Safeguarding

Safeguarding means protecting people's health, wellbeing and human rights, adults or children, enabling them to live safely, free from harm, abuse and neglect.

Safeguarding children, young people and adults is a collective responsibility, with organisations and people working together with an aim of reducing or preventing risk and experiences of abuse or neglect.

One of the key responsibilities in providing quality healthcare services is to ensure that vulnerable people are protected whilst receiving care. This is an important responsibility for each member of staff, whatever their role, and for the Trust as a partner in the wider health and social care system.

Safeguarding is everyone's business and Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust aims to uphold all adult’s and children's fundamental right to be safe from harm and exploitation.

The Trust safeguards adults and children by:

Ensuring our staff treat people with dignity and respect.
Having a zero tolerance of abuse - making sure any concern about abuse is reported promptly to the right people and action taken immediately
Listening to our service users and their families and ensuring their voices are heard.
Engaging with service users in a way that enhances involvement, choice and control whilst improving quality of life, wellbeing and safety.
Ensuring our staff have the knowledge and resources to respond to concerns of abuse or neglect.

Nottinghamshire NHS Foundation Trust is dedicated to integrating the fundamental principles of equality and diversity into all practices concerning safeguarding adults and children. We recognise and value that individuals may face differing experiences, and strive to promote inclusivity and respect for diversity within our organisation. All individuals will be treated equitably and provided with necessary information, guidance, and assistance to ensure their safety and empower them to maintain autonomy in their lives.

If you think a child or adult is at risk of harm

If somebody is in immediate danger of significant harm, injury or death - Contact the police on 999

If concerned that an offence may have occurred - Contact your local police on 101

Contact Social Care to inform them of any concerns about the abuse of a child or adult. Referal processes differ on each area the below links are referal information for Nottingham City and County.

Please follow the below links for referral information:

Tell a Nottinghamshire Healthcare member of staff for example a care co-ordinator, nurse or doctor or contact our PALS team with your concern.

Making Safeguarding Personal

Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust are committed to working alongside their patients, ensuring wherever possible that they have a choice and control over actions that are taken, improving their life in a way that they are happy with.

Making Safeguarding Personal is not simply about gaining your consent, although that is important, but also about hearing your views about what you want as an outcome to a problem. This means you are given opportunities at all stages of the safeguarding process to say what you would like to change.

You can talk to us

You can tell any member of staff if you are experiencing any form of abuse or if you have experienced any form of abuse in the past. A member of staff will discuss with you, ways to increase your safety and reduce your risk of harm. You can tell a member of staff if you know of any other adult or child that may be experiencing abuse. There may be members of the team that take a lead on safeguarding and your information may be discussed with the trust’s team of Safeguarding Leads to ensure that the correct action is being taken to keep you and other people safe. You are also able to discuss any concerns that you may have about the care that you are receiving from our services. This will help us to keep you and other service users safe.

The Patient Advice and Liaison Service can answer queries, liaise with Trust staff to resolve problems and assist you to make a complaint.

Tel: 0115 993 4542
Email: PALSandComplaints@nottshc.nhs.uk

Write to:

PALS and Complaints
Highbury Hospital
Highbury Road
Nottingham
NG6 9DR

Protecting other adults and children

During contact with our services, you may disclose information that indicates that another adult or child may be at risk of harm. In such cases, staff would be required to take action to protect the adults and children involved. If you disclose Non-recent Abuse, staff may have to share this information with other services to protect other adults or children. Our staff have legal responsibility to protect all those at risk and may need to share with other agencies such as Social Services or the Police. Such action can legally be taken without your consent. Staff will discuss any decision about the sharing of information with you unless this would lead to an increased risk of harm to others.