Safeguarding children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect policy and procedure

All children and adults at risk of abuse and neglect have the right to live their lives to the fullest potential, to be protected, to have the opportunity to participate in and enjoy any activity, and to be treated with dignity and respect.

We have both a moral and legal obligation to ensure a duty of care for children and adults across its services. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults are protected and kept safe from harm whilst engaged in services organised and provided by the Council. We believe that safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility.

The purpose of this policy and its associated procedures is to help protect all children and adults, including those living in our communities placed in our care within our services and to protect Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, our staff, elected members and volunteers.

Children 

For the purposes of these guidelines are defined as those aged under 18 years.

Adults

The safeguarding duties apply to an adult who:

  • has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs) and
  • is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect and
  • as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect

The adult experiencing, or at risk of abuse or neglect will hereafter be referred to as the adult throughout this policy.