HOTEL SCHOOL SAFEGUARDING POLICY
Policy title: Hotel School Safeguarding
Policy Reviewed: Annually
Last review: April 2023
Who responsible for updating policy: Zoe Minihan – Programme Manager
The overall purpose of Hotel School is to inspire and train people in a career in hospitality. We support people into their first steps into work and to sustain their employment. Hotel School is committed to safeguarding adults in line with national legislation and relevant national and local guidelines. We recognise staff in homelessness services work with adults who have experienced or are at risk of abuse. We will safeguard adults by ensuring that our activities are delivered in a way which keeps all adults safe.
Hotel School is committed to creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm to adults which necessitates: the recognition of adults who may be at risk and the circumstances which may increase risk; knowing how adult abuse, exploitation or neglect manifests itself; and being willing to report safeguarding concerns. This extends to recognising and reporting harm experienced anywhere, including within our activities, within other organised community or voluntary activities, in the community, in the person’s own home and in any care setting.
The purpose of this policy is to demonstrate the commitment of Hotel School to safeguarding adults and to ensure that everyone is aware of:
• The legislation, policy and procedures for safeguarding adults.
• Their role and responsibility for safeguarding adults.
• To recognise and respond to the signs of possible abuse, and to protect themselves against allegations of abuse.
• What to do or who to speak to if they have a concern relating to the welfare or wellbeing of an adult within the organisation.
Introduction
Hotel School staff and volunteers may encounter adults who are vulnerable or at risk. This may be through our direct work with adults who are referred to our programmes, take part in our taster sessions, go on to our main 10-week programme. This also includes our students who then enter our employment and progression phase after they graduate.
As professionals and employees of Hotel School, there is an ethical duty to safeguard adults who are vulnerable. Where an adult is vulnerable, there is also a need to consider the safety and welfare of any child for whom they have responsibility.
Safeguarding concerns would include:
• Sexual abuse
• Psychological or emotional abuse
• Physical abuse
• Financial or material abuse
• Neglect
• Self-neglect
• Modern slavery
• Domestic violence
• Discriminatory abuse
• Institutional abuse
• High risk substance misuse
• Suicidal ideation or high-risk self-harm
This is not an exhaustive list but is intended to provide examples of situations where a member of staff would need to consider safeguarding issues in relation to an adult.
Statutory Definition of an Adult at Risk
The Safeguarding Adults legislation creates specific responsibilities on Local Authorities, Health, and the Police to provide additional protection from abuse and neglect to Adults at Risk. When a Local Authority has reason to believe there is an adult at risk, they have a responsibility to find out more about the situation and decide what actions need to be taken to support the adult. The actions that need to be taken might be by the Local Authority (usually social services) and/or by other agencies, for example the Police and Health. The Local Authority role includes having multi-agency procedures which coordinate the actions taken by different organisations.
England: Care Act 2014 - An adult at risk is an individual aged 18 years and over who:
• has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs)
• is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect
• as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect.
This includes adults with learning difficulties, adults with physical disabilities who depend on others to care for them, or adults with certain mental illnesses who lack the capacity to look after themselves. It is recognised that people in this group are vulnerable to abuse and neglect from carers, family members, and institutions as well as from strangers.
What is abuse?
All local authorities have a duty to protect people at risk from abuse. Types of abuse can include:
• Sexual abuse
• Psychological or emotional abuse
• Physical abuse
• Financial or material abuse
• Neglect
• Self-neglect
• Modern slavery
• Domestic violence
• Discriminatory abuse
• Institutional abuse
• High risk substance misuse
• Suicidal ideation or high-risk self-harm
Other forms of abuse are sometimes described, for example: bullying, hate crime and cyber abuse, and coercive and controlling behaviour. When referring adult safeguarding concerns, describe the abuse or neglect about which you are concerned and connect the concerns to one or more of the above bullet points as listed in the statutory guidance.
Abuse can happen anywhere and can consist of single or repeated acts. An abuser can be anyone that comes into contact with an adult at risk and is often someone well known or close to them, or someone who is employed to care for them. Abuse often results in a violation of human and civil rights. People who are experiencing homelessness often also present with a range of risks and needs which, if not addressed, increase the risk of abuse.
Indicative examples are: Interpersonal and Personal
• Mental health needs
• Dependence on alcohol and/or drugs
• Lack of purposeful activity
• Difficulty in communicating
• Impact of trauma and adverse experiences
• Poverty External Factors
• Unconscious bias, stereotyping and prejudice
• Lack of access to safe and adequate housing
• Lack of access to wrap-around support to address health and social care needs
• Victim of gatekeeping and inflexible policies
Other Safeguarding Concerns
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - FGM is a collective term for a range of procedures which involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It is sometimes referred to as female circumcision, or female genital cutting. The practice is medically unnecessary, is extremely painful and has serious health consequences, both at the time when the mutilation is carried out, and in later life. Any concerns related to FGM fall under this policy and must also be immediately reported as a safeguarding concern.
Forced marriage - In forced marriage, one or both spouses do not consent to the marriage and pressure, or abuse is involved. The pressure put on people to marry against their will may be physical (e.g. threats, physical violence or sexual violence) or emotional and psychological (e.g. making someone feel like they are bringing ‘shame’ on their family. Financial abuse, for example taking someone’s wages, may also be a factor. Forced marriage is primarily, but not exclusively, an issue of violence against females.
‘So-called’ Honour Based Violence - The term ‘honour crime’ or ‘honour-based violence’ encompasses a variety of crimes of violence (mainly but not exclusively against women), including assault, imprisonment, and murder where their family or their community is punishing the person. ‘So-called’ Honour-based violence can also be described as a collection of practices which are used to control behaviour within families or other social groups in order to protect perceived cultural and religious beliefs and / or honour. They are being punished for (actually or allegedly) undermining what the family or community believes to be the correct code of behaviour. In transgressing this correct code of behaviour, the person shows that they have not been properly controlled to conform by their family and this is to the ‘shame’ or ‘dishonour’ of the family.
Self-harm - Self-harm is a broad term that can be used to describe a variety of behaviours that lead to physical harm. These include self-cutting or scratching the skin, burning/branding with cigarettes/lighters, scalding, overdose of tablets or other toxins, tying ligatures around the neck, punching oneself or other surfaces, banging limbs/head and hair pulling (Mental Health Foundation, 2006). It also includes neglect of physical health. Self-harm usually occurs in response to emotional distress.
Suicide/Suicide Ideation - The term ‘suicide’ means an act that is intended to end one’s life. Suicidal ideations, often called suicidal thoughts or ideas, is a broad term used to describe a range of contemplations, wishes, and preoccupations with death and suicide (PubMed, 2021). These issues can be caused by many factors, including depression and mental illness, stress, financial problems, relationship breakdown, bereavement and abuse.
Managing Concerns & Internal Procedures
Hotel School Safeguarding Lead – Zoe Minihan
Where a Hotel School member of staff or volunteer is concerned about the safety or welfare of an adult, the following steps must be taken:
1. Make sure the adult at risk is not in immediate danger. If necessary, seek urgent medical treatment.
2. Contact the police if you think a crime has been committed or if someone is in immediate danger.
3. Make safeguarding personal, which is a person-led and outcome-focused approach that through relationship-based practice enhances involvement, choice and control whilst also sharing concerns about risk and seeking to prevent the occurrence of abuse and harm.
Thus, practice should identify a person’s wishes, feelings and perspectives; review with them their choices and options; identify their strengths, capabilities, and circles of support; share concerns openly, and be collaborative when seeking acceptable levels of safety.
4. Raise a ‘safeguarding alert’ by informing your line manager or another manager within your organisation. In the case of volunteers, alert their supervisor or any manager immediately
5. Make a written report recording your concerns and detailing anything you have seen including dates, times, people involved and any relevant observations.
Line managers should:
• Ensure the report is comprehensive • Arrange a meeting to discuss the incident with the employee within 24 hours of the incident if possible
• Record the incidence and report Inform
• Report to be reviewed and singed off by Safeguarding Lead.
Wherever possible, the Hotel School staff member should relay to the adult that they are concerned and seek to empower the adult to take action themselves. There should be a discussion regarding the sharing of information and the reasons for this, and consent should be obtained if possible. If the Hotel School staff member is relaying information about an adult to a GP for example, they should seek the adult’s consent to information being shared. There may be circumstances in which this discussion should not take place, for example, if it would place the Hotel School staff member at immediate risk. It may also be necessary to go against the expressed wishes of the adult in relation to making a referral (e.g. if there are child protection concerns).
The Hotel School staff member should agree a course of action with their manager. If a manager is not available, they may seek advice from a trustee.
This could include the following:
• referral to GP
• referral to Community Mental Health Team
• referral to Police
• referral to Adult Social Care
• referral to other agencies, such as a substance-misuse team or domestic violence service
All interventions should be documented on Inform and a risk assessment created if necessary. Safeguarding concerns should be followed up and be discussed in team meetings and supervision.
Further resources:
https://safeguarding.network/content/safeguarding-resources/
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/
Resources in Westminster
Phone the safeguarding helpline 020 7641 2176
Email: adultsocialcare@westminster.gov.uk