Safeguarding the people in our care

Safeguarding means protecting people's health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. Ensuring that people are safe and have a positive experience of care is vital to us at St Andrew’s Healthcare, and safeguarding is everybody's responsibility within the organisation.

There are significant differences in the laws and policies that shape how we safeguard children, and how we safeguard adults.

The legal framework to protect children is contained in Working together to safeguard children (2015). For adults, the Care Act 2014 gave safeguarding adults a legal framework for the first time. However, the overarching objective for both is to enable children and adults to live a life free from abuse or neglect.

St Andrew’s Healthcare is required to have effective arrangements in place to safeguard children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect, and to assure ourselves, our regulators and commissioners that these are working.

Report a safeguarding concern

Are you worried about someone, or do you have information to share that may help to protect an adult or a child, or prevent a crime?

If it's an emergency, please call 999. Alternatively, please contact your local safeguarding boards.

Working together to safeguard children

Local authorities have the overarching responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people in their area. They have a number of statutory functions under the Children Act (1989) and supplementary Children Act (2004). While local authorities play a lead role, safeguarding children and protecting them from harm is everyone’s responsibility.

Everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.

There are four main categories of abuse and neglect: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Child abuse and neglect can have major long-term impacts on all aspects of a child's health, development and wellbeing.

Working together to safeguard children

Everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.

Adult safeguarding - what it is and why it matters

Adult safeguarding refers to the protection of vulnerable people, aged 18 or over, have a need for care and support and who are unable to protect themselves from harm, abuse or neglect. All adults, whether they have care needs which are being met by a Local Authority or not, have a right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.

The Care Act Statutory Guidance (updated in August 2017) considers the different types and patterns of abuse and neglect, and the different circumstances in which they may take place which could give rise to a safeguarding concern.

Types of abuse categories for adults, as set out in the Care Act 2014, include physical, emotional, sexual, neglect, as well as financial or material, modern slavery, discriminatory, organisational or institutional, or acts of omission and self-neglect.

St Andrew's Healthcare is committed to ensuring the adults in our care are supported to make choices about their lives and recovery, and we work closely with other professionals to prevent harm.