Children and vulnerable Adults Safeguarding at Horbury Dental Care

The practice is committed to complying with legislation and statutory guidance to protect children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect. The practice has an effective process for identifying and responding appropriately to signs and allegations of abuse. There is also an effective process for preventing abuse before it occurs and minimising the risks of further abuse once it has occurred.

What is safeguarding?

Everyone has the right to live a life free from harm and abuse. Safeguarding is about protecting individuals – adults or children – who may be in some way at risk of abuse or neglect from others. It can take many forms – people can be financially abused, sexually abused, or physically abused among others.

Safeguarding Children

There are four types of child abuse: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect.

Safeguarding children is defined in national guidance as:

• Protecting children from maltreatment
• Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
• Ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
• Taking action to enable all children to have the best life chances.

Safeguarding Adults

Safeguarding Adults means protecting a person’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. An adult at risk is any person who is aged 18 years or over and at risk of abuse or neglect because of their needs for care and or support.

What we do in practice

• The practice has appointed Amy Peters as the Practice Safeguarding Lead for children and adults and all team members have been informed about this.
• All team members are trained to recognise signs of abuse in children and vulnerable adults. Training to take appropriate action including recording and reporting is provided at induction and at regular intervals.
• Any suspicions and allegations of abuse are taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.
• All team members are required to undergo appropriate DBS. The practice does not employ anyone who has been barred from working with and treating children or adults at risk.
• A chaperone is always present when treating a child or vulnerable adult.
• ‘Was Not Brought’ (WNB)
  In the scenario where a young person under 18 misses an appointment we use the ‘WNB’. We have implemented the WNB pathway by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. Deb May and Hannah Stoner follow all WNB children’s journey, and you may receive a letter/call if you do not attend your child’s appointment. Please do not be alarmed and we do recognise that sometimes you may just forget but we ensure that each child’s journey is followed.
• Each individual vulnerable adult will be treated with the discretion of the team but also ensure that all their needs are met in terms of treatment and information provided at each stage.

If you would like any further information Wakefield Safeguarding Children Partnership website has lots of useful tools and resources and easy to use if you have any concerns regarding a child/vulnerable adult.

https://www.wakefieldscp.org.uk/

If you have concerns about an adult or child who may be at risk, please contact Social Care Direct on 0345 8503503 or 01924 303450.

If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you can’t speak and are calling on a mobile press 55 to have your call transferred to the police. Find out  how to call the police when you can’t speak.

For free, confidential advice, 24 hours a day contact a domestic abuse helpline.

If you are deaf or can’t use a phone

You can register with the emergencySMS. Text REGISTER to 999. You will get a text which tells you what to do next. Do this when it is safe so you can text when you are in danger.