Safeguarding Declarations

Safeguarding children declaration

The NHS has a key part to play in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Individual children, especially some of the most vulnerable children and those at greatest risk of social exclusion, will need co-ordinated help from a range of organisations including health, education, children’s social care and the voluntary sector. Within CPFT, safeguarding responsibilities include service users who are under the age of 18, children who are carers or parents, or are the children of services users.

Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places a duty on every NHS Trust to have arrangements in place to ensure that the organisation and all staff working within it have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. CPFT regularly reviews its arrangements against these requirements and is compliant with them.

Safer employment

CPFT has a clear process for ensuring that anyone working with children has had a CRB check before they start work. Recruitment and selection training is mandatory for all appointing officers and Trust policy requires that references are checked before an offer of employment is made. CPFT has a nominated HR lead for dealing with allegations relating to children. They work closely with the Local Area Designated Officer (LADO) if concerns arise.

Policies and procedures

Staff practice with regard to safeguarding children is guided by CPFT's safeguarding children policy. This policy has been written in accordance with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Board’s 'Core Inter-agency Safeguarding Procedures’ and ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015’.

CPFT has a system for flagging safeguarding children concerns and ensuring that missed out-patient appointments are followed up. All staff can request additional information and support from specialists within the safeguarding team around all matters in safeguarding children. This also includes early help and supportive intervention. 

A range of technology-enhanced learning resources are available to staff to assist them in their safeguarding responsibilities, including a desktop 'safeguarding satchel' of information, web resources, NHS safeguarding App, interactive User Guide, newsletters and briefings. These resources are designed to be more easily accessible to our mobile workers.

Safeguarding children training

Staff should have an understanding of both their role and responsibilities, and those of other professionals and organisations. This is essential for effective multi-agency and inter-agency working. Safeguarding children training is mandatory for all staff, regardless of role. Training needs analysis is mapped to National Intercollegiate Guidance (2014) and delivered via a range of  blended learning, with online and face-to-face training options.  CPFT has a robust system in place for monitoring and ensuring compliance which is reported to the Board quarterly.

Safeguarding children team

CPFT employs a named nurse and a named doctor for safeguarding children. They are supported by a small team of specialist nurses/practitioners for safeguarding children. These people are responsible for leading safeguarding children within CPFT. This includes providing the organisation and staff with support and advice, safeguarding supervision and training. 

CPFT's representation at Board level is provided by the Director of Nursing, who is CPFT's ‘children’s champion’ in accordance with the Children’s Act 2004. CPFT also has a safeguarding children link worker scheme which provides a network of advice and support and aids the flow of information to clinicians. Each team has a link worker who receives extra training for their role.

Governance

The Board receives quarterly reports around compliance and a breakdown of what services within CPFT make use of the safeguarding children team .

The Board approves CPFT's Safeguarding Children Action Plan, which includes details of what CPFT is doing to develop and improve its safeguarding arrangements. As part of this plan the Safeguarding Children Team conducts regular audits to ensure that the safeguarding arrangements in place are working. The team also supports teams within CPFT who have safeguarding action plans from other inspections such as CQC and JTAI.

CPFT is also required to undertake an annual audit of its safeguarding arrangements against the requirements of Section 11 of the Children Act 2004. These are submitted to the safeguarding Boards of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire who also monitor any actions arising from them.

The NHS has a key part to play in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults at risk. Individuals at risk of abuse or neglect may need co-ordinated help from a range of organisations including health, education, adult social care, police and the voluntary sector. Within CPFT, adult safeguarding responsibilities include service users who are over the age of 18 who meet the Care Act grounds.

Section 42 of the Care Act 2014 requires that where a local authority has reasonable cause to suspect that an adult in its area (whether or not ordinarily resident there)

(a) has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs),

(b) is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and

(c) as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.” (Care Act 2014 s42)

The local authority must make (or cause to be made) whatever enquiries it thinks necessary to enable it to decide whether any action should be taken in the adult’s case.

Under the agreement S75 NHS Act 2006 with the Local authorities, CPFT has accepted the delegated functions in relation to adult safeguarding. CPFT regularly reviews its arrangements against these requirements and is compliant with them.

Safer employment

CPFT has a clear process for ensuring that anyone working with adults who may be at risk has had a DBS check before they start work. Recruitment and selection training is mandatory for all appointing officers. Trust policy requires that references are checked before an offer of employment is made.

Policies and procedures

Staff practice with regard to safeguarding adults is guided by CPFT policy. This policy has been written in accordance with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Adults Board’s Multi-agency Safeguarding Policy and Procedures.

Safeguarding Adults training

Staff should have an understanding of both their role and responsibilities and those of other professionals and organisations. This is essential for effective multi-agency and inter-agency working. Safeguarding adults training is mandatory for all staff, regardless of role.

The Trust has a robust safeguarding adults training programme which includes training on Safeguarding Adults, Mental Capacity Act, the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and PREVENT.

Training needs analysis will be mapped to National Intercollegiate Guidance (when published) and delivered via a range of training options. CPFT has a robust system in place for monitoring and ensuring compliance with training which is reported to the Board quarterly.

Safeguarding Adults team

CPFT employs a Head of Adult Safeguarding, a named nurse and 3 Advanced practitioners for adult safeguarding supported by 1.6 administration staff. These people are responsible for leading adult safeguarding within CPFT. This includes providing the organisation and staff with support/advice, safeguarding supervision and training. Board level representation is provided by the Executive Director of Nursing & Quality.

In order to fulfil its obligations under the S75 agreement, each team or ward providing secondary care mental health services must have at least one trained lead who can head up S42 adult safeguarding enquiries and provide advice and support.

Governance

The Combined Safeguarding group, QCE and the Trust Board receive quarterly reports detailing compliance and adult safeguarding activity.