Policy and Key Information
Safeguarding Policy
Make sure you are aware of the safeguarding policy in this pathway to help.
If you become concerned about safety or risk in a session, where possible unless the risk is immediate and serious, we would try to get the consent of the client to approach their significant others in the household for help or the GP or other helping services.
The GP contact should be in the client record but do not contact the GP without talking to your supervisor and/or Jemma or Clare first. If we contact social care, we also prefer to work with client consent when circumstances allow.
As a last resort, safeguarding trumps confidentiality. All concerns are best shared in our agency first to agree a plan together of how to keep the client safe.
- Step 1 – Conduct further risk assessment and if containable instigate Safety Planning.
Step 2 – Use ‘safety planning’ to help the person stay safe right now and include other family members in the household who are present. (Safety planning should address risk factors, identify, and mobilise protective factors). - Step 3 – If urgent – they should go to A and E /111 / 111 Option 2 for Cambridgeshire/Samaritans telephone contact. Is there someone in household who can phone or take them etc.?
- Step 4 – Within 3 hours if urgent or 1 day if less urgent – If risk extends to other members of the household partners/children/vulnerable adults we will notify Social Care.
Please notify Jemma, in the office first for safeguarding contacts or check the client record. When possible, check in with the clinical lead or counselling lead for forensic services.Make manual/written notes on advice received/action taken and speak to (preferably) or send to Safeguarding Lead by secure email e.g., NHS email.Do not put onto CORE net until the note has been agreed. All clinical notes/advice which are sensitive should be sent by secure NHS email. If you do not have an NHS email the safeguarding lead(s) will do this for you.
Do not take any action that involves corresponding with other agencies unless you have agreed wording and content with safeguarding leads or taken advice from Jemma in the office.
- Step 5 – Inform Safeguarding Lead within 1 hour of all safeguarding risks from the intervention – Sara Ireland or Becky Hall in her absence and arrange to notify relevant GP practice via Jemma Paxman at the office, of concerns.Arrange follow up with client/GP practice within 24 hours, depending on situation as agreed with Safeguarding Lead and office.
- Jemma will have name of GP practices (but also should be in client home page) and can support the coordination of agreed links with other agencies with support from clinical staff.
- Update or create client record on Core Net and update client journey through help within 24 hours, after agreement with Safeguarding Lead. Records will be viewed by administration staff and supervisors/service managers.
- Instigate consent from client to share with employer if work impacted or an unsafe context for client but discuss with supervisor first.
(See also Safety Planning)
