that they have a duty to report abuse and understand what action they should take if they suspect that someone is being abused.
• All organisations providing services to vulnerable people in Wiltshire are advised to have an internal policy, procedure and guidance on safeguarding adults who are at higher risk of abuse.
• This is a requirement for services registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or which are commissioned to provide services by Wiltshire Council and its partner agencies.
• Any organisation’s guidance on policy and procedure for safeguarding adults should have a clear link to the “Policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults in Swindon and Wiltshire” (Safeguarding Adults’ Procedures).
• An organisation’s internal procedure does not replace the need to comply with the interagency Safeguarding Adults’ Procedures, but provides guidance on when a referral should be made using those procedures.
• Any organisation’s procedure on safeguarding adults should make it clear that any safeguarding concern should always be referred to Wiltshire Council’s Department of Community Services (DCS) to be investigated using the Safeguarding Adults’ Procedures.

Top tips: dos and don’ts

• Do be prepared
  Don’t wait until you are faced with a situation that may involve abuse. Adopting the motto “abuse doesn’t happen here” will leave your managers, staff and volunteers vulnerable in a difficult situation and may leave an individual at risk of further abuse.
• Do take any allegation of abuse seriously
  Whatever may be your personal opinion, you have a duty to report any allegation or suspicion that someone is being abused.
• Do not re-invent the wheel
  Much of the information that you need to develop organisational procedures, including definitions of types of abuse, is already available in the “No Secrets in Swindon and Wiltshire” booklet or the “Policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults in Swindon and Wiltshire”.
• Do make procedures relevant to your organisation
  Although it is sensible to cut and paste from existing safeguarding procedures, guidance on what action to take must be relevant to your organisation.
• Do not make things unnecessarily complicated
  The important thing is that any allegation of abuse is investigated as soon as possible. Do not develop a system of reporting that requires staff and volunteers to ‘jump through hoops’ before a concern is reported. Anyone in your organisation should be able to phone in a referral to Wiltshire Council.
• Do not try to sort things out yourself
  It is everyone’s responsibility to understand about abuse, try to prevent abuse and to report any concerns about abuse, but it is not everyone’s responsibility to investigate these concerns. In a similar way to safeguarding children, investigations into the abuse of adults should always be undertaken by Wiltshire Council working in partnership with Wiltshire Police, NHS Wiltshire and other agencies.
• Do not forget your responsibility to children
  Even if your organisation mainly offers a service to adults you still have a duty to report any concern that you have about the safety and well-being of a child. Make sure that everyone in your organisation is aware of this.

Last updated: 2 December 2010