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

The scope of this policy is to understand our legislative framework, to outline the procedures to be followed and to identify the relevant contacts in relation to safeguarding children and adults at risk. The policy covers safeguarding children and adults.

We have a legal responsibility to safeguard, promote wellbeing and protect children and adults.

This will include:

• respecting and promoting the rights, wishes and feelings of children and adults

• raising the awareness of the duty of care responsibilities relating to children and adults throughout the council

• promoting and implementing appropriate procedures to safeguard the well-being of children and adults to protect them from harm

• creating a safe and healthy environment within all our services, to protect all parties and reduce the risk of abuse or allegations of abuse from occurring

• recruiting, training, supporting and supervising all staff, elected members and volunteers to adopt best practice to safeguard and protect children and adults at risk from abuse, and to also minimise any risks to themselves

• responding promptly to any suspicions or allegations of misconduct or abuse of children or adults in line with the Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Board (SSCB) inter-agency policies and procedures for safeguarding children and promoting their welfare and the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Adult Safeguarding Partnership Board (SSASPB) adult safeguarding procedures

• requiring all staff, elected members and volunteers to complete level 1 safeguarding training as a minimum and adopt and abide by our safeguarding policy and procedures, codes of conduct and associated procedures

• reviewing and evaluating this policy and procedure on an annual basis or in line with best practice, changing legislation, organisational requirements and service delivery

• ensuring that representatives of private, voluntary, community partnerships and contractors with us, who have contact with children, young people or adults at risk, are subject to safer recruitment procedures and have adequate policies in place