SAFEGUARDING POLICY
SAFEGUARDING POLICY (V3.0823)
Introduction
RTITB is committed to doing all it can to protect vulnerable people (for the purpose of this policy defined as children, young people and vulnerable adults) from abuse, neglect and significant harm. RTITB recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of vulnerable people who we may encounter in our training, auditing and assessment environments and those who encounter our organisation. This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of RTITB, including managers, the board of directors, paid employees, contractors, and agency staff.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide the RTITB workforce with guidance on actions they should take if they suspect a vulnerable person is at risk of abuse, neglect or significant harm. The policy also provides guidance on the steps that should be taken in the event a member of the RTITB workforce has suspicions regarding the contact of another member of the RTITB workforce engaged on RTITB business with a vulnerable person.
Responsibility/Accountability
- The Managing Director is accountable for the review and maintenance of this policy
- The Managing Director is responsible for the implementation of this policy
- The HR Officer is responsible for ensuring this policy is communicated effectively to all members of the RTITB workforce
- The RTITB workforce is responsible for raising concerns with the relevant safeguarding agencies when appropriate.
Definitions
Child/young person – anyone not yet aged 18 years.
Vulnerable Adult – A vulnerable adult is defined by the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 as a person who is 18 years or over and who may be in need of community care services for reasons of mental or other disability, age or illness. It is a person who is unable to take care of themselves or to protect themselves from significant harm or serious exploitation.
Training and Awareness
RTITB will ensure an appropriate level of safeguarding training is always available to its workforce. Members of the RTITB workforce who may encounter vulnerable people in the course of their work will complete annual safeguarding training.
What is abuse?
Given the risk of abuse to vulnerable people, the RTITB workforce are required to be alert at all times to the possibility of abuse towards them.
Abuse may be a single incident or something that occurs over a long period of time. It can take many forms including, but not limited to:
- financial or material abuse
- physical abuse
- mental abuse
- neglect and failures to act
- sexual abuse
- threats of abuse or harm
- controlling or intimidating conduct
- self-neglect
- domestic abuse
- poor practices within an organisation providing care
- modern slavery.
The abuse may come from employees, employers, relatives, neighbours, etc.
Information for Users of RTITB services
RTITB will publish this policy at www.rtitb.com/safeguarding and will ensure all users of RTITB services (EPA, Audits, Exams, etc.) are advised how to access this Safeguarding Policy when using our services. Users of RTITB services can
expect that they will be treated sensitively and with dignity should a safeguarding concern occur, or an allegation of abuse be made. RTITB requires its workforce to treat such matters confidentially and to commit to only sharing such information for the purposes of safeguarding and in line with relevant legislation.
All members of the RTITB workforce who may encounter vulnerable people in the course of their work are subject to DBS checks.
Reporting and investigating abuse
RTITB will treat all complaints, allegations or suspicions of abuse with the utmost seriousness.
Any member of the RTITB workforce that suspects abuse is occurring should refer the matter to the Managing Director immediately, with as much detail as possible. The Managing Director will need to be informed of the names of the people involved (if known), what type of abuse is or may be occurring, and the dates and times this occurred (if known). An official written report of the alleged act may be requested at this stage as part of the evidence gathering procedure.
The RTITB workforce will be asked to refrain from discussing alleged abuse with fellow colleagues, other than those specified by the Managing Director, to avoid the spread of potentially harmful misinformation and to protect the validity of any investigation.
The allegations will be investigated fully and all such reports are taken seriously. The investigation will be conducted in a discrete and timely manner, and will involve the collation of evidence typically derived from witness statements. If it is suspected that a criminal act may have been committed, RTITB will report the situation to the police.
Employees suspected of abuse will be suspended on full pay pending a full investigation of the complaints. It should be noted that this suspension is not an indication of the employee’s guilt, but rather a necessity given the circumstances. RTITB appreciates the impact prolonged suspension can have on an employee’s reputation, even when allegations are later found to be incorrect, and does not take the decision to suspend lightly.
The Company may be under a duty to disclose allegations of abuse to the Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland as appropriate. The Company will ensure that all details associated with allegation of abuse are recorded clearly and accurately. The records will be maintained securely.
Reporting Concerns
This procedure must be reviewed no later than end of August 2024.