Safeguarding adult at risk policy

5.1. Employment processes

We are committed to safer recruitment and will take reasonable steps to ensure that staff working with adults are safe to do so. Posts will be appropriately assessed to determine their level of contact with adults at risk. 

Where required we will vet potential employees using the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to support safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with at risk groups. There are four types of checks which can be conducted:

•    A basic check will contain details of convictions and conditional cautions considered to be unspent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

•    Standard check - this will check for spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings. 

•    Enhanced DBS check - the same as the standard check plus any additional information held by local police which is reasonably considered relevant to the post being applied for. 

•    Enhanced with list checks – same as the enhanced check, but includes a check of the DBS Barred lists. 

All disclosures for unsupervised work with adults at risk, that meet the definition of regulated work, will be at an enhanced level.

Additionally, all individuals recruited to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council undergo pre-employment referencing covering a five year period.

Further information on the Recruitment Process and pre-employment checks can be found in the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Recruitment & Selection Policy.

5.2. Safeguarding Training for staff and Members

We will ensure that all employees who work with or have contact with adults  are appropriately trained. Although not all staff, volunteers, contractors or Members will work directly with adults or have direct access to their information, they will be required to understand the responsibility they have in protecting adults from harm.

All staff, volunteers, and Members will be appropriately trained and supported to ensure their skills and knowledge match the level of contact they have with adults through their work.

We will offer different levels of training, appropriate to different roles and responsibilities within the council and provide updates to reflect changes in legislation and government guidance.

We will ensure staff, volunteers, agency workers contractors and Members who come into contact with adults  are appropriately informed with up to date knowledge and awareness of safeguarding themes such as Prevent, Human Trafficking and Domestic Abuse.

5.3.     Contracted services

In line with the core standards set out by the HSAB, we will ensure that in any services we commission, safeguarding adults’ standards are in place. We can monitor the ability of the contracted provider to meet these standards through the contract/compliance monitoring process. This includes ensuring that:

•    Commissioned services know about, and adhere to, relevant safeguarding adults at risk guidance.
•    Senior managers of commissioned services are aware of their leadership role in ensuring quality of the service provided; supervision and support of staff; and responding to concerns about an adult at risk.
•    Service users and carers are provided with relevant safeguarding information.
•    The views of the adults at risk are taken into account on any action to be taken, with their consent given.
•    Full name and job title of the staff member raising the concern and making the record is declared.