The values of The New Well are:
Welcoming and valuing everyone
Encouraging connection
Loving God and one another
Living in hope
The New Well extends a welcome and values everyone, with a particular care for the vulnerable. We believe that every person is unique and precious and therefore seek to provide an environment which reflects the high value of every person in the way we care for and protect both children (anyone under 18 years of age) and adults.
As a registered charity in Scotland, The New Well abides by the child protection and adult protection requirements of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and the Trustees commit to ensuring the requirements are fully met. https://www.oscr.org.uk/media/3128/10- safeguarding-steps.pdf
The New Well recognises that it is the responsibility of each one of its staff and volunteers, both paid and unpaid, to unsure the safety and prevent the neglect, physical, sexual or emotional abuse of vulnerable adults and to report any abuse discovered or suspected.
The New Well recognises its responsibility to implement, maintain and regularly review procedures, which are designed to prevent and to be alert to such abuse.
The New Well is committed to properly recruiting, supporting and resourcing both staff and volunteers and to providing supervision and annual safeguarding training.
The New Well is committed to maintaining good links with the statutory agencies who support children and vulnerable adults, particularly with social services authorities.
The legal framework for Scotland includes the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, and, for adults at risk, the Adult Support and Protection Act 2007. The National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2014, revised from first publication in 2010, sets out the responsibilities of all agencies working with children and covers the expectations of government in relation to keeping children safe in Scotland.
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Vulnerable Adult – Definition
A vulnerable adult is any adult aged 16 or over who, by reason of mental or other disability, age, illness or other situation is permanently, or for the time being, unable to take care of him or herself, or to protect him or herself from significant harm or exploitation.
Although everyone is vulnerable in some ways and at certain times, some people by reason of their physical or social circumstances have higher levels of vulnerability than others. Most adults, who might be considered to be at risk of harm, live their lives without experiencing harm. Often this is with the assistance of relatives, friends, paid carers, professional agencies or volunteers. Some of the factors which increase vulnerability are:
● A sensory or physical disability or impairment.
● A learning disability.
● A physical illness.
● Mental ill health (including dementia), chronic or acute.
● An addiction to alcohol or drugs.
● The failing faculties of old age.
● A permanent or temporary reduction in physical, mental or emotional capacity brought about by life events, for example bereavement or previous abuse or trauma.
Remember:
● Vulnerability is often not a permanent state.
● Vulnerability is not always visible.
● A person with apparently visible vulnerabilities may not perceive themselves as such. ● Vulnerable people may also pose risk and cause harm.
Definition of Abuse
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list but an illustrative guide as to the sort of behaviour which could give rise to a safeguarding concern:
● Physical abuse – including assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, restraint or inappropriate physical sanctions.
● Domestic violence – including psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse; so called ‘honour’ based violence.
● Sexual abuse – including rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting.
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● Psychological abuse – including emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, cyber bullying, isolation or unreasonable and unjustified withdrawal of services or supportive networks.
● Financial or material abuse – including theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or
misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits.
● Modern slavery – encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude. Traffickers and slave masters use whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce, deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment.
● Discriminatory abuse – including forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment; because of race, gender and gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
● Organisational abuse – including neglect and poor care practice within an Institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home, for example, or in relation to care provided in one’s own home. This may range from one off incidents to on-going ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of
the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.
● Neglect and acts of omission – including ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.
● Self-neglect – this covers a wide range of behaviour neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding. Incidents of abuse may be one-off or multiple, and affect one person or more.
Definition of Abuse (Child)
What is abuse and neglect?
Abuse and neglect are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting, by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger for example, via the internet. They may be abused by an adult or adults, or another child or children.
● Physical abuse – Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a
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child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.
● Emotional abuse – Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to the child that s/he is worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as s/he meets the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on the child. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyberbullying), causing the child to frequently feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of the child. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
● Sexual abuse – Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.
● Neglect – Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development.
What to do and who to contact
If you know, believe or suspect that an adult or a child may be at risk of harm you should speak to someone about it as soon as you can. You may have concerns about a child because of something you have seen or heard, or a child may choose to disclose something to you. If a child discloses information to you, you should:
• Do not promise confidentiality, you have a duty to share this information and refer to Children’s Social Care Services.
• Listen to what is being said, without displaying shock or disbelief.
• Accept what is said.
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• Reassure the child, but only as far as is honest, don’t make promises you may not be able to keep eg: ‘Everything will be alright now’, ‘You’ll never have to see that person again’.
• Do reassure and alleviate guilt, if the child refers to it. For example, you could say, ‘You’re not to blame’.
• Do not interrogate the child; it is not your responsibility to investigate.
• Do not ask leading questions (eg: Did he touch your private parts?), ask open questions such as ‘Anything else to tell me?’
• Do not ask the child to repeat the information for another member of staff. • Explain what you have to do next and who you have to talk to.
• Take notes if possible or write up your conversation as soon as possible afterwards.
• Record the date, time, place any non-verbal behaviour and the words used by the child (do not paraphrase).
• Record statements and observable things rather than interpretations or assumptions.
Whatever the nature of your concerns, discuss them with your manager or team leader, unless they are directly involved in the situation.
If you or the person being harmed is in immediate danger you should phone the police on 999, for non-emergency Police Scotland can be contacted on 101.
The Safeguarding officer should be informed and will advise on the most appropriate course of action. If the Safeguarding Officer is unavailable and the situation is urgent, call Social Services directly:
Social Care Team (Children) 01506 284700 or 01506 282252
Social Care Team (Adult) 01506 284848
Social Care Team (Out of hours) 01506 281028/9
Further training, advice and support available from Thirtyone:eight
