Safeguarding Policy

Policy Scope

This policy applies to all volunteers, including those in training; paid, agency and voluntary employees; the Board of Trustees; visitors and anyone acting on behalf of Switchboard, both within Switchboard and outside whilst on Switchboard business.
The purpose of this policy is to protect adults at risk and children under the age of 18 (including unborn children).
Switchboard has a responsibility to do all we can to protect adults at risk and children from abuse and neglect. This policy is intended to support these responsibilities, in particular those set out in:
Disclosures of abuse or neglect, or risk thereof, may come from or may be about: any person listed in Paragraph (1); our service users; or any other people you come into contact with whilst on Switchboard business.
Such disclosures represent an exception to Switchboard’s Confidentiality Policy.
This policy provides you with the overarching principles that guide Switchboard’s approach to Safeguarding.
The relevant statutory guidance will inform the detailed work of the Safeguarding Team, and any decisions they make.

Responsibilities

The board of trustees is accountable for safeguarding at Switchboard, and must assure themselves that all policies, procedures and practice are fit for purpose.
The board will nominate a lead trustee for safeguarding. On behalf of the board, they will be the named senior person in the organisation for safeguarding. They have responsibility for supporting the Safeguarding Team in their function, implementing and monitoring this policy, and maintaining oversight of any serious safeguarding activity.
A Safeguarding Team made up of Switchboard volunteers is responsible for day to day safeguarding activity, as set out in this policy and any accompanying procedures. They will also work with the lead trustee for safeguarding to develop policy and practice across the organisation. They are accountable to the lead trustee for safeguarding.
Everybody referenced in Paragraph 1 above is responsible for following this policy, and requesting additional help or support if they are not sure what it means, or how to follow it in any given situation.
In particular, listening volunteers should understand their responsibility when receiving a safeguarding disclosure, and how to handle it.

Definitions

‘Child’ or ‘children’:
1. This policy and any procedures apply to all children and young people who are under the age of 18 years (or 16 in Scotland), including unborn babies.
2. The fact that a child has become sixteen years of age, is living independently or is in further education, is in the armed forces, in hospital, or in prison or a young offender’s institution, does not change their status in regards to this policy.
‘Adult at risk’:
1. An adult at risk is any person who is aged 18 years or over, and is at risk of abuse or neglect because of their needs for care and support.
2. This policy follows the definition (above) of adult at risk set out in the Care Act 2014, which applies in England. This is broadly consistent with legislation in the devolved nations.
‘Care and support’ or ‘care and support needs’:
1. Care and support is the mixture of practical, financial and emotional support for adults who need extra help to manage their lives and be independent.
2. A useful way of thinking about this is that if an adult requires additional help in order to stay safe and well, then they are likely to have care and support needs.
3. The assessment of care and support needs is complex, and the responsibility of the local authority. For the purposes of this policy, we should consider an adult to have care and support needs if we are explicitly told about them, or can reasonably infer this from what we know. For example:
  1. A service user may tell us that they are unable to undertake personal hygiene tasks due to a physical disability, and a member of their family acts as a carer to help them with these tasks.
  2. A service user may tell us that they regularly injure themselves (falling down the stairs, burns whilst cooking) when they are under the influence of alcohol, and that they can’t get their drinking under control. This indicates they might be unable to keep themselves safe at home.
  3. A service user mentions that their partner uses ‘Find my iPhone’ to make sure they are not ‘visiting the places I’m not allowed to go’. When challenged, the service user mentions their partner has said it’s for their own good, as they have a mild learning disability and so ‘can’t be sure they will look after themselves’.
4. The Safeguarding Team will help to determine whether or not a service user may have care and support needs. As described later in this policy, if you are concerned an adult may be at risk of abuse or neglect, contact the Safeguarding Team regardless.
‘Abuse’
1. Abuse is a violation of a person's human and civil rights by any other person. It is where someone does something to another person, or to themselves, which puts them at risk of harm and impacts on their health and wellbeing. Abuse can be over a period of time, or can also be a one-off action.
2. At Switchboard, all domestic abuse is considered to be in scope of this policy.
3. Bullying of children may sometimes constitute a safeguarding concern. Under the Children Act 1989, a bullying incident should be addressed as a safeguarding concern when there is ‘reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm’.
‘Neglect’
1. Neglect is the failure to meet somebody’s basic needs. Legally, neglect is one type of abuse, but it is often referred to separately to aid understanding.
2. Neglect often (but not always) comes about when somebody else is responsible for helping someone to stay safe and well. For example:
  1. A parent is responsible for making sure their child has food, and can access education. Withholding these is neglect.
  2. Someone may support their partner to take regular medication, withholding medication, or administering it differently to how it was prescribed is neglect.
Details of the different types of abuse or neglect experienced by children and adults at risk are available online from Scie (for adults) and the NSPCC (for children). Listening volunteers should also refer to safeguarding training materials for further worked examples.

Key Principles

These key principles are set out in the Care Act 2014, and primarily apply to safeguarding adults. However, they also provide a useful steer when working with children, and Switchboard will uphold these in all safeguarding activities. They are:
Principle 1: Empowerment
1. People are supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and informed consent.
2. “I am asked what I want as the outcomes from the safeguarding process and this directly informs what happens.”
Principle 2: Prevention
1. It is better to take action before harm occurs.
2. “I receive clear and simple information about what abuse is. I know how to recognise the signs, and I know what I can do to seek help.”
Principle 3: Proportionality
1. The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented.
2. “I am sure that the professionals will work in my interest and they will only get involved as much as is necessary.”
Principle 4: Protection
1. Support and representation for those in greatest need.
2. “I get help and support to report abuse and neglect. I get help so that I am able to take part in the safeguarding process to the extent to which I want.”
Principle 5: Partnership
1. Services offer local solutions through working closely with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse.
2. “I know that staff treat any personal and sensitive information in confidence, only sharing what is helpful and necessary. I am confident that professionals will work together and with me to get the best result for me.”
Principle 6: Accountability
1. Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding.
2. “I understand the role of everyone involved in my life and so do they.”

Recognising a Safeguarding Disclosure

A safeguarding disclosure is when you learn information that suggests another person is either experiencing, or could experience abuse or neglect.
You may be told something directly (“my parents started hitting me after I came out”); you may pick up on secondary indicators (“I can’t tell them after what they did to my sister. I don’t want to talk about it though.”); or it may be several pieces of information combined that raise concerns (“I don’t want anyone to see my body”, “I’ve not healed after the last time I tried to bring it up with them”, “It’s not worth the pain”).
There are many forms of abuse or neglect, and your safeguarding training will help you to spot things. There are also some good resources available online, such as Scie (for adults) and the NSPCC (for children). A good starting point though is to ask yourself “might this person come to harm as a result of this?”.

What to do with Disclosures

If there is an imminent risk to life, see the “threat to life” section, at paragraph 41 below.
If you learn information that suggests an adult is either experiencing, or could experience abuse or neglect, but do not have any reason to believe they have care and support needs, this would not be a safeguarding disclosure, and you can continue in the most appropriate way. For example, if you are speaking to a service user, continue the conversation as normal, perhaps considering appropriate signposts/referrals for what you are discussing.
If you believe that the adult may have care and support needs (so is an ‘adult at risk’), are unsure, or know or believe you are talking to a child, you should follow the steps set out below.
You must advise the person you are speaking to what is happening, and let them know that any information they provide, such as contact details or location, may be passed to the relevant services to help support the person at risk. This should be done appropriately for the conversation, without causing alarm or distress.
You should not attempt to investigate the situation that concerns you, or persuade the person to disclose further information about themselves. Avoid asking leading questions. Instead ask the person questions which allow them to divulge relevant information if they feel comfortable to do so - remember your core listening skills! You will need to pass on whatever details they choose to disclose, so remember to make notes.
If, at the end of the conversation, you feel that there was a disclosure made, you should notify the Safeguarding Team as soon as possible, as described below. If you are unsure, you should also contact the team to discuss.
When dealing with an email, the same principles above still apply - when you are replying, let the service user know any details may be passed on, and notify the Safeguarding Team of the conversation. Notification should be made to the Safeguarding Team multiple times during an email exchange if either there is an ongoing concern, or new information is disclosed.
Unless you are following the Threat to Life policy and calling the emergency services on a service user’s behalf, you should not contact any external agencies or make a referral yourself.

Passing a Disclosure to the Safeguarding Team

If you believe you have received a disclosure, or are unsure, you should contact the Safeguarding Team immediately after the conversation. You can do this by emailing safeguarding@switchboard.lgbt
If you believe that someone is at immediate risk, and action is needed in a matter of hours, contact a member of the Safeguarding Team by phone - their phone numbers are available on My Switchboard and Bamboo HR by searching ‘safeguarding’.
For all other disclosures, or queries, you should email safeguarding@switchboard.lgbt with the following:

The date, time and method of disclosure (i.e. phone, IM, a fellow volunteer, etc.).
Details of the disclosure - i.e. what the person has told you. Try to be as factual as possible, sticking as closely to what was said as you can.
Any background information which may be relevant, including the reasons you feel this is a safeguarding disclosure.
Any identifiable information for the service user, including their location.
Details as to whether or not you informed the service user of Switchboard’s safeguarding policy.
Your contact details, including a phone number (this will only be used by the Safeguarding Team).

The Safeguarding Team will handle the concern from this point, and will contact you to confirm that they have picked up your email, and ask any follow-up questions.

“Threat to Life” Conversations

Switchboard’s policy is that, in cases where there is an imminent threat to life, the conversation will be treated as though it is a safeguarding disclosure. For avoidance of doubt, these conversations are likely to fall outside of the scope of statutory safeguarding, but in scope of this policy.
“Threat to life” conversations have the following characteristics:

The service user has indicated that something will happen imminently or has already happened where a life is at risk. This could be self-harm or harm from another person.
The service user may be an adult at risk or a child, but this is not a requirement. We will treat all service users in the same way in a “threat to life conversation”.
The service user must be doing more than merely stating suicidal ideation. For “threat to life”, the risk to life must be imminent and clear.
Given the immediacy of a “threat to life” conversation, these are extremely unlikely to occur over email. If a volunteer believes they are having such a conversation by email, they should contact a member of the safeguarding team before taking any action.

Where a “threat to life” conversation is taking place, the Confidentiality Policy makes clear that confidentiality can be breached, in order to prevent loss of life. This means that the volunteer is empowered to call emergency services on behalf of the service user, if the service user has given sufficient identifying information. This applies even if the service user has stated that they do not want emergency services to be called.
The volunteer should contact the appropriate emergency service whilst staying with the service user, if possible.
Once the conversation has ended, the volunteer should send their concern to the Safeguarding Team, following the procedure in paragraph 37. The volunteer should include any action they have taken and the outcome of the action.

How the Safeguarding Team will handle concerns

All concerns raised to the Safeguarding Team will be logged following procedure as soon as possible once received. The record will be updated as the team handles the concern and takes the necessary action.
All correspondence related to concerns will be retained.
A member of the team will assess the concern, and seek to formulate a view on the most appropriate next steps. They may speak to the reporting person to gain more information, and will usually seek a second opinion from within the team, unless it is clear that the disclosure does not meet the safeguarding threshold.
The reporting person will receive an acknowledgement of receipt of their concern, and, where appropriate, a high level summary of the action taken. Generally, the safeguarding team will only be able to share limited information with the reporting person, but this is nevertheless an important feedback loop to help volunteers develop their practice.
The Safeguarding Team will primarily consider:
1. Whether or not the disclosure constitutes a safeguarding concern
2. If so, whether there is enough information to make a referral to the appropriate statutory agency
3. Any other action that may be necessary to prevent abuse or neglect
All referrals and contact with external agencies and partners, with regard to safeguarding, will be handled by the Safeguarding Team.
Consent to share information will be taken as explicit where the service user has been informed that any information may be passed on. In the case of an email, where the first email in an exchange contains a disclosure and identifiable information, this will be considered by the Safeguarding Team on a case by case basis - paying particular attention to the principle of proportionality, and the ability to override the need for consent where necessary.
Notes will be retained that set out the basis for decision making made by the Safeguarding Team.

Allegations and Conflicts of Interest

Members of the Safeguarding Team, and anyone else involved in a concern, should declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest they may have with the case. In such situations the usual procedure will be for them to step away from the case, however if this is not possible (for example due to specific expertise, or non-availability of others), continued involvement must be agreed with the lead trustee for safeguarding.
If a concern referred to the Safeguarding Team includes an allegation of abuse or neglect by a Switchboard Volunteer or member of staff, this should be handled in line with the appropriate framework: generally People in Positions of Trust (PIPOT) for adults, and via the Designated Officer of the relevant local authority for children.
When an allegation is received, an initial meeting should be held within 24 hours between a member of the Safeguarding Team, the lead trustee for safeguarding, and the Secretary.
This meeting should assess the current risk to the child or adult at risk; any steps that can and should be taken immediately (on the part of Switchboard) to prevent abuse or neglect; and the appropriate next steps for external referral of the allegation. This meeting will be minuted.
The Safeguarding Team and lead trustee will refer to the London Child Protection Procedures guidance for allegations in relation to children.
No equivalent shared guidance exists for allegations relating to adults, or the PIPOT approach - and so guidance should be sought from the appropriate agency where required.
It will generally be appropriate for the allegation to be concurrently handled under the Complaints Policy, with the involvement of a member of the Safeguarding Team. The procedure will prioritise the safeguarding of any children or adults at risk throughout.
In line with the Complaints Policy, a volunteer or member of staff may be suspended if a full investigation is launched.

Training and Communication of Policy

Members of the Safeguarding Team, and the lead trustee for safeguarding, must have either suitable experience, or appropriate entry level training (equivalent to level 2), before they can take up those roles.
The Safeguarding Team should include volunteers with knowledge of the following areas, and include at least one member trained to an advanced level (equivalent to level 4) in: a) safeguarding adults; and b) safeguarding children.
Where possible, the team should also include at least one member with practical experience and knowledge of, as well as training in:
1. Dealing with allegations involving staff and volunteers
2. Involvement in multi-agency safeguarding activity, such as: safeguarding enquiries, risk assessment conferences, and multi-agency incident reviews
3. Safeguarding issues specific to LGBT+ communities
The Safeguarding Team should ensure they maintain current and relevant knowledge of safeguarding (legislation, best practice, learning from experience, etc.); and should engage in additional or refresher training as necessary.
All Switchboard Officers and staff members must undertake safeguarding training appropriate to their role within 3 months of appointment. Refresher training should be completed annually - either externally or through the Safeguarding Team.
All Listening Volunteers will receive initial training on safeguarding through their CAT course. The safeguarding content for CAT will be agreed between the safeguarding Team and Training coordinator on an annual basis. Trainees will be provided with a copy of this policy during CAT.
Support Volunteers should receive safeguarding training appropriate to their role, and familiarise themselves with this policy and related procedures within 3 months of starting.
All Listening Volunteers should undertake annual refresher training in safeguarding. This could include:
1. A VUE event on a safeguarding-related topic
2. A specific safeguarding refresher session
3. Refresher training delivered at an AGM or OGM.
All refresher training will include a reminder on the basic principles of recognising, responding to and referring safeguarding disclosures.

International service users

Although a London-based organisation, intended to primarily service LGBT+ communities in the UK and unable to handle calls or instant messages from abroad, Switchboard receives email contact for support from service users across the world. On occasion, we will have safeguarding concerns for these service users.
Often, there is limited action that can be taken by Switchboard to safeguard international service users, and limited resources prevent us from fully exploring all possible avenues of referral .
International concerns should be treated, as far as possible, in the same way as domestic concerns, but with a need for additional risk assessment to try to identify danger to the service user from any referral made.

There is an expectation that the majority of concerns will not be progressed by the Safeguarding Team.

Where there is a concern regarding child sexual exploitation or abuse and the perpetrator is a UK citizen or resident, relevant guidance will be followed.

Monitoring and Review

This policy and any procedures will be reviewed at least annually by the Safeguarding Team. Any changes will be agreed with the lead trustee for safeguarding, and proposed to the board for approval.
Review should also be triggered by changes in legislation, changes in recommended practice or statutory guidance, and recommendations from any multi-agency incident reviews Switchboard has been part of.
An annual safeguarding report will be prepared by the Safeguarding Team and lead trustee, and presented to the board.
This annual report should detail safeguarding activity for the year, and a commentary on any trends, safeguarding-related risks, and the wider safeguarding landscape.