Safeguarding Adults Procedures

55 Accountability relates to how services are held to account for the quality of care. This will include taking additional measures to listen to patients and their families who may be most vulnerable and could be marginalised. Health professionals will help services identify potential risks as part of preventing poor care, neglect and harm i.e. communication that is culturally competent and appropriate to the needs of disabled people. Accountability to patients is also about how allegations of harm or abuse are managed, measuring success against patient related outcomes. Local Health Watch, advocacy and advice services will be important mechanisms to support patients in the most vulnerable situations, to make informed choices and to complain. Health Watch will ensure the views of patients, family carers and the public are represented to commissioners and work alongside the role of public members. All health professionals have duties under the Childrens and Families Act (2014) and Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) to identify and respond where children may be at risk of harm and should consider the implications for children when responding to all safeguarding adults’ concerns. All Employees and Volunteers The priority is always the safety of children, young people and adults at risk. All employees and volunteers from any service or setting should know about this policy and procedures. All employees and volunteers from any service or setting who have contact with adults at risk have a responsibility to be aware of issues of harm, neglect or exploitation. This includes personal assistants paid for from direct payments or personal budgets. All employees and volunteers have a duty to act in a timely manner on any concern or suspicion that an adult who is vulnerable is being or is at risk of being harmed, neglected or exploited and to ensure that the situation is assessed and investigated. Employees or volunteers should:  Be aware that they must call the police and/or an ambulance where appropriate in situations where the harm of the adult indicates an urgent need for medical treatment, or where there is immediate risk of harm indicating urgent action is needed to protect the person.  Be authorised to make a report to the police and if a crime has been committed, ensure action is taken to preserve evidence. This could be where there has been a physical or sexual assault, especially if the suspect is still at the scene.  Share their concern with colleagues and seek advice and support.  Know they must inform their line manager. If their line manager is implicated in the harm then they should inform a more senior manager or Adult Social Services direct.  Know how to access help and advice for the adult at risk.  Know how and where to make a direct alert, where speaking to a manager would cause delay.  Know that they must make a clear factual record of their concern and the action taken. Role and responsibility of managers in all organisations The role and responsibility of the manager is:  To ensure the alleged victim is made safe.  To ensure that any employee, volunteer or other person who may have caused harm is not in contact with the adult at risk and others who may be at risk. To ensure that appropriate information is provided in a timely way.  To ensure that access to records and information relating to the adult at risk, regardless of whether they are funding their own care or support is given to the NE, SAP or Police.  The primary responsibility for co-ordinating information in response to a Safeguarding Adult concern is vested in the Enquiry Manager (EM) working with the Police if a crime is suspected. If this is the case, the Police will lead the investigation. All managers in all organisations have a key role to play. Managers should ensure they: