Safeguarding Policy

DOWNSHIRE TENNIS CLUB SAFEGUARDING ADULTS POLICY AND PRODEDURE

Version 1 – Approved by DTC committee September 2023

Review date September 2026

DTC Adult Safeguarding Report Form September 2023 Final approved

SAFEGUARDING DEFINITIONS

Safeguarding adults is everyone’s responsibility. We can each play our part in
protecting people’s right to live in safety and free from harm.
Safeguarding refers to the process of protecting adults to provide safe and effective care. This includes all procedures designed to prevent harm to an adult. Everyone who partakes within our sport has a responsibility to support and protect each other to prevent harm to others.

In recent years there has been a marked shift away from using the term ‘vulnerable’ to describe adults potentially at risk from harm or abuse.
To help you work through and understand this policy, we have provided a number of key definitions:

• Adult is anyone aged 18 or over.
•  Adult at risk of harm:Is a person aged 18 or over, whose exposure to harm through abuse, exploitation or neglect may be increased by their:
  a. Personal characteristics which may include, but are not limited to, age, disability, special educational needs, illness, mental or physical frailty or impairment of, or disturbance in, the functioning of the mind or brain. and/or
  b. Life circumstances which may include, but are not limited to, isolation, socio-economic factors and environmental living conditions.
• Adult in need of protection:
  Is a person aged 18 or over, whose exposure to harm through abuse, exploitation or neglect may be increased by their:
  a. Personal characteristics and/or
  b. Lifecircumstances and
  c. Who is unable to protect their own well-being, property, assets, rights or other interests
  and

d. Where the action or inaction of another person or persons is causing, or is likely to cause, him or her to be harmed.

LEGISLATION

– The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
– Family Homes and Domestic Violence (NI) Order 1998
– The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (NI) Order 2007
– The Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2008
– The Human Rights Act 1998
– The Data Protection Act 2018 Inc. GDPR (replaced 1998 DPA)
– The Disability Discrimination Act 1995
– Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2015

AIMS OF THE SAFEGUARDING ADULTS POLICY AND PROCEDURES

THE SIX SAFEGUARDING PRINCIPLES
The following six principles underpin all adult safeguarding work
– A rights-based approach: To promote and respect an adult’s right to be safe and secure; to freedom from harm and coercion; to equality of treatment; to the protection of the law; to privacy; to confidentiality; and freedom from discrimination.

– An empowering approach: To empower adults to make informed choices about their lives, to maximise their opportunities to participate in wider society, to keep themselves safe and free from harm and enabled to manage their own decisions in respect of exposure to risk.

– Person-centred approach: To promote and facilitate full participation of adults in all decisions affecting their lives taking full account of their views, wishes and feelings and, where appropriate, the views of others who have an interest in his or her safety and well-being.

– A consent-driven approach: To make a presumption that the adult has the ability to give or withhold consent; to make informed choices; to help inform choice through the provision of information, and the identification of options and alternatives; to have particular regard to the needs of individuals who require support with communication, advocacy or who lack the capacity to consent; and intervening in the life of an adult against his or her wishes only in particular circumstances, for very specific purposes and always in accordance with the law.

– A collaborative approach: To acknowledge that safeguarding adults will be most effective when it has the full support of the wider public and of safeguarding partners across the statutory, voluntary, community, independent and faith sectors. Working together in a way where roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability are clearly defined and understood. Working in partnership and a person-centred approach will work hand-in- hand.

All adults, regardless of age, ability or disability, gender, race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, marital or gender status have the right to be protected from abuse and poor practice and to participate in an enjoyable and safe environment. We will seek to make sure that the organisation is inclusive and make reasonable adjustments for any ability, disability or impairment, we will also commit to continuous development, monitoring, and review.

We will always respect the rights, dignity and worth of all adults.

We recognise that ability and disability can change over time, such that some adults may be additionally vulnerable to abuse, for example those who have a dependency on others or have different communication needs.

We recognise that an adult with an impairment or a disability may or may not identify themselves/be identified as an adult ‘at risk’ or vulnerable.

EQUALITY

We are committed to ensuring that equality is incorporated across all aspects of our development.

We respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their activity while on council premises, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.

We are committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their activity in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.

We have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.

We will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously.

CATEGORIES OF ABUSE

WHAT IS ABUSE?
“Abuse is a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to another individual or violates their human or civil rights. Abuse is the misuse of power and control that one person has over another. It can involve direct and indirect contact and can include online abuse”. (Adult Safeguarding Operational Procedures 2016)

Everyone who works with adults or comes into contact with adults through their work, should be able to recognise, and know how to act upon, indicators that an adult’s welfare or safety may be at risk. It is essential that you understand the different types
of abuse that adults may suffer. Abuse is not always straightforward to identify, and a person may experience more than one type of harm or significant harm. Harm can be caused by:

 Physical
 Sexual
 Psychological/Emotional/Mental
 Financial and material
 Neglect and act of omission
 Discriminatory
 Organisational
 Modern Day Slavery
 Human Trafficking
 Exploitation
 Hate Crime
 Domestic Violence
 Self Neglect – including hoarding.

Other types of harm that adults may experience include:
 Cyber Bullying
 Forced Marriage
 Female Genital Mutilation
 Mate Crime
 Radicalisation

Physical abuse

Physical abuse is the use of physical force or mistreatment of one person by another which may or may not result in actual physical injury. This may include hitting, pushing, rough handling, exposure to heat or cold, force feeding, improper administration of medication, denial of treatment, misuse or illegal use of restraint and deprivation of liberty. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is considered a form of physical and sexual abuse.

Sexual violence and abuse

Sexual abuse is ‘any behaviour (physical, psychological, verbal, virtual/online) perceived to be of a sexual nature which is controlling, coercive, exploitative, harmful, or unwanted that is inflicted on anyone (irrespective of age, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any form of disability)’. Sexual
violence and abuse can take many forms and may include non-contact sexual activities, such as indecent exposure, stalking, grooming, being made to look at or be involved in the production of sexually abusive material or being made to watch sexual activities. It may involve physical contact, including but not limited to non- consensual penetrative sexual activities or non-penetrative sexual activities, such as intentional touching (known as groping). Sexual violence can be found across all sections of society, irrelevant of gender, age, ability, religion, race, ethnicity, personal circumstances, financial background or sexual orientation.

Psychological or emotional abuse

Psychological or emotional abuse is behaviour that is psychologically harmful or inflicts mental distress by threat, humiliation or other verbal or non-verbal conduct. This may include threats, humiliation or ridicule, provoking fear of violence, shouting, yelling and swearing, blaming, controlling, intimidation and coercion.

Financial abuse
Financial abuse is actual or attempted theft, fraud or burglary. It is the misappropriation or misuse of money, property, benefits, material goods or other asset transactions which the person did not or could not consent to, or which were invalidated by intimidation, coercion or deception. This may include exploitation, embezzlement, withholding pension or benefits or pressure exerted around wills, property or inheritance.

Institutional abuse

Institutional abuse is the mistreatment or neglect of an adult by a regime or individuals in settings which adults who may be at risk reside in or use. This can occur in any organisation, within and outside Health and Social Care (HSC) provision. Institutional abuse may occur when the routines, systems and regimes result in poor standards of care, poor practice and behaviours, inflexible regimes and rigid routines which violate the dignity and human rights of the adults and place them at risk of harm.
Institutional abuse may occur within a culture that denies, restricts or curtails privacy, dignity, choice and independence. It involves the collective failure of a service provider or an organisation to provide safe and appropriate services and includes a failure to ensure that the necessary preventative and/or protective measures are in place.

Neglect
Neglect occurs when a person deliberately withholds, or fails to provide, appropriate and adequate care and support which is required by another adult. It may be through a lack of knowledge or awareness, or through a failure to take reasonable action given the information and facts available to them at the time.

It may include physical neglect to the extent that health or well-being is impaired, administering too much or too little medication, failure to provide access to appropriate health or social care, withholding the necessities of life, such as
adequate nutrition, heating or clothing, or failure to intervene in situations that are dangerous to the person concerned or to others, particularly when the person lacks the capacity to assess risk.

Exploitation
Exploitation is the deliberate maltreatment, manipulation or abuse of power and control over another person; to take advantage of another person or situation usually, but not always, for personal gain from using them as a commodity. It may manifest itself in many forms including slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, domestic violence and abuse, sexual violence and abuse, or human trafficking. This list of types of harmful conduct is neither exhaustive nor listed here in any order of priority. There are other indicators that we should not ignore. It is also possible that if a person is being harmed in one way, he/ she may very well be experiencing harm in other ways.

Related definitions

Victims of domestic violence and abuse, sexual violence and abuse, human trafficking and hate crime are regarded as adults in need of protection. There are specific strategies and mechanisms in place designed to meet the particular care
and protection needs of these adults and to promote access to justice through the criminal justice system. It is essential that we refer such safeguarding concerns to the appropriate services as outlined below.

Domestic violence and abuse

Domestic violence or abuse is ‘threatening, controlling, coercive behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, virtual, physical, verbal, sexual, financial or emotional) inflicted on anyone (irrespective of age, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any form of disability) by a current or former intimate partner or family member’. Domestic violence and abuse is essentially a pattern of behaviour which is characterised by the exercise of control and the misuse of power by one person over another. It is usually frequent and persistent. It can include violence by a son, daughter, mother, father, husband, wife, life partner or any other person who has a close relationship with the victim. It occurs right across society, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnic or religious group, sexual orientation, wealth, disability or geography.

The response to any adult facing this situation will usually require a referral to specialist services such as Women’s Aid or the Men’s Advisory Project. Specialist services will then decide if the case needs to be referred to a HSC Trust for action under the safeguarding procedures. If in doubt, anyone with a concern can ring the Domestic and Sexual Violence helpline (0808 802 1414) to receive advice and guidance about how best to proceed.

Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery

Human trafficking and modern slavery involves the acquisition and movement of people by improper means, such as force, threat or deception, for the purposes of exploiting them. It can take many forms, such as domestic servitude, forced criminality, forced labour, sexual exploitation and organ harvesting. Victims of human trafficking/ modern slavery can come from all walks of life; they can be male or female, children or adults, and they may come from migrant or indigenous communities. The response to adults at risk experiencing human trafficking/modern slavery will always be to report the incident to the PSNI.

Hate crime

Hate crime is any incident which constitutes a criminal offence perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice, discrimination or hate towards a person’s actual or perceived race, religious belief, sexual orientation, disability, political opinion or gender identity. The response to adults at risk experiencing hate crime will usually be to report the incident to the PSNI.

Self-neglect and Self harm

Is when a person seriously neglects their own care and welfare and putting themselves and/or others at serious risk. The seriousness of this issue lies in the recognition that self‐neglect in vulnerable persons is often not just a personal preference or a behavioural idiosyncrasy, but a spectrum of behaviours associated
with increased morbidity, mortality and impairments in activities of daily living.
Therefore, we should view self‐neglect referrals as alerts to potentially serious underlying problems requiring evaluation and treatment (Naik et al, 2007).

Self-harm or self-neglect are not included within the definition of an ‘adult in need of protection’. Each case will require a professional Health and Social Care (HSC) assessment to determine the appropriate response and consider if any underlying factors require a protection response. For example, self-harm may be the manifestation of harm which has been perpetrated by a third party and which the adult feels unable to disclose. People wish to respect autonomy and may not wish to be intrusive. However, if concerned or aware of a significant negative change in behaviour, staff must consider making contact or alerting statutory services. Adult Safeguarding Operational Procedures 2016*

RECOGNISING A CONCERN ABOUT AN ADULT
You may be concerned about harm to another person because of something you have seen or heard, information you have been told by others, or because someone has confided in you about things that are happening or have happened to them.
It is not your responsibility to prove or decide whether an adult has been harmed or abused. It is, however, everyone’s responsibility to respond to and report concerns they have.
Abuse can occur from:

 parents / carers
 intimate partners
 friends
 adults in a position of trust
 people within the wider family circle or neighbourhood
 strangers

In general, there are four possible situations where you may need to respond to a concern or case of alleged or suspected abuse:
a. responding to an adult disclosing abuse – an adult makes an allegation of abuse
b. responding to allegations or concerns against staff, agency, workers, volunteers, regular contractors
c. responding to allegations or concerns against any other person, for example parent, carer, other service user
d. raising concerns over incidents, observations, interactions and suspicion that they themselves have recognised.

There are many signs and indicators that may suggest someone is being abused or neglected. There may be other explanations, but they should not be ignored. The signs and symptoms include but are not limited to:

 unexplained bruises or injuries – or lack of medical attention when an injury is present
 person has belongings or money going missing
 person is not attending/no longer enjoying their sessions. You may notice that
a participant in a team has been missing from practice sessions and is not
responding to reminders from team members or coaches
 someone losing or gaining weight/an unkempt appearance. This could be a
player whose appearance becomes unkempt, does not wear suitable sports
kit and there is a deterioration in hygiene
 a change in the behaviour or confidence of a person. For example, a
participant may be quiet and withdrawn when their brother comes to collect them from sessions, in contrast to their personal assistant whom they greet with a smile
 self-harm
 a fear of a particular group of people or individual
 a parent/carer always speaks for the person and doesn’t allow them to make
their own choices
 they may tell you/another person they are being abused (i.e. a disclosure).

CASE MANAGEMENT
a. The Role of the Adult safeguarding Officer

1. On receipt of a referral, the Adult Safeguarding Officer will take the following action: Ensure any immediate actions necessary to safeguard anyone at risk are taken.

2. If the risk or concern is believed to be due to the behaviour of a club member, then consider the relevant procedures (e.g. interim suspension from the club) to prevent that person making contact with the adult being harmed.

3. If you have been sent an Adult Safeguarding Report Form, check that you understand the content and that all the necessary parts have been completed.

4. If you are being contacted directly by a club member, or a member of the public, ensure that they provide enough information for you to complete the Adult Safeguarding Report Form.

5. Reassure,andadvisethepersonmakingthereport.Explainwhatwill happen next. Reinforce the need for confidentiality.

6. Decide if you need to contact the adult to get more information, determine their capacity, wishes, or explain what actions you need to take. Only do this if you have a known safe way of contacting them.

7. In all situations the Adult safeguarding Officer should ensure those in the club/organisation who can act (within their remit) to prevent further harm have the information to do so. Depending on the situation you may need to pass information to, and work with, other organisations such as the Police or the Local Authority Adult Safeguarding Team.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT AN ADULT

Organisation members and volunteers are not expected to be an expert in recognition of a safeguarding concern; however, all adults working, volunteering and participating have a duty of care to be vigilant and respond appropriately to suspicions of poor practice, abuse or bullying. They should also respond to any indication of abuse that may be occurring outside of the organisation setting.

This does not mean that it is your responsibility to decide if a situation is poor practice, abuse or bullying, but it is your responsibility to report your concerns to the Adult Safeguarding Officer via the Club Secretary.

MAKING SAFEGUARDING PERSONAL

The adult at risk and / or their representative should be as involved as possible and to the extent to which they’d like. MSP should be person-led and outcome-focused. It engages the person in a conversation about how best to respond to their safeguarding situation, in a way that enhances involvement, choice and control as well as improving quality of life, wellbeing and safety. MSP is about seeing people as experts in their own lives and working alongside them.

RESPONSIBILITIES.

Members, volunteers, coaches and officials have a responsibility to be aware and alert to signs of abuse or neglect, or suspected abuse or neglect. However, they are not responsible for diagnosing, investigating or providing a therapeutic response to abuse. In addition, not all concerns relate to abuse, there may well be other explanations. It is important to keep an open mind and consider what is known and where possible speak to the adult concerned.

RESPONDING TO A DISCLOSURE OR CONCERN ABOUT AN ADULT.

If it will not put them or you at further risk, discuss your safeguarding concerns with the adult and ask them what they would like to happen next. Inform them that you need to pass on your concerns to a Adult Safeguarding officer.
Do not contact the adult before talking to a Adult Safeguarding Officer if the person allegedly causing the harm is likely to find out.

– Take their concern seriously

 Stay calm.
 Listen carefully to what is said, allowing the adult to continue at their own pace.
 Be sensitive.
 Keep questions to a minimum – only ask questions if you need to identify/clarify
what the person is telling you.
 Reassure the person that they have done the right thing in revealing the
information.
 explain what you would like to do next.
 Explain that you will have to share the information with the Adult Safeguarding
Officer.
 Ask for their consent for the information to be shared with other agencies.
 Make arrangements for how you/the welfare officer can contact them safely.
 Help them to contact other organisations for advice and support (e.g. Police,
Domestic Abuse Helpline, Victim Support).
 Act swiftly to report and carry out any relevant actions.
 Do not confront the person thought to be causing the harm.

ACTION ON A DISCLOSURE OF ABUSE/MAKING A REFERRAL
It is important not to:
 dismiss or ignore the concern.
 panic or allow shock or distaste to show.
 make negative comments about the alleged perpetrator.
 make assumptions or speculate • come to your own conclusions.
 probe for more information than is offered.
 promise to keep the information secret
 make promises that cannot be kept.
 conduct your own investigation of the case.
 confront the person thought to be causing harm.
 take sole responsibility.
 tell everyone (the information is confidential).

REPORTING A CONCERN

Submit a copy of the Adult Safeguarding Report Form to the Adult Safeguarding Officer via Club Secretary without delay via email.

This information is confidential and must only be shared with those persons that have a need to know, in order to keep the person safe whilst waiting for action to be taken.

 Completing the Adult Safeguarding Report Form. This may assist in the recording of information.
 Ensure you describe the circumstances in which the concern came about and what action you took/advice you gave.
 It is important to distinguish between things that are fact and things that have been observed or overheard, to ensure that information is as accurate as possible.
 If someone has told you about the harm or abuse, use the words the person used. If someone has written to you (including by email or social media) include a copy with the form

NOTE: It is important for staff and volunteers to make written records of any incidents or concerns as soon as possible and if appropriate to include sketches of sites and sizes of injuries.
If you are concerned someone is in immediate danger or a serious crime is being committed, contact the Police on 999 straight away. Where you suspect that a crime is being committed, you must involve the Police.

CONSENT AND CAPACITY

It is important to include the adult at risk throughout the process and seek consent for any referral to social services or the PSNI unless the adult in need of protection is in imminent danger of harm. Designated Safeguarding Officers are not in the position to determine capacity of adults; if you are unsure if an adult is able to consent you should contact the Health and Social Care Trust Adult Safeguarding Team for advice and guidance. If an adult at risk does not want a referral made to the HSC Trust or PSNI, the Designated Safeguarding Officer must contact the Adult Safeguarding Team for advice and guidance about whether or not to make a referral. These factors will influence whether or not you should make a referral without consent:

 Do they have capacity to make this decision?
 Can they say “no”, or stop the situation?
 Do they recognise the problem.
 Have you given them full and accurate information in a way which they understand?
 Are they experiencing undue influence or coercion?
 Is the person causing harm a member of staff, a volunteer or someone who
only has contact with the adult at risk because they both use the service?
 Is anyone else at risk from the person causing harm?
 Do you suspect a crime has been committed?

The Adult Safeguarding Officer may determine that a referral without consent should be made to Police or Adult Social Care and Health Department, and you should follow their instructions for making the referral.

If it is determined that the concern(s) do not meet the definition of an adult at risk or an adult in need of protection and a referral cannot be made without consent, the concerns raised must be recorded, including any action taken, and the reasons for not referring to Police or Health and Social Care and Health Department. In situations where the adult in need of protection is in imminent danger it may not be possible to discuss their wishes with them and obtaining a valid consent may not be possible. Under these circumstances, you should take whatever action you feel is appropriate to protect the adult at risk, including seeking medical and/or PSNI intervention.

RECORD KEEPING, CONFIDENTIALITY AND INFORMATION

While it is important that we adopt a partnership approach to ensure the safety and welfare of adults at risk, it is of equally important that all concerned are confident that the information they provide will only be disclosed where it is in the best interests of the adult at risk to do so. We have carefully constructed the policy and procedures to ensure such confidentiality while protecting the interests of the adult at risk.
Information obtained by organisations in the exercise of their safeguarding duties may be of a personal nature about a particular adult at risk, and therefore is governed by the common law duty of confidentiality, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (the DPA).

The six principles state that Personal data should be:

 processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner
 collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes
 adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary
 accurate and where necessary kept up to date
 kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer that is
necessary for the purposes for which those data are processed, and
 processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data
 accountability is central to GDPR

PREVENTING ABUSE BY STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.
It is important that any staff or volunteers who are likely to be working alone with vulnerable people are thoroughly vetted before being employed. It may be very hard for a worker to report a concern about a colleague to the Adult Safeguarding Officer, as with all other difficulties people will come across, the safety and protection of an adult at risk must be the priority in any decision that is made.

SAFE RECRUITMENT AND SAFEGUARDING TRAINING
We want to make sure that all of our volunteers have the right skills and qualities to create a safe environment. All Volunteers working with adults within adult safeguarding will be subject to safe recruitment procedures and will also be updated with any relevant legislation, policies and procedural changes. Appropriate training will also be identified and offered, including safeguarding adults training.
This Policy is reviewed every two years (or earlier if there is a change in national legislation).

This Policy is recommended for approval by:

Club Committee Chairperson
Name:                         Date:

Adult Safeguarding Officer:
Name:                          Date

ROAD MAP

Reporting a Concern about an Adult

DTC Adult Safeguarding Report Form September 2023 Final approved