- Safeguarding Ownership and Responsibility
We commit to Safeguarding contract holders, employees, contractors, and volunteers representing Bron Afon. This policy relates to all.
Safeguarding children and adults from abuse is everybody’s responsibility. Bron Afon recognises the significant importance of ensuring we protect our staff, our contract holders, and others we encounter through our business. We accept our duty absolutely and unequivocally.
The Safeguarding Team are the first point of contact for safeguarding disclosures, concerns, and referrals, providing expert advice, training, and guidance across the organisation.
The Chief Executive is the identified Strategic Lead with overall Safeguarding responsibility.
The Safeguarding Manager is the designated business lead who is the main point of contact for all day-to-day Safeguarding matters.
Effective safeguarding controls are present in the business and evidenced through the following:
- Corporate Risk Register
- Reporting to Risk & Assurance Committee
- Reporting to Performance Committee
- Reporting to Board
- Introduction and Context
Bron Afon’s ambition is to create flourishing communities, where everyone has a quality home to live in and where people who need it are supported and encouraged.
We recognise that our employees work with some of the most vulnerable contract holders and groups in Torfaen including children and adults with complex needs, victims of crime, known offenders, the elderly and infirm.
We are committed to ensuring that everyone living, working for, working with, or partnered to Bron Afon is safe and protected and that our statutory responsibilities to safeguard and protect children and adults are effectively met. We commit to practice and operate in a way that protects others and keeps them safe.
This policy and its associated procedures apply to everyone working for or on behalf of Bron Afon.
Whilst employees, volunteers and contractors are likely to have varied levels of contact with children and adults, everyone must be aware of the potential indicators of abuse and neglect and be clear about what to do if they have concerns. We commit to ensuring our employees recognise their responsibilities to safeguard others and we will support them to take action to safeguard and promote the welfare of others.
Strategically we recognise our duty to safeguard collaboratively and in partnership with external agencies, particularly statutory bodies including (but not limited to) the Police, Probation Service, Prison Service and Health/Social Care.
This document is designed to give a high-level overview of our commitment to safeguarding alongside the legislative processes and procedures underpinning safeguarding activities. Alongside this policy document there are specific procedures guiding strategic and operational activities regarding:
- Safeguarding Children/Young people
- Safeguarding Adults
- Domestic Abuse Policy
- Safe Recruitment Procedures (DBS Policy)
- Employee Warning System Policy
- Confidential Reporting (Whistleblowing) Policy and Procedure
- Code of Conduct Policy
- Legal Responsibilities
Bron Afon recognises it has a legal and moral responsibility to safeguard children and adults. This responsibility not only includes those receiving our services, but also to colleagues and others with whom we work and interact with. We will not shy away from our responsibilities, and we recognise our duty of care to others. We will never ‘walk on by’ when we have concerns regarding the wellbeing of an individual or individuals.
To ensure compliance with our legal responsibilities in respect of safeguarding children and adults we follow the Wales Safeguarding Procedures 2019.
We recognise our statutory responsibilities regarding The Social Services and Well-Being (Wales) Act 2014, The Children Act 2004, The Wales Safeguarding Procedures, and other relevant legislation where appropriate.
Bron Afon recognises that there are different structures and laws relating to how we safeguard children, young people, and adults. To manage these differences effectively, Bron Afon has a defined procedure for safeguarding children and adults. This procedure is available and should be followed whenever there is a concern.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and aim to:
- Meet the needs and choices of people from all backgrounds – regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, marriage & civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity (including same and different gender partners).
- Ensure that our services are relevant, responsive, and sensitive to the needs of our existing and future contract holders.
- Ensure that all sections of the community in which we work have equal access to our services.
- Partnership Responsibilities
Bron Afon recognises its duty to work in partnership with others to safeguard the welfare and well-being of others.
We further recognise the need to work collaboratively with other agencies in specific areas regarding public safety and the maintenance of law and order. We specifically recognise our duty to co-operate regarding:
MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements)
The Criminal Justice Act 2003 provides for the establishment of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements in each of the 42 criminal justice areas in England and Wales. MAPPA is not a statutory body but is a mechanism through which agencies can better discharge their statutory responsibilities and protect the public in a co-ordinated manner. MAPPA allows agencies to assess and manage offenders on a multi-agency basis by working together, sharing information and meeting to ensure that effective plans are put in place.
Ensuring offenders have suitable accommodation is a key facet of offender risk management. Where appropriate, Bron Afon will support lead agencies (Police, Probation and Prison) through information sharing/risk assessing and by working in partnership to ensure safe and suitable accommodation is available.
MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference)
A Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference is a local, multi-agency victim-focused meeting where information is shared on the highest risk cases of domestic abuse to allow a detailed safety plan to be created for the victim. This requires collaboration and information sharing between numerous agencies, including police, criminal justice, health, child protection, housing, Independent Domestic Violence Advisers as well as other specialists from the statutory and voluntary sectors.
Bron Afon will support lead agencies (Police, Probation and Prison) through information sharing and by working in partnership to safeguard employees and contract holders.
Information Sharing
Information sharing is a critical part of collaborative working. Recognising that we have a duty to share information is as important as ensuring confidential information shared by external partners is critical for trust and public safety. We will share information in accordance with legislative frameworks, having due regard to:
- Confidentiality – we will only share what is necessary for the purpose at hand.
- We will document what we share and the reasons for doing so.
- Any information we receive will be treated in strict confidence and retained securely.
- We will only use information that we receive for the purpose it was shared with us.
- We will not store confidential information longer than necessary.
- What to do if you have a concern
It is not the responsibility of any Bron Afon employee, volunteer, contractor to determine whether abuse or neglect is taking place, but it is their responsibility to report any concerns.
To raise a concern, contact the Safeguarding Team Directly or your line manager.
If you identify a concern of serious, immediate, or significant risk, you must contact emergency services. You must then inform your manager and the Safeguarding Team of the situation/circumstances as soon as possible.
Safeguarding_general_enquiries@bronafon.org.uk