Safeguarding Policy

 

Contents

• Introduction

• Policy Statement

• Scope

• Purpose

• Implementation

  • Types of Abuse

  • Identifying Distress

• Our Team

  • External Funding - Access to Work

• Legal Framework

• Key Contact Details

• Raising and Managing a Concern

  • To Protea Laxmi Consulting

  • About Protea Laxmi Consulting

• Data Recording and Informtation Sharing

• Appendix: Sources of Information and Support

 

Introduction

• It is Protea Laxmi Consulting’s mission to create inclusive, diverse, values-led workplaces where people can lead with impact and thrive. 

 

Policy statement

• Protea Laxmi Consulting believes everyone has the right to live free from abuse or neglect regardless of age, ability or disability, sex, race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, marital or gender status. 
• Protea Laxmi Consulting also recognises that autistic adults may face unique barriers to reporting harm.
• The role of Protea Laxmi Consulting coaching staff is to recognise and refer, not to investigate or attempt to directly address the situation.

 

Scope

• This policy is intended for clients and employees of Protea Laxmi Consulting.
• This policy is designed to protect vulnerable adults and all adults over 18.  Protea Laxmi Consulting is not involved in services to under-18’s.
• This is the web version of the Safeguarding Policy.  The official company document is available on request.  While all efforts will be applied to ensure the synchronisation of these, the content of the official document will always prevail.

 

Purpose

This policy aims to cover:   

• The legislation, our commitment and procedures for safeguarding adults.
• Our role and responsibility for safeguarding adults.
• What to do or who to speak to if someone has a concern relating to the welfare or wellbeing of an adult within the business. 

Implementation

Types of Abuse

• Abuse may include but is not limited to: physical, emotional, financial and sexual abuse.
• In addition, Neuro-Specific Vulnerabilities may include: mate crime (exploitation disguised as friendship), workplace bullying, harassment or coercive control – for example, with regard to a client's Access to Work funding or equipment.

Identifying Distress

• Where not visible, signs of harm might present as shutdowns, increased masking, or a sudden decline in executive function.

 

Our Team

 

• All Protea Laxmi Consulting members and associates working directly with adults in a coaching service will be required to have and maintain a recognised coaching qualification.
• All Protea Laxmi Consulting members and associates working directly with adults will be required to submit a PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups, Scotland) or DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service, England and Wales) check.
• Our Commitments
• Coaching clients’ onboarding packs will include a Plain English version of this policy.
• Protea Laxmi Consulting staff will always seek to include the client in safeguarding discussions and take their views into account within any safeguarding actions, unless there are special circumstances at play in a given situation. 
• Contracts for coaching services will define the ethical and moral bases on which Protea Laxmi Consulting operates. For example, lead coach Emma Walker is bound under ICF Code of Ethics and which provides peer support and supervision services where ethical dilemmas can be anonymously raised and discussed.
• Protea Laxmi Consulting currently uses email, Zoom, MS Teams and in-work visits to communicate with clients during standard working hours, 09:00 to 17:00 GMT / BST, Monday to Friday.  There can be no expectation that Protea Laxmi Consulting staff will be available outside of these times.
• Protea Laxmi Consulting will not communicate directly with clients using private social media.
• Protea Laxmi Consulting staff will operate a zero physical contact policy with clients.

 

External Funding - Access to Work

• Protea Laxmi Consulting staff will not participate in or ignore any misuse of Access to Work funds.
• Enhanced PVG (or equivalent national checks such as DBS in England and Wales) are required by coaching staff working with vulnerable adults.  Certificates are available on request during the contracting phase. 
• Protea Laxmi Consulting is committed to support adjustments that prevent sensory overload or burnout, which are critical to an individual's wellbeing and safety at work.

 

Legal Framework

• Referencing to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (SVGA 2006) and Protection of Vulnerable Groups Act 2007, all Protea Laxmi Consulting staff and their associates working directly with clients will have to undergo a PVG or DBS check.
• Our policy is built on the Six Principles of Safeguarding as defined by the Care Act 2014: 

  • Empowerment: Supporting individuals to make their own decisions and provide informed consent.

  • Prevention: Take proactive action to stop abuse or neglect before it occurs.

  • Proportionality: Ensure the response is appropriate to the risk presented.

  • Protection: Provide support for those in greatest need.

  • Partnership: Work with local services to prevent, detect, and report neglect and abuse.

  • Accountability: Be transparent in your safeguarding practices.

• Protea Laxmi operates in line with GDPR, and will not present or sell any data to third party entities.  Please refer to the section on Data Recording and Information Sharing for further information.
• Protea Laxmi has a duty of care and a responsibility to ensure that all client concerns are raised and thoroughly investigated.

 

Key Contact Details

The lead safeguarding officer for Protea Laxmi Consulting is:

• Emma Walker
• email: emma.walker@protea-laxmi.com

 

Raising and Managing a Concern

•  Where there is an immediate threat, safeguarding concerns should be raised with the emergency services (phone: 999) or mental health services (phone: 111, option 2).
•  There are several directories available that provide the contact details for local and emergency services, including the Ann Craft Trust listings at https://www.anncrafttrust.org/resources/find-your-nearest-safeguarding-adults-board/ (opens in a new window).
• This should be followed up by raising the concern with Protea Laxmi Consulting’s Safeguarding Lead.

 

To Protea Laxmi Consulting

• Clients may share safeguarding concerns directly during coaching sessions, via email or phone.
• Whether the concern is raised by the client or the coach, the internal Safeguarding Report Form (SRF) should be accessed and the first section completed, detailing – in the client’s own words if possible – the situation causing the concern, along with dates \ times.
• Further, unless there are mitigating circumstances, the SRF should be completed in consultation with the client and they should be given the opportunity to register their wishes as to follow-up actions.  It is reiterated here that it is not the role of the coach to directly address these concerns.  The SRF should then be presented to the Protea Laxmi Consulting’s Safeguarding Lead for review.
• It is the role of the Safeguarding Lead to review the concerns and determine the actions to be taken.  For the majority of cases, the primary action will be to raise the concern directly to the client’s local authority Safeguarding team.

 

About Protea Laxmi Consulting

• Where a client wishes to raise a safeguarding concern against Protea Laxmi Consulting, its staff or contracted associates, clients will be encouraged to raise these issues directly with local authority support services.  
• This will be highlighted within the client onboarding pack which will also provide details for discovering these services, specifically directing to one of the official directories such as the Ann Craft Trust

Data Recording and Information Sharing

• Safeguarding issues raised and actions arising will be manually recorded on the current version of the Safeguarding Reporting Form (SRF) and passed to the Safeguarding Lead.  They are responsible for completing and maintaining an open case file and will be required to ensure that the SRF is separately managed from any files and records relating to the client’s or employee’s standard interactions with Protea Laxmi Consulting.
• Completed SRF data will not be maintained in digital form.  Instead, the paper version of the SRF will be securely stored by the safeguarding lead at the company’s primary premises and only accessible by them.
• SRF data and records may be made available to statutory and regulatory bodies depending on circumstance and may also be provided under relevant subject access requests.  Each case will be determined on an individual basis by the Safeguarding Lead.
• In all situations, Protea Laxmi Consulting will seek the consent of the individual raising the SRF and provide the opportunity for the client to present their wishes regarding further actions.  However, there are circumstances, as a last resort, where this consent may be overridden or not requested – for example, where a crime has been committed or there is immediate danger to life.

 

Appendix: Sources of Information and Support

 

Ann Craft Trust

A national organisation providing information and advice about adult safeguarding. 
Tel: 0115 951 5400
Email: Ann-Craft-Trust@nottingham.ac.uk
www.anncrafttrust.org