Adults at Risk Protection Procedure

BPT Adults at Risk Protection Procedure

BPT through direct services, volunteers and Partners deliver a broad range of activities for adults (aged 18+), including vulnerable and on occasion adults at risk.

Any adult can access any service onsite excluding services for children and young people.

A number of vulnerable adults live successfully in the community with emotional and mental health needs, the impacts of trauma and Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND). Some of these adults have a formal package of ‘care and support needs’.

Adults at risk may arise from any area of the community or be a vulnerable adult whose ‘care and support package’ is no longer fit for purpose and needs updating. For example, an adult whose level of mental health need is now combined with a drug dependency; someone who stops taking prescribed medication; or someone who has been ‘befriended’ in the community and whose house or home is being used for a drugs operation (often referred to as cuckooing); a carer/cared for relationship involving an adult with Alzheimer’s whose behaviours have become violent.

It should be remembered that adults at risk are an adult, and they have a right to make decisions about their own life. These choices may however be viewed by caring workers as eccentric or ill informed. Safeguarding for adults at risk therefore is intended for those adults who have agreed to intervention, or, where the level of risk posed is a significant danger to others, or the adult at risk lacks mental capacity. (In accordance with the Core Principles of the Care Act and Mental Capacity Act)

You might notice:

  • A particularly stressed carer, who makes regular reference to finding their caring responsibilities too demanding, this might include noticing physical injuries to the carer
  • Changes in behaviour e.g. increasingly withdrawn, increasingly erratic and/or volatile
  • Both physical and verbal expressions of self-harm, depression, suicidal ideation
  • clothing that appears to be concealing injuries or sites of self-harm (e.g. long sleeves in hot weather)
  • breakdown in family relationship, escalation of family disputes and indicators of domestic abuse
  • a deterioration in physical care including clothing; injuries or bruises
  • regularity of attendance; appearing to have a lot of money on them, or having expensive items, clothes, watch, shoes
  • a direct disclosure
  • Adults who persistently present themselves for support and assistance with various matters without obvious cause, potentially looking for opportunities to disclose harm.
  • Adults who form an attachment to or an over-reliance on a particular member of staff or a volunteer.

In some of these situations, things appear to have reached a more serious level of concern. This procedure lays out the practical steps to be followed.

Be Alert

It is the responsibility of all staff, volunteers, on-site tenants and staff from delivery partners working on site to be well-informed and vigilant to the safety, protection, welfare and wellbeing of adults. This includes logging and tracking specific concerns of vulnerable adults or adults at risk. As far as possible these should be shared openly with the adult themselves.

Question Behaviours

We can only make sense of what’s going on in an adults’ life by engaging with them. It is natural that staff will have conversations with adults about their day-to-day life. Including changes in how well they believe they are managing.

Any concerns can be addressed using open-ended questions.

If you do not feel comfortable in talking with the adult or their carer (where relevant) or you don’t believe you have a relationship with them then approach the DSL team for advice or support.

In all situations you should approach the adult in a kindly, warm way. For example: “Oh, what happened to your arm?”

Listen carefully and then perhaps ask supplementary questions. Be mindful not to use leading or closed questions. For example: “Has somebody hurt/hit you?”

If you remain concerned, aim to maintain an open dialogue with the adult and/or carer, you might also approach the Designated Safeguarding Team for support or advice.

Kaity Hall

Designated Safeguarding Lead for The Black prince Trust:

Kaity Hall (Programmes and Partnerships Manager)

Alex Burke

Deputy Safeguarding Lead for The Black Prince Trust:

Alex Burke (Community Development Officer)

Richard Joyce

Deputy Safeguarding Lead for The Black Prince Trust:

Richard Joyce (CEO)

You should enter into open discussion with your colleagues and/or the DSL team in a private, enclosed space. Remember it’s your duty to share information but not to gossip or share personal confidential information in an unboundaried way outside of BPT staff.

Recording

Safeguarding concerns should be recorded on the BPT Safeguarding Concern Form. Take care to record facts and detail specific observations of behaviour without casting judgement or giving your opinion. You may however have some thoughts or concern as to why your observations may be an indicator of harm or cause for concern.

Responding to a Disclosure

If a vulnerable adult or adult at risk and/or carer chooses to talk with you about risks to, or deterioration of their health, wellbeing, safety, mental capacity, or needs for protection you have a responsibility to listen carefully and take the matter seriously. This may include care giving standards within and outside of the family.

Allow the vulnerable adult or adult at risk and/or carer to continue at their own pace and ask open-ended questions for clarification only, avoiding any leading questions.

Only talk with the vulnerable adult or adult at risk and/or carer for as long as they are prepared to talk and to establish what they are telling you. This may or may not lead to them giving you their consent to sharing this information with their carer, wider family, Adult Social Care and/or the Police.

Working in Partnership with the Adult at Risk and possible Referral

It is important that the adult at risk feels empowered and supported by BPT staff, volunteers and delivery partners. It is only through establishing this kind of rapport that the adult at risk can feel confident enough to consider the involvement of adult social care and/or police.

It is the adult’s right to choose to give consent for referral to be made or not.

A referral should only be made without consent in circumstances where BPT staff or volunteers:

  1.  Believe that the adult at risk lacks mental capacity and/or
  2.  Serious harm is being caused to others including children young people vulnerable adults and/or
  3.  Where a professional person is abusing their position of trust

In all cases the DSL Team will make a referral to Adult Social Care.

NB. Contact with the police will generally be made by Adult Social Care.