Safeguarding & risk management
At Hesley Group we work hard to provide safe and effective services.
This includes the need to achieve, maintain and promote a culture of
openness, honesty and awareness throughout the organisation and with
everyone who is involved with Hesley Group services. We enable
individuals to speak out if they have concerns, and to be reassured that
they will be supported through the process and not victimised.
We seek to take a positive and measured approach
to risk management. In so doing, we aim to provide services that enable
people to make choices - and to take part in daily living and other
activities that extend their life experience in enjoyable and meaningful
ways. To support these aims we seek to recognise and properly assess
risks as part of a proportionate approach. In other words, we look
to balance these risks with our responsibilities to the person
themselves and those with whom they have contact - and with
requirements for safeguarding children and adults, care standards and
health and safety legislation, for example.
Safeguarding
Hesley Group are committed to providing safe and effective services that:
• Prevent harm
• Identify and manage risk
• Support people based on their individual needs
The children, young people and adults we support may be especially at risk due to a range of factors, for example:
• Difficulty understanding the possible consequences of their own actions or those of other people
• Struggling to express feelings of fear or concern
• Understanding motives
• Concepts of what constitutes risk
People’s plans are person-centred or child-centred and our staff are
trained and supported to deliver these plans. We provide support to
individuals to enable and empower them to express concerns or fears for
example in the form of individual communication plans and safeguarding
and complaints tools.
We aim to ensure that all staff are safely recruited and properly
trained, supervised and managed, with an active induction that
emphasises our 'zero tolerance' of abuse and neglect right from the
outset.
Each member of staff is provided with written guidance on safeguarding
children, young people and adults, This outlines the types of abuse, why
people may be at risk and the signs to look out for. The staff guidance
explains exactly what behaviour is expected from all staff and outlines
their responsibilities in reporting any issues of concern. It clearly
states the consequences for them should they engage in abusive practice
or if they do not report suspected abuse.
Hesley Group provides training and support to staff right at the outset
to observe for signs of poor or abusive practice and report these. We
have developed policy and guidance that supports everyone delivering a
service to provide safe and effective services.
A copy of the full Adults policy is available here
A copy of Fullerton House School's policy is available here
- Fullerton House School's Safeguarding Procedures are available here
A copy of Wilsic Hall School's policy is available here
- Wilsic Hall School's Safeguarding Procedures are available here
In the event of poor practice or abuse being suspected staff are
expected and supported to report immediately through our Whistleblowing
and Safeguarding policies and guidance. Allegations are reported by
managers using agreed local safeguarding procedures, which includes
informing the regulatory body (OFSTED or CQC) and work positively with
multiple agencies as a part of this process.
Key policies and guidance about safeguarding are available on request.
As noted elsewhere, Hesley Group's Quality Team develops policy and best
practice guidance and assesses our compliance with national standards,
including with respect to keeping people safe.
Risk management
To achieve positive outcomes we aim to use properly
designed, effective processes that identify and assess risk; and to
evaluate the best and most appropriate measures to reduce the chance of
an adverse event occurring. Specifically, we aim for:
- Managers, practitioners and other staff to be well supported
through the provision of guidance, training and practical skills and
tools for identifying, assessing and managing risk;
- Risk assessment and management to be undertaken and regularly
reviewed by staff competent and of a level consistent with the nature
and scale of risk;
- The organisation to learn through the timely and effective
review of incidents and other relevant information, through clear
reporting procedures for example;
- Clear documentation of information and decisions;
- Actions to be implemented through procedures outlined in appropriate policies and guidance.
To positively support people, we recognise and accept that
there are risks that cannot be avoided but can be minimised through
appropriate preparation, including through discussion with the person
themselves and those important to that person, such as
family, carers, professionals and other staff, from within as well
as outside Hesley Group.
There is a considerable body of information about risk
management in the Hesley Group Individual Risk Assessment and Management
Policy and associated Practice Guidance, which draws together the
thinking underpinning our approach in this area. A copy of this policy
is available upon request.