Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children or adults and to protect them from harm. It is protecting a person’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.
It is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect, while at the same time making sure that the person’s wellbeing is promoted.
Thames Hospice defines abuse as a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to a vulnerable person. Abuse can take many forms and can be perpetrated anywhere by anyone. It can be accidental, as the result of lack of knowledge or understanding, or done with intent to harm. Whatever the circumstances or reason, it is against the law. The term safeguarding means a range of activities aimed at upholding every individual’s fundamental right to be safe from such harm.
We all share responsibility both corporately and individually to ensure that every person in society is treated with dignity and respect and protected from others who may abuse them. All employees and volunteers of Thames Hospice who come into contact with patients in the course of their work have a duty of care to safeguard and promote their welfare and to work to prevent, detect and report neglect and abuse.
Someone at risk is someone who:
Safeguarding children means:
Abuse can occur anywhere at any time and can be carried out by anyone. It can be a single act, repeated acts over a period of time or due to a failure to act (neglect). It can happen to one person or several people at the same time.
If you are concerned about someone who is a patient of Thames Hospice or a family member of a patient known to the Hospice, you can discuss your concerns with Loren Broughton, our Chief Nurse, and the Thames Hospice Registered Manager.
Call: 01753 945612
Email: loren.broughton@thameshospice.org.uk
Thames Hospice believes every person has the right to live a life free from abuse and to be treated with dignity and respect.
We recognise that safeguarding vulnerable children or adults is everybody’s business, and our staff have a responsibility to alert our Safeguarding Team to any concerns about abuse or suspected abuse. All disclosures will be recorded and discussed immediately by our Safeguarding Team. We will listen carefully, support and take any information given to us seriously, working to stop the abuse and protect the individual from further harm.
We ensure our commitment to our safeguarding responsibility by undertaking a range of measures:
We take our responsibility seriously and embrace the Essential Standards of Quality and Safety from the Care Quality Commission, and in doing so are committed to working in partnership with local agencies and authorities to ensure those who visit us or are admitted into our care are protected from harm.
Our services are free of charge to all those in our community who need vital hospice care but this is only made possible through the charitable support and generosity of our amazing community. We need to raise £34,000 each day to fund our services 365 days a year to the people who need us most.
We’ve never needed you, our wonderful supporters, more than we need you today. Please donate what you can to help keep hospice care available for those in desperate need.
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