Safeguarding Policy

Who this is forClients, Staff, Families and the General PublicVersion1.0Last updated28 September 2026Next reviewSeptember 2027, or sooner after a serious incident or change in lawDesignated Safeguarding LeadIfe LadejobiIf someone is in danger right now, call 999.For a concern that is not an emergency, call the police on 101, or contact us using the details in section 7.

Living Hope Smart Care supports people in their own homes with helpers and remote support. We know that being welcomed into someone's home, and being trusted with information about their daily life, is a privilege.We are committed to:Treating every person with dignity and respect.Preventing abuse and neglect wherever we can do so.Acting straight away on any concern, however small it seems.Making sure nobody working for us can harm, exploit or neglect the people we support through enhanced checks.Working with local councils, the police and other agencies to keep people safe.Our safeguarding approach is guided by the six principles of adult safeguarding: empowerment, prevention, proportionality, protection, partnership and accountability.

This policy applies to everyone who works for us or on our behalf: employees, helpers, contractors, agency workers and volunteers, across England and Wales.Our helpers do not provide personal care, such as help with washing, dressing, using the toilet or eating. If a person's needs change and they need that kind of support, we will talk with them, and with their family or social worker if they wish, about arranging it through a suitably registered provider.We pay particular attention to adults who may find it harder to protect themselves because of age, illness, disability, mental health or other care and support needs. We also take necessary action if we have any concern about a child.

Abuse and neglect can take many forms. Some of the most common are:TypeWhat it can look likePhysical abuseHitting, rough handling, restraining someone, or misusing medication.Emotional or psychological abuseThreats, humiliation, bullying, or keeping someone away from friends and family.Domestic abuseViolence, threats or controlling and coercive behaviour by a partner or family member.Sexual abuseAny sexual contact or behaviour that someone has not agreed to, or cannot agree to.Financial abuseTheft, fraud, pressure to hand over money or property, misuse of benefits, or pressure to buy services.NeglectFailing to provide the food, warmth, medical attention or safety someone needs.Self-neglectWhen someone is not able to look after their own health, hygiene or home, and is at risk as a result.Modern slaveryForced labour, trafficking or being held in servitude.Discriminatory abuseHarassment or mistreatment because of age, disability, race, religion, gender, sexuality or another protected characteristic.Organisational abusePoor or harmful practice within a service, including ours.

Careful recruitmentWe carry out the appropriate level of criminal record (DBS) check for each role.We take up references and check identity and the right to work in the UK.We ask interview questions about respect, boundaries, and safeguardingWe equip and supervise new team members during their probation.Training and supervisionEveryone completes safeguarding training before working with the people we support, and refreshes it every year.Safeguarding is a regular topic in supervision and team meetings.We carry out spot checks and ask the people we support for their feedback.Clear standards of behaviourOur people must never:Be abusive, threatening or disrespectful.Begin a romantic or sexual relationship with someone we support.Ask for, borrow or accept money, gifts, tips or inheritances.Handle a person's bank cards, PIN numbers or passwords, unless a written procedure we have agreed with them is in place.Take on legal authority over someone's affairs, such as power of attorney.Take photos or recordings of the people we support on personal devices.Share a person's private details with anyone who does not need to know.Anyone who breaks these standards faces disciplinary action. Where the law requires, we report them to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and to the police.

Remote support can provide reassurance to people and their families by helping to identify changes in activity patterns that may indicate a wellbeing concern. However, it also involves sensitive information about a person's home life. Our commitments are set out below:Consent first. We only install remote support with the person's clear, informed agreement. If someone cannot decide for themselves, we follow the Mental Capacity Act 2005, act in their best interests, and choose only the most suitable option.Only what is needed. We monitor what is necessary to monitor wellbeing patterns and reassure independence, and no more.No Cameras. We do not use cameras or audio remote support.You know what is happening. We tell you what is monitored, who can see it, how long we keep it, and how to switch it off.Limited access. Only trained and checked staff can see remote support information, using their own log-ins. Every access is recorded.Never used to control. Remote support will never be used to punish, isolate or control anyone.Regular review. We review every remote support arrangement at least every six months, and whenever a person's circumstances change.We handle personal data in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. See our Privacy Policy for more detail. Where remote support data indicates an immediate or significant safeguarding risk, concerns will be reviewed without delay and referred to appropriate agencies where necessary.

We explain our packages and prices clearly, in writing, before anyone commits.We never pressure anyone to buy a service they do not need or understand.Where a person lacks capacity to enter into an agreement, we will work with anyone legally authorised to act on their behalf and follow the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 when making decisions about the support we provide.You can cancel at any time, with no notice period. We will never make it difficult.If a person cancels suddenly, or someone else cancels for them without explanation, we may check that they are safe and well. If we have a safeguarding concern, we will still act on it after a service has ended.

If you are worried about the safety or wellbeing of someone we support, or about how anyone at Living Hope Smart Care is behaving, please tell us. You do not need proof, and you do not need to be certain. You can be a client, a family member, a neighbour, a member of staff or a professional.Team members are encouraged to raise concerns about unsafe practice, misconduct, or safeguarding failures. Concerns may be raised directly with the Designated Safeguarding Lead or through our Whistleblowing Policy, without fear of retaliation.ContactDetailsDesignated Safeguarding LeadIfe Ladejobi- ife.ladejobi@livinghopesmartcare.co.ukYour local councilSearch for your council's “report abuse or neglect” page, or call and ask for adult safeguardingPolice999 in an emergency, 101 if it is not urgentConcerns about a child (NSPCC)0808 800 5000

We make sure the person is safe, calling the emergency services if needed.Our Designated Safeguarding Lead reviews the concern the same day.Wherever possible, safeguarding actions will be guided by the person's views, wishes and desired outcomes.Where it is right to do so, we refer the concern to the local council's adult safeguarding team, or to children's services, and to the police if a crime may have been committed.We keep a clear, factual and confidential written record of the concern and every decision, and we follow up until the concern is dealt with.We look at what we can learn and change how we work if we need to.Nobody will be treated unfairly for raising a concern in good faith.

Any allegation or suspicion that a member of our team has harmed someone, or behaved inappropriately, is taken very seriously. We will make sure the person we support is safe, tell the local council and the police where appropriate, cooperate fully with any investigation, and take action, which may include suspending the person while the matter is looked into. If you would rather not raise a concern with us, you can contact your local council's adult safeguarding team or the police directly.

Some of the people we support live with, or are visited by, children. If we are worried about a child, we tell the local council's children's services the same day, call 999 if the child is in immediate danger, and record what we did.