Safeguarding at Archbishop Holgate Hospital

Here at Archbishop Holgate Hospital the wishes of our founder and our Christian vision shapes all that we do. We are very much a ‘family’, staff, residents, their families, and the trustees. We collaborate closely together to ensure that everyone who lives and works at the Hospital has the opportunity to grow in body, mind and spirit. It is our intention that each person is enabled to flourish as a child of God and that all may experience the joy and hope of ‘life in all its fullness’ in line with the will of Archbishop Robert Holgate. There are six key principles which underpin our policy and working practices to ensure our approaches are person centred and lead to the best outcomes for each individual:

• Empowerment – inspired by informed consent and enabling person led decision making which respect the rights of individuals.

• Prevention – promoting a positive safeguarding culture to ensure individuals feel safe and secure by careful implementation of agreed policies which are understood by all, and which aim to prevent harm.

• Proportionality – undertaking measured responses within the context of a concern to ensure that interventions and actions are balanced and appropriate and limit intrusion.

• Protection – following the aim to ‘first do no harm’ by open approaches to safeguarding that respect the wishes of the person deemed to be at risk or vulnerable.

• Collaboration – with all member of the community, service providers and multi-agency partners to promote safeguarding and wellbeing for all.

• Transparency and accountability – essential elements of delivering safeguarding. Everyone involved knows what is expected of them, how the policy works and their responsibilities for ensuring the whole community maintains a culture of vigilance to keep everyone safe.

• We believe that everyone should have a good quality of life; this means protecting a person’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.

• We take our duty to protect the people we support, from harm and abuse very seriously.

• We will always listen to a person if they make a disclosure of abuse. We will take this seriously and take the appropriate action. We will also take appropriate action if we observe abuse or neglect.

• We will make sure we comply with our legal, regulatory, contractual and internal requirements.

• We are committed to preventing harm and abuse and will respond quickly and effectively if concerns are raised.  We show this commitment by having good, open and transparent relationships with people

• • knowing when a person is behaving in a way that is out of character.

• • supporting a person to understand what an acceptable way for other people is to treat them and how they treat others.

• • involving the person in the safeguarding process which enhances their choice and control and improving their quality of life.

• • making sure a person feels safe to express concerns without fear and having policies, procedures and training in place to support all to protect them from harm and abuse.

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is.

The Master: Canon Andrew Sage

Master’s Lodge, Robin Lane WF9 4PP

01977 610434 (24 hrs)

who staff, residents, their families, and trustees can speak to regarding any safeguarding concerns.

If your safeguarding concern is about the DSL please contact the Clerk on 01977 619797

The Trustee who is the lead within the Board of Trustees is Dr. Jane Greaves

Safeguarding is therefore given the highest priority and the Hospital aims to ensure that:

• appropriate action is taken in a timely manner to safeguard and promote everyone’s welfare.

• all staff and trustees are aware of their statutory responsibilities with respect to safeguarding.

• staff and trustees are properly trained in recognising and reporting safeguarding issues. Safeguarding training is provided during the induction of new staff. On an annual basis an external consultant provides refresher training for all staff. The DSL undertakes more detailed refresher training bi-annually with the Diocese of Leeds.

• All safeguarding training is undertaken in line with guidance and provision by the:

• Almshouse Association,

• The Church of England,

• NHS and National guidance.

The Board of Trustees can confirm it is meeting the legislative processes required to ensure a robust approach to safeguarding matters within our resident population in order to keep people safe. We understand our safeguarding responsibilities and consider them of vital importance, to all residents in our hospital community and are mindful of the risk of them becoming vulnerable.

At Archbishop Holgate Hospital all are assured that we are:

• Following a robust recruitment process to ensure employees and volunteers are suitable to work with adults who may be vulnerable or at risk.

• We are meeting our statutory requirements for Disclosure Barring Service [DBS] checks for our staff, volunteers and contracted agencies working in ‘regulated’[1] activities.

• Implementing safeguarding policies are in place which align with Diocese of Leeds and the Local Authority Safeguarding Procedures

• Undertaking training needs assessments (TNAs) to ensure those working with vulnerable adults complete mandatory training as a priority and have access to supervision relevant to their roles.

• Signposting the named lead for safeguarding adults in place who provides the Board with assurances that safeguarding systems and process are effective and compliant.

• Following good practice to keep people safe.

• Reporting our safeguarding activity reports and submitting summary reports quarterly to our Trustees.

Helplines

• NSPCC: 0808 800 5000
• Childline: 0800 1111
• Stop It Now: 0808 1000 900
• NAPAC: 0808 801 0331
• Samaritans: 116 123
• Family Lives: 0808 800 2222
• National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247
• Action On Elder Abuse: 080 8808 8141

The purpose of the policy and procedure is to ensure that all at Archbishop Holgate Hospital promote wellbeing of the whole community.  This includes its visitors and all who work or volunteer here to help prevent them from coming to harm, abuse or neglect and respond effectively if concerns are raised.

[1] Regulated activity is when an employee, volunteer or member of staff from a contracted agency work unsupervised with a resident.