SAFEGAURDING POLICY

The contents of this Policy apply to all sites where Aya Training & Development volunteers and staff are delivering services. All staff whether volunteers, temporary, part or full time are covered by this policy. Staff are required to familiarise themselves with the safeguarding policy and related policies as directed in this document.   

• Safeguarding is defined as ‘protecting vulnerable adults and children’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect’. Safeguarding is also about preventing and responding to concerns of abuse, harm or neglect of vulnerable adults, children and young people. 

To meet organisational duties and responsibilities, Aya Training & Development  staff work in partnership with clients, visitors and staff so that they are:

• Safe and able to protect themselves from abuse and neglect
• Treated fairly and with dignity and respect
• Protected when they need to be
• Able to easily get the support, protection and services they need.

Aya Training & Development plays a vital part in raising awareness, identifying, responding, reporting, recording and referring concerns raised of abuse and neglect.

Who are we safeguarding?

Aya Training & Development has a legal duty to safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults:

• A vulnerable adult is a person aged 18 years or over who may be unable to take care of themselves, protect themselves from harm or from being exploited. This may be because they have a mental health problem, a disability, a sensory impairment, are old and frail, or have an illness.
• A child, or young person needing protection is a person under 18 years of age who may be unable to take care of themselves, protect themselves from harm or from being exploited.

Aya Training & Development takes its responsibility to promote the welfare and safeguard all vulnerable adults and children entrusted to our care seriously.

All therapists who work from Aya Training & Development will have got the appropriate training background and qualifications to be competent in the services that they are offering.  

A placement student will have discussions with their placement provider regularly on the importance of swift action in case of concerns over potential safeguarding issues with their clinical placements. 

Who has responsibility for Safeguarding in Aya Training & Development? 

Safeguarding is everyone’s business. However the Nominated Person for Safeguarding will have overall responsibility for children, young people or Vulnerable Adults who enter our building, and are attending any of our sessions, whether for one to one counselling or group work delivered and facilitated by Aya Training & Development.   

The nominated person for safeguarding/safeguarding officer is Beverley J Weston. 

If any counsellor or volunteer is concerned about a child or vulnerable adult, they must follow Aya Training & Development process which is laid out below:

• If at all possible and if it does not jeopardise the safety of the client and their family, the counsellor should discuss their concerns with their supervisor and / or Director
• Where possible, the counsellor should endeavor to engage the client’s agreement to a safeguarding referral being made on their behalf.  If the client refuses consent for a counsellor to make a safeguarding referral and the counsellor has legitimate concerns about the welfare of either the client or their family, the counsellor should notify the relevant department / agency of their concern as soon as possible
• The counsellor should record their concern on a safeguarding form as soon as possible and inform their supervisor, line manager and/or director of the actions that they have taken as soon as possible
• Safeguarding forms should be completed as clearly and precisely as possible providing all the facts of any statements and disclosures

When to be concerned

All counsellors and volunteers should look out for any behaviours which may suggest signs of persistent abuse and trauma, these include (but are not limited to):

• Risky behaviour that may cause harm to self or others
• Acts in a non-age appropriate way
• Displays highly defensive behaviours
• Appears frightened of a close family member or loved one 

If a client makes a direct disclosure that they have been abused in some way, the counsellor should

• Allow the client to talk freely
• Listen to and accept what is being said
• Reassure the client but don’t make promises that cannot be kept
• If appropriate, provide contact details for other appropriate services
• Do not criticize the alleged perpetrator
• Explain what has to be done next and who has to be told
• Ensure that the client and any family member is currently safe

If the client is in immediate danger

If it is determined that a client or a member of their family, the counsellor or volunteer must contact the police and explain the situation to them.  If the danger is imminent, the police should be contacted on 999.  If the danger is imminent but not immediate, the counsellor or volunteer should dial 101.If the client or a member of their family needs emergency medical attention, an ambulance should be called and support them whilst they are on the way.  The incident must be reported as soon as practicably possible.

Record keeping in the case of disclosures of abuse

When a client has made a direct disclosure of abuse or has a safeguarding concern, the counsellor or volunteer should do the following:

• Make brief notes as soon as possible during or immediately after the conversation
• Record the date, time and place of the allegations
• Do not write down assumptions or interpretations, only record direct statements
• If relevant or possible, draw a simple diagram to indicate the position of any reported bruising or other injury
• All records need to be given to the Safeguarding Lead and/or Director.  This includes the completed Safeguarding Form.  No copies should be retained by the counsellor or volunteer.

Confidentiality

Safeguarding concerns (especially when it relates to abuse) raise issues of confidentiality that must be clearly understood by all Aya Training & Development counsellors and volunteers.  

Where necessary, all members of staff (including volunteers) have a responsibility to share relevant information about the protection of children or vulnerable adults with other professionals particularly investigative agencies.

If a client confides in a counsellor or volunteer and requests complete secrecy about what has been alleged, the counsellor or volunteer must tell the client that they cannot promise total confidentiality.  Instead, they must explain that they may need to pass the information to other professionals to ensure their safety and that of their family members. 

Counsellors or volunteers who receive information about a child or vulnerable adult in the course of their work with Aya Training & Development should only share that information within appropriate professional contexts. In all other contexts, the confidentiality of the matter must always be respected by all parties.  

All safeguarding allegations should be dealt with in accordance with the 7 golden rules contained in the government’s guidance ‘Information Sharing – Advice for Practitioners 2018’ which can be accessed using the link below:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/721581/Information_sharing_advice_practitioners_safeguarding_services.pdfne 

Where the Lead Safeguarding Officer / Director are made aware of a safeguarding concern or a disclosure of abuse, they must ensure that the counsellor or volunteer has done the following:

• Complied with the guidance set out by the government
• Contacted the relevant reporting agency (or agencies) to make sure that the client and / or their family members are kept safe and that matters are dealt with in an effective manner
• Where necessary, the Safeguarding Officer / Director must seek clarification and advice from the police and / or social services to check that the counsellor or volunteer has carried out their obligations correctly in accordance with this policy.
• Safeguarding and / or abuse reporting can be a stressful experience for the counsellor and volunteer involved, so if they feel that they have been affected by a disclosure they should consider seeking more support for themselves and arrange a time to discuss this with their supervisor.  

Some clinical conditions are not suitable for remote sessions with trainee counsellors. Pre-empting potential risk situations and collaboratively preparing for this with clients early on in therapy can feel very containing for both. 

When working with clients who are likely to be vulnerable because of their psychological state or social isolation, it is good practice to assess their suitability for our counselling service that includes their suitability for working online. 

Assessment stage:

• Each client’s suitability for remote counselling is initially assessed at the assessment stage. A dedicated section of the assessment report will outline any risk related to the client’s presentation. 
• It is the trainee’s responsibility to assess the client’s suitability for remote working, on an on-going basis, with the use of supervision or the Safeguarding Team where appropriate.

During the course of therapy:

• Careful consideration ought to be given to how the counsellor will respond to clients who become so distressed or disturbed that they require additional support from healthcare providers or their social network. 
• Good practice requires that practitioners are clear from the outset of working with clients about the boundaries between what is provided by their service directly, how any additional support will be sought in emergency situations by the practitioner, and what depends on clients acting on their own initiative. 
• Online resources or guidance should be provided to assist clients in finding appropriate emergency services, especially where clients are communicating from a distance or it is inappropriate or impractical for the practitioner to seek additional services on behalf of their clients. This needs to be made explicit form the outset of therapy. 
• Care needs to be taken in communicating to clients what assistance can be offered from a distance in situations where the client becomes vulnerable or distressed or requires urgent support outside the scope of the service being offered. It is good practice to have discussed with clients how they might be assisted before such a situation arises. Assistance outside sessions might be sought from other services including online services, friends or family. Where appropriate, potential additional sources of assistance can be suggested in information about the service or in the contract with the client.
• In case of an escalation in risk, to the client, yourself or others, inform the clinical team and Aya Training & Development will invite the client for a second assessment by a senior member of the clinical team, to assess Aya Training & Development’s suitability to attend to the client’s clinical needs. Aya Training & Development may pause or terminate therapy and signpost the client accordingly. 
• If the client is deemed suitable for the service, but not suitable for remote therapy, please inform your supervisor and the clinical team immediately. Your client may be offered in-person therapy to ensure safe and ethical practice guidelines are followed.

All existing Aya Training & Development ethical guidelines, policies and procedures around Risk and Safeguarding are available to trainees. In addition, knowledge of and ability to work with a clear understanding of risk and liability while working online is strengthened by:

• Collaborating and contracting with the client to negotiate an agreement/ procedure on how to assess and respond to presenting or emerging risk when working remotely e.g. obtaining emergency contacts at the beginning of therapy, requesting GP/family/friend details who can be contacted in times of crisis.   
• Awareness that appraising risk online can be more challenging than in-the-room therapy, because:
  • Non-verbal cues that help signal increasing distress or vulnerability can be hindered, especially when working without visual contact e.g. phone, written text. 
  • Limited information can make it harder to judge the severity of risk. 
  • Of the limit to how far a practitioner can intervene in cases where risk issues emerge.ne 

What Risk should you be aware of? 

• Self-harm (including any risky behaviour)
• Suicidal Ideation
• Alcohol or substance misuse (especially if there is a child in the client’s care)
• Abuse to others (financial, emotional, physical, sexual)
• Risk of harm or neglect to the client’s health or others (adults, the general public, and/or children)
• Terrorism

You must:

• Monitor risk continuously, following the initial assessment
• ALWAYS report risk to clinical management and or your supervisor
• DO NOT delay reporting risk
• ASK your client the appropriate questions to ascertain risk  

Questions to Ascertain Risk: 

• How would you describe your mood? 
• From 1 to 10, how would you rate your mood for the past week?   
• Suicidal Ideation (current or historic): Thoughts – methods, plans, preparations, sought help, regrets surviving? 
• Impulsive in nature? Triggers and risk factors at the time. 
• What protective factors are in place now? 
• How can they stay safe?   
• Deliberate Self Harm (DSH): As with suicide, ask specific questions about methods of self-harm. Ask to see marks on body if appropriate.   
• Risk to Others: Past involvement of police? Was there domestic abuse? Are there any plans to hurt anybody? How can they keep safe?   
• Risk from Others: Domestic abuse? Past involvement of police? Any forms of abuse from others? Are they still at risk of abuse due to vulnerability? How can they keep safe?   
• Child Safeguarding: Do they have access to children’s care personally or professionally? Are their mental health difficulties potentially affecting children negatively? Have the clients themselves been abused as children, and if yes, have they reported it? Has the police been involved? Does the perpetrator have personal or professional access to other children?    

Again, please always refer to the Aya Training & Development’s Safeguarding Policies, and ensure you are familiar and update to date with them. Any doubts or questions should be taken up with your supervisor(s) BEFORE you work with clients.  

What if a Client Refuses to Divulge Information about Risk: 

• Don’t panic! Don’t pressure.    
• Reflect empathically that this might be something quite difficult for them.   
• Assure them that there will always be someone to listen to them when they feel more comfortable discussing some issues.   
• However, do remind them that information about perpetrators of abuse, especially those with access to vulnerable groups (children, elderly) might help prevent further abuse, so their disclosure might help others down the road.

How to Action Immediate Risk: 

If a client has explicitly stated that they intend to harm themselves or others, the counsellor or member of staff should:

• Ask for clarification and details where possible while trying to be calm, compassionate, non-judgmental and honest
• Take immediate note of names, locations, preparations and planned actions of the client, and keep the notes safe 
• Let the client know that you will have to inform others immediately unless this would put them in more immediate danger 
• Call 999 and provide all relevant information, and follow-up if you are asked to do so.      
• Documentation of all actions is crucial i.e. what the counsellor/staff did in response to the risk.   
• INFORM YOUR SUPERVISOR/SAFEGUARDING OFFICER IMMEDIATELY

If a client asks why you are asking them, assure them that it is part of your role and part of the assessment to establish as much as possible if there is risk involved. This way we can better know what their needs may be and how we can better help them.

Our aim is to empower clients to face difficult events, not assign blame, and not to investigate. Our role is to provide therapy. Some clients think they will be in trouble if they say something. Assure them that this will not be the case, even if they had bad experiences with services/the law in the past, we can support them in such procedures or link them with services that can do so. 

Always agree to a risk management plan and ask the client to write it down. Adapt the plan to the risk involved. All risk should be reported through the appropriate processes, which means also keeping your supervisor(s) up to date. If there is risk of suicide or self-harm that is felt to be immediate, the local crisis team without hesitation. If your assessment concludes that the risk is not immediate (i.e. ideation rather than planning, intent and means, then make sure you agree to reduce access to means, e.g. stockpiled medication, sharps. 

Remind clients that they can:

• Contact somebody they trust and either talk it through or spend time with them  
• If self-harming, to replace sharps with ice or elastic bands   
• Contact their care co-ordinator, or other services/professionals that they may be involved with.   
• Book emergency GP appointment.   
• Contact the Samaritans (116123) or email jo@samaritans.org.   
• The Local Mental Health Crisis Line
• HOPElineUK - suicide prevention helpline (PAPYRUS) (0800 068 41 41, Text: 07860039967, email: pat@papyrus-uk.org)
• A 24 hour Mental Health Support Line (SLaM) 
• Go to A&E/call for an ambulancene 

Whenever it is alleged that a counsellor or volunteer has, in the context of their work with Aya Training & Development or elsewhere:

• Behaved in a way that has, or may have harmed a child or vulnerable adult
• Committed a criminal offence against a child or vulnerable adult
• Abused a child or vulnerable adult 
• Behaved towards a child or vulnerable adult in a way that indicates that they are unsuitable to work with Aya Training & Development’s clients

1. When an allegation is made

The person receiving that allegation must take it seriously and immediately carry out the following: 

• Make a written record of the allegation using the informant’s words including time, date and place where the alleged incident took place, what was said and any witnesses
• Sign and date the record
• Ensure that the record is immediately passed on to the Safeguarding Officer / Director and fully inform them of the nature of the allegation
• Observe full confidentiality in all aspects concerning the allegation

The Director should ensure that all counsellors and volunteers are made aware of Aya Training & Development Whistleblowing Procedure. Any counsellor or volunteer subject to such allegations will be immediately suspended from any role within the service pending a full investigation by their professional body.  Should they be found guilty of any misconduct, they will be immediately removed from post and barred from any further engagement with Aya Training & Development.