Safeguarding Adults at Risk Policy

1. Purpose

Devanhaar is committed to safeguarding adults at risk and promoting their wellbeing, rights, dignity, and safety. This policy sets out how the Charity protects adults at risk from abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and how concerns are identified, reported, and responded to.

2. Legal, Regulatory and Local Framework

This policy is informed by the Care Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP), Charity Commission safeguarding guidance, and Birmingham Safeguarding Adults Board (BSAB) arrangements.

3. Scope

This policy applies to all employees, volunteers, sevadaars, trustees, contractors, and anyone acting on behalf of the Charity who comes into contact with adults at risk.

4. Safeguarding Principles (Making Safeguarding Personal)

Safeguarding adults is about protecting a person's right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. The Charity adopts the Making Safeguarding Personal approach, which places the adult at risk at the centre of safeguarding decisions and promotes proportional, person-led responses.

5. Definitions

An adult at risk is a person aged 18 or over who has care and support needs, is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect, and is unable to protect themselves because of those needs.

6. Roles, Accountability and Governance

The Charity has multiple trained Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) for adults. Any DSL may receive, assess, and act upon safeguarding concerns. DSLs are accountable to the Board of Trustees and the Governance Officer for the effective implementation of safeguarding arrangements. A Safeguarding Trustee provides board-level oversight, assurance, and challenge.

7. DBS and Training Requirements

All Designated Safeguarding Leads must hold a current Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check appropriate to their role. Enhanced DBS checks for DSLs must be renewed at least every three years, or sooner where required by changes in role or safeguarding risk assessment.

All employees and volunteers must complete Level 2 safeguarding adults training before or immediately upon commencing duties. Training records are maintained and reviewed as part of governance oversight.

8. Types of Abuse and Neglect

Abuse may take many forms, including physical, sexual, psychological, financial, discriminatory abuse, neglect, organisational abuse, self-neglect, domestic abuse, and modern slavery.

9. Recognising and Reporting Concerns

Any concern relating to the safety or wellbeing of an adult at risk must be reported to a DSL without delay. Concerns may arise from disclosures, observations, changes in behaviour, or third-party information.

10. Responding to Safeguarding Concerns

DSLs will assess concerns in line with Making Safeguarding Personal principles, considering risk, consent, mental capacity, and the wishes of the adult at risk.

Emergency services will be contacted only where there is an immediate risk of serious harm or where delay would place the adult at further risk. Wherever possible, advice will be sought from local safeguarding partners before escalation.

11. Mental Capacity and Consent

Mental capacity will be assessed in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Where an adult has capacity, their consent will be sought before information is shared, unless there is an overriding public interest or safeguarding duty.

12. Residential Events and Camps

Where adults at risk attend residential events, retreats, or camps, a minimum supervision ratio of 15 adults to 1 adult supervisor will apply. Clear safeguarding cover, behaviour expectations, gender-sensitive arrangements, transport risk assessments, and escalation procedures will be in place.

13. Prevent and Radicalisation

The Charity recognises its responsibility under the Prevent duty to safeguard adults from radicalisation. Concerns relating to extremism will be managed proportionately and in line with local safeguarding guidance.

14. Recording, Information Sharing and Confidentiality

Safeguarding concerns and actions must be recorded accurately and stored securely in line with UK GDPR. Information will be shared on a need-to-know basis and in accordance with statutory guidance.

15. Safeguarding Flowchart (One-Page Summary)

1. Concern identified → Report to DSL
2. DSL assesses risk, capacity, and consent
3. Immediate serious risk → Emergency services (only if necessary)
4. Non-immediate concern → Local authority safeguarding referral / advice
5. Record actions → Inform Governance Officer and Safeguarding Trustee

16. Related Policies

This policy should be read alongside the Complaints Policy, Disciplinary Procedure, Grievance Procedure, DBS Framework, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy, and Staff Declaration.

17. Review and Approval

This policy is reviewed annually and approved by the Board of Trustees.