LPFT’s commitment
This page is designed to inform you about what you can expect in relation to safeguarding processes, including; the reason for the action, potential outcome and timescales. It is intended to make you aware of why safeguarding questions are asked and the responsibilities that LPFT staff have to act on safeguarding disclosures. Safeguarding is everybody’s business and is at the heart of LPFT’s beliefs, values and “Think Family” ethos. LPFT has a legal duty to safeguard and protect the public. This requires us to act on information that you may choose to share.
What is abuse?
Abuse is a violation of your human and civil rights by any person(s). Abuse may consist of a single or repeated act and can occur in any relationship. Anyone can abuse you. It could be someone you know, a stranger or even a paid carer or member of staff.
The main types of abuse
Physical abuse: hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, shaking, throwing, strangulation or any other cause of direct or indirect physical harm. This may include misuse of medication, force-feeding or inappropriate restraint.
Sexual abuse: sexual contact, either penetrative or non-penetrative, that you have not consented to or could not consent to. This also includes involving you in watching or producing inappropriate sexual material and child or adult sexual exploitation.
Psychological/emotional abuse: threats of harm, control, rejection, coercion, harassment, stalking (with or without domestic abuse), verbal abuse or isolation from family, friends and services.
Discrimination: prejudicial treatment based on age, race, sex, gender reassignment, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status, and pregnancy and maternity.
Financial abuse: includes theft, fraud and misappropriation of property or benefits. It also includes withholding money or unauthorised use of your finances.
Organisational abuse: is the maltreatment, abuse or neglect of you by a regime or by employees in any NHS or social care setting. This may occur when routines or systems of an organisation result in poor or inadequate standards of care, unauthorised restrictions or deprivation of liberty.
Neglect: is a persistent failure to meet your basic physical and/or psychological needs likely to cause serious impairment of your health and development, such as lack of food, clothing and/or shelter.
Asking about abuse
It is known that people accessing LPFT services may have experienced abuse and that this could have a detrimental impact on emotional wellbeing and mental health. LPFT staff will ask whether you have experienced abuse at any time in your life. It is your choice whether to answer the question and how much information you wish to share. Sharing if you have experienced abuse will help our staff to provide the right type of care and treatment.
All LPFT staff are trained to deal with disclosures of abuse and how to respond to these. Sometimes a disclosure may suggest that an identifiable adult or a child is at risk from abuse or poses a risk to others. In these circumstances, LPFT staff will have a duty to share details of your disclosure with other agencies to protect these people. We will usually discuss this with you before any information is shared.
It is important that you are made aware of actions that will be taken if identifiable information is disclosed about a perpetrator who is still alive or their victims, as this may affect the information you are prepared to share with LPFT staff. LPFT staff understand that you may not want the matter referred to the police or to social care for investigation. However, the law requires staff to share information when necessary to safeguard a child or adult at current risk of harm. LPFT staff will usually discuss this with you before information is shared with external agencies.
LPFT staff will support you with your decision making.
Keeping you informed
Timescales for actions and outcomes will be agreed on an individual basis and you have a right to be kept informed throughout. We will work in partnership with you, with openness and honesty, and ensure that you are involved as far as is practicable. LPFT aims to provide you with safe, effective, compassionate and high quality care in all that we do.
If you have questions or wish to discuss any incidents of abuse further, you can speak to any member of LPFT staff.
Safeguarding concerns categories
Safeguarding concerns are likely to be categorised under:
1. Adult at risk
An adult at risk is defined as “an adult who has needs for care and support and is experiencing, or at risk of abuse or neglect; and as a result of those care and support needs, is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of or the experience of abuse or neglect”. LPFT will work with adult social care to carry out enquiries to understand your wishes and the facts related to your disclosures of abuse. Together, we will develop a safeguarding plan to protect you from harm.
2. Domestic abuse
Domestic abuse is ‘any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, emotional, physical, sexual or financial) between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. This includes extended family violence, including ‘honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage’. If you disclose that you are experiencing domestic abuse, you will be invited to answer further questions about your experience. Action taken in response to your disclosure of domestic abuse will depend on the degree of current risk to you and your family. You will be supported to access specialist domestic abuse services.
3. Children (including unborn babies and children up to their 18th birthday)
When you access LPFT services, you will be asked whether you have regular contact with children within or outside your household. If you disclose concerns about a child’s welfare, they may need to be shared with other agencies. LPFT staff will share concerns and outcomes with the parent/carer/child if appropriate. If the child is subject to multi-agency support such as team around the child, child in need or child protection, LPFT staff may also become involved in the meetings and plans to support you and your family.
4. Non-recent abuse
It is often the case that people who have been abused are not able to disclose the abuse at the time it is happening. The term ‘non-recent abuse’ describes abuse that has been perpetrated against a person in their past, such as child abuse. You may wish to share that you have experienced abuse because you want emotional/psychological or practical support and resolution, or to ensure the protection of others.
