Safeguarding Policy
Our Commitment to Safeguarding
DiRich Specialist Community Support Ltd is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare, safety, dignity, rights and wellbeing of every person we support.
We provide non-regulated, person-centred community support for Children 8+, young adults, adults and individuals over 65 in Burton upon Trent and surrounding areas.
Everyone has the right to live free from abuse, neglect, discrimination, exploitation and avoidable harm. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and is considered throughout referrals, assessments, support planning, risk management, community activities, transport arrangements and reviews.
This policy applies to directors, employees, support workers, contractors, volunteers and anyone acting on behalf of DiRich. It also explains how individuals, families, professionals and members of the public can report concerns.
What Safeguarding Means
Safeguarding means protecting a person’s health, wellbeing and human rights, enabling them to live safely and taking appropriate action when abuse, neglect, exploitation or avoidable harm is suspected.
A child
Anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. A person supported by DiRich may be described as a young adult in our service information, but anyone under 18 is treated as a child for safeguarding purposes.
An adult with safeguarding needs
An adult may require safeguarding support where they have care and support needs, are experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect, and because of those needs may be unable to protect themselves.
Legal and Local Safeguarding Framework
This policy is informed by relevant legislation, statutory guidance and local safeguarding procedures in England, including the following where applicable to our work:
Core duties and arrangements for safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare.
Current statutory guidance on multi-agency working to help, support and protect children.
The adult safeguarding framework, including prevention, protection, partnership and person-led practice.
Decision-making, capacity, best interests and the least restrictive approach.
Lawful, necessary and secure handling of personal and safeguarding information.
Safer recruitment, regulated activity and appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service arrangements.
Recognition and reporting of domestic abuse, coercive control, trafficking and exploitation.
Local pathways for reporting concerns about children and adults in Staffordshire.
Safeguarding Principles
Our approach is person-centred and child-centred. We listen carefully, take wishes and feelings seriously, and act in the person’s best interests while recognising that information may need to be shared to prevent harm.
Empowerment
We support people to express what matters to them and participate in decisions about their safety wherever possible.
Prevention
We identify risks early and take reasonable steps to prevent abuse, neglect, exploitation and avoidable harm.
Proportionality
Actions should be appropriate to the risk, lawful, necessary and no more restrictive than reasonably required.
Protection
We respond promptly and support people who are experiencing, or may be at risk of, abuse or neglect.
Partnership
We work appropriately with individuals, families, advocates, local authorities, police, health professionals and other relevant agencies.
Accountability
Concerns, decisions, actions, referrals and reasons are recorded clearly, securely and reviewed appropriately.
Safeguarding Roles and Responsibilities
A director assigned safeguarding responsibility acts as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). DiRich maintains internal arrangements for cover when the DSL is unavailable.
The DSL oversees safeguarding procedures, advice, recording, referrals, staff learning and policy review. The DSL does not replace the responsibility of every staff member to act immediately when someone may be at risk.
- All staff must recognise possible signs of abuse, neglect, exploitation and unsafe practice.
- All staff must report concerns without delay and must not assume that someone else will act.
- Directors must ensure suitable recruitment, induction, training, supervision, insurance, risk controls and reporting arrangements are in place before support begins.
- No one acting for DiRich may investigate suspected abuse, confront an alleged source of harm, or question a person in a way that could compromise an official enquiry.
How We Help Keep People Safe
DiRich maintains safeguarding arrangements proportionate to its community-support service, including:
Recognising Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation
Concerns may involve one or more of the categories below. This list is not exhaustive.
Select a card to read the description. Select it again to turn it back.
A concern may arise from something a person says, an injury, a change in behaviour, distress, an unsafe situation, poor practice, unexplained financial activity, online contact, or something witnessed or reported by another person.
You do not need proof before reporting a safeguarding concern. A reasonable concern is enough to act and seek advice.
What to Do if Someone Discloses Abuse
When a person tells you that they have been harmed, or you witness something concerning:
Check whether anyone is in immediate danger. Call 999 where urgent police or medical help is required.
Listen calmly and take the person seriously. Allow them to speak in their own words without pressing for unnecessary detail.
Reassure them that they did the right thing by speaking up and that the concern will be passed to people who can help.
Do not promise secrecy. Explain that information will only be shared with people who need it to help keep someone safe.
Do not investigate, confront the alleged source of harm, ask leading questions or make judgements about whether the account is true.
Make a factual record as soon as possible, including the date, time, place, what was observed and the person’s words as accurately as possible.
Report the concern immediately to the DSL and to the relevant authority when required. Do not delay an external referral while waiting for internal approval.
Preserve relevant evidence and maintain confidentiality on a strict need-to-know basis.
Reporting a Safeguarding Concern to DiRich
Anyone may raise a concern, including the person receiving support, a child, parent, family member, advocate, staff member, professional or member of the public.
- Report concerns as soon as possible, even when information is incomplete.
- Concerns will be handled sensitively and shared only where necessary.
- DiRich cannot promise complete confidentiality when information must be shared to protect a child, an adult at risk or another person.
- You may also report directly to the police or relevant local authority safeguarding service.
- Never delay emergency or local-authority contact while waiting for a response from DiRich.
What Happens After a Concern Is Reported
DiRich will take prompt and proportionate action according to the circumstances. This may include:
Checking immediate safety and arranging emergency assistance where required.
Listening carefully, taking the concern seriously and making an accurate written record.
Informing the DSL, unless the concern involves that person, in which case another director or the relevant authority will be contacted.
Considering the person’s wishes, feelings, communication needs, capacity and immediate support needs.
Contacting the police, local authority safeguarding team, Local Authority Designated Officer or another appropriate body.
Preserving relevant information or evidence and restricting access to records.
Taking protective employment or service action while enquiries are completed, where appropriate.
Cooperating with safeguarding enquiries, investigations and requests from authorised professionals.
Reviewing support arrangements, risk assessments, learning and any required improvements.
DiRich staff will not conduct their own criminal investigation or question a person in a way that could interfere with an official safeguarding or police investigation.
Parents, relatives or representatives will only be contacted when it is safe, appropriate and lawful to do so. They will not be informed where doing so could increase risk, compromise an enquiry or conflict with instructions from the safeguarding authority or police.
Concerns About Staff, Directors or Other Representatives
Any allegation, low-level concern or unsafe practice involving a director, employee, support worker, contractor, volunteer or anyone acting for DiRich will be taken seriously.
Report the concern to the DSL. Where the DSL is involved, report it to another director who is not involved and, where appropriate, directly to the relevant local authority or police.
- Concerns involving a child may be referred to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) through Staffordshire’s child safeguarding contact route.
- Matters may also be referred to the police, Disclosure and Barring Service, local authority safeguarding team or another appropriate authority.
- Protective action, including changes to duties or temporary suspension, may be considered while enquiries are completed. This does not automatically mean an allegation has been proven.
- Staff must report unsafe, abusive, discriminatory, neglectful or inappropriate practice. No person should be treated unfairly for raising a genuine concern in good faith.
Confidentiality and Information Sharing
Safeguarding information is handled sensitively and shared only with people or organisations that need it to protect someone, assess a concern, investigate alleged harm or meet a legal responsibility.
For adults, we will normally seek consent before sharing information and will consider the person’s wishes and desired outcomes. We will presume capacity unless there is a reason to doubt it and will follow the Mental Capacity Act principles where a specific decision is in question.
Information may be shared without consent where it is necessary and proportionate to protect a child or adult from abuse, neglect or serious harm; protect another person; report a suspected crime; comply with a legal duty; or support an official safeguarding enquiry.
For children, decisions will focus on welfare and safety. Consent is not required before making a child safeguarding referral where a child may be at risk, although parents or carers will usually be informed when it is safe and appropriate.
Safeguarding records are stored securely, access is restricted, and information is retained and disposed of in accordance with applicable legal, insurance and operational requirements.
Emergency and External Safeguarding Contacts
Immediate Danger or Crime
Call 999 when someone is in immediate danger, a serious crime is taking place, or urgent police or medical help is required.
For a police matter that is not an emergency, call 101.
Concern About a Child in Staffordshire
Staffordshire Families Integrated Front Door / Child Safeguarding
Telephone: 0300 111 8007 — select option 1.
Out of hours Emergency Duty Service: 0345 604 2886.
Concern About an Adult in Staffordshire
Adult Safeguarding Referral Line
Telephone: 0345 604 2719.
Email: VAStaffordshire@staffordshire.gov.uk.
Urgent out of hours: 0345 604 2886.
Service Boundaries
DiRich provides non-regulated companionship, social support and community-based support. We do not provide:
- Personal care
- Medication administration or management
- Nursing care
- Medical treatment
- Clinical monitoring
- Counselling or clinical therapy
- Mental-health crisis intervention
- Emergency services
- Residential accommodation
- Regulated domiciliary care
Where a person’s needs change or cannot be met safely within our service scope, the support arrangement will be reviewed. DiRich may pause or end support and recommend contact with an appropriate regulated, healthcare, emergency or safeguarding service.
These service boundaries do not prevent DiRich from taking emergency first-aid action within staff competence, calling emergency services, reporting a safeguarding concern or cooperating with authorised professionals.
If You Believe a Concern Has Not Been Addressed
Raise the matter with the DSL or another director. You may also use DiRich’s Complaints Procedure.
A complaint process must never delay safeguarding action. Anyone may contact the police or relevant local authority safeguarding service directly, particularly where there is immediate risk, suspected crime, concern about a DiRich representative, or concern that DiRich has not acted appropriately.
Monitoring and Review
This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner when:
- Safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance or local procedures change.
- DiRich changes its services, staffing, locations or operating arrangements.
- Learning is identified from an incident, concern, complaint, audit or safeguarding enquiry.
- A review identifies that improvements are required.
Policy owner: Director responsible for safeguarding · Effective: 1 August 2026 · Last reviewed: 1 August 2026 · Next scheduled review: 1 August 2027
DiRich Specialist Community Support Ltd · Registered in England and Wales · Company No. 17196962