Safeguarding Policy

Alternative Angels is committed to keeping adults safe from harm and exploitation and to upholding their rights and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

As part of this commitment Alternative Angels supports and works to the six principles of adult safeguarding as set out in the Care Act 2014, namely:

Guiding Principles

Everyone's responsibility - Everyone at Alternative Angels has a responsibility to keep adults who need care and support safe from abuse and neglect.
Prevention – We will put sensible measures in place to prevent abuse, including the use of safe recruitment practices, promoting safe working practice and raising awareness of safeguarding.
Protection – We will provide policy, procedures, information and training to enable all Alternative Angels employees and volunteers to identify and respond appropriately to concerns about abuse.
Partnership - Alternative Angels will work in Partnership with statutory, regulatory and other relevant organisations to ensure that safeguarding concerns are responded to appropriately.
Empowerment – We will be person-centred and uphold rights in our safeguarding work.
Accountability - We aim to be transparent in our approaches and recognise the need for continuous learning and improvement.

Roles and Responsibilities

All staff and volunteers

Every individual working for Alternative Angels, irrespective of their role, has a part to play in safeguarding adults who need care and support. All staff will undertake training and must familiarise themselves with our Safeguarding Policy and Procedures.

Trustees

Alternative Angels trustees approve the Safeguarding Policy and have a duty of care to their charity, which includes taking the necessary steps to safeguard those at risk from abuse, managing risk and protecting the reputation of the charity.

Directors

Directors have a responsibility to ensure that safeguarding is included, where appropriate, in the strategic plans, risk assessments, communications and quality assurance processes of their Directorate. In some cases they will be required to make decisions in relation to complex or serious safeguarding concerns.

Partners

Alternative Angels Partners will make their own arrangements for safeguarding, in partnership with their local Adult and Children's (where required) Safeguarding Boards.

Breaches of Policy

Failure to comply with the Alternative Angels safeguarding policy may be managed in a number of ways, depending on the nature and consequences of any incident. In some cases a combination of responses may be required.

Local authority co-ordinated safeguarding investigation
Police investigation
Referral to the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)
People & Performance disciplinary process
Serious incident reporting to The Charity Commission
Internal review or co-operation with an external review