Safeguarding

Safeguarding Children and Adults

Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility and means protecting a person’s health, wellbeing and human rights, it applies to children as well as adults, and involves enabling people to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. We strive to protect the welfare of both children and adults at risk.

Dartford Borough Council is committed to meeting its statutory and moral duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults at risk who come into contact with its services and activities.

The Council has a Safeguarding Policy which sets out the procedures that will be followed when there are concerns or allegations of abuse or neglect towards a child or adult at risk. Safeguarding Guidelines for External Providers set out how external providers contracted to the Council should have due regard to safeguarding children and adults at risk.

Dartford Borough Council has a tiered structure to support with Safeguarding Concerns. It consists of a Safeguarding Champion, Safeguarding Adult’s Lead, Safeguarding Children’s Lead, Safeguarding Policy Lead and two Safeguarding Advisors.

Our role as a borough council is to share information with relevant partner agencies, and make referrals to the safeguarding authority, Kent County Council (KCC).

We also have a duty to work in partnership with other key agencies such as Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board (KMSAB) and Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership (KSCMP). 

Leaflets are available in various languages, as well as British Sign Language (BSL) friendly, detailing how we can protect ourselves from abuse.

Reporting a concern:

If you are concerned that a child or adult is at immediate risk of harm, always call 999.

Kent County Council lead on safeguarding concerns for children and adults. See KCC website for details on how to report safeguarding concerns.

Key contact details:

If you are a child, you can visit Childline or NSPCC for general advice on abuse and what to do if you or someone you know needs help. You can also call, email, or use the live chat option.

The Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership  is the partnership body responsible for coordinating and ensuring the effectiveness of Kent Services in protecting and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

The Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board  is the partnership body responsible for making sure that all member agencies are working together to help keep adults safe from harm and protect their rights.

 

Child Sexual Exploitation:

Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.

If you're concerned a child or young person is at risk of sexual exploitation, you can call:

If a child or young person is in immediate danger, always call 999 for the emergency services.

Prevent:

Prevent is the Government strategy to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Those who commit acts of terror or support such acts are often influenced by another person's extremist views, or by reading or viewing extremist material. This can lead them to believe that committing acts of terror is justified and acceptable. Tackling extremist material is therefore important to protect the public and prevent offences that incite or promote terrorism and extremism.

The internet and social media provides many opportunities for those with extreme views to target young or vulnerable individuals. The Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (a specialist police unit) put considerable effort into removing terrorist and extremist material however it is the input from communities which defeats terrorism, which is why we must maintain the strong relationship between the public and police. Police depend on information from the public in our efforts to keep us all safe, and we are asking anyone who has concerns about online content to report it to the police by clicking the STOP Terrorists' and Extremists' Online button 

Modern Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking:

To honour our commitment, Dartford Borough Council has crafted a contemporary anti-slavery statement since 2017. Please find the latest statement below;

The Modern Slavery Helpline  provides information and advice about modern slavery, a 24 hour telephone reporting line (0800 012 1700) and online reporting.

Self-Neglect:

Self-neglect involves a persistent conscious failure of an adult to take care of themselves and is therefore unable to meet basic physical and/or psychological needs.  It can include a wide range of behaviour including hoarding, animal collecting, non-compliance, risky behaviour, failure to eat, drink, maintain home environment, personal hygiene, financial viability, social contact, comply with treatment, and protect oneself from abuse.

  • Self-neglect may happen because the person is unable to manage to care for themselves or for their home, because they are unwilling to do so, or sometimes both.
  • Self-neglect differs from other forms of abuse because it does not involve a perpetrator.
  • Self-neglect can be life threatening and can pose a risk to others if fire and housing regulations are not being followed for example.

Hoarding:

Hoarding is the excessive collection and retention of any material to the point that living space is sufficiently cluttered to preclude activities for what they are designed for.

Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them, often creating such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity. Some people also collect animals/pets in unsanitary conditions.

Hoarding Support Groups are free to attend and provide a necessary resource for hoarders as well as their families and those affected by hoarding. The support groups are self-help groups and have been very effective for those who are challenged by their clutter.

Support available:

Mental Health:

There are different types of mental illness, some are more common, such as depression and anxiety disorders, and some are less common, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Mental illness, as with any health difficulty, can cause disability, which is sometimes severe. This is not always well understood by people who have never experienced a mental illness.

Our mental health is how we’re feeling inside, or how we are emotionally.  Our mental health may change because of situations we’re in, things we’re doing and things beyond our control, including other people, our physical health, our finances and even the weather and world events.  All of us are affected by what happens to us, past and present.  Things that happened even many years ago can affect our mental health today. 

It is vital to not only protect and promote the mental well-being of all, but also to address the needs of people with mental health conditions. Mental Health problems are difficult experiences that make it harder for us to get on with our lives. They include the painful feelings and thoughts that we all have at times – including periods of sadness, hopelessness and fear.

Mental Capacity:

Mental capacity means our ability to understand information and make decisions about our life. It can also mean the ability to communicate decisions about our life.

Mental capacity is the ability to understand and retain the information relevant to a specific decision, to use the relevant information as part of the process of making that specific decision, to weigh up potential consequences and to communicate the decision, at the time the decision needs to be made.  When in communication with someone you must establish, to the best of your ability, whether the person understands what you are telling them and the risks that may apply to them.

Suicide and Suicidal Ideation:

Suicide is a major public health issue, each year people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds die as a result of taking their own life. Many more experience suicidal thoughts at one time or another. Suicide is preventable. Most suicidal people do not want to die; they simply do not want to live with the pain they are experiencing any longer. We can learn to spot the warning signs so we can help identify and support someone experiencing suicidal thoughts and sign post them to agencies and services who can help them.

Suicidal ideation is when you think about killing yourself. The thoughts might or might not include a plan to die by suicide. You may have heard suicidal ideation referred to as ‘suicidal thoughts’, not everyone with suicidal ideation acts on it. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 and it provides free and confidential support.

Advocacy Services:

The Advocacy People are an independent charity providing free and confidential services in Kent, they help to understand individual situations and provide tailored support and advice.  This includes advocacy for people with mental health or who lack capacity, advocacy for children and young people, and care, support, and safeguarding advocacy.

Support for Carers:

We recognise the importance of carers and the challenge that carers face on a daily basis, whether that be giving unpaid care to someone who is over the age of 18, caring for your own child with additional needs/disabilities, or caring for a vulnerable family member.  Support is available through Dartford Borough Council’s partnership with Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board (KMSAB) Information and Support for Carers and also at Kent Support for Carers.

Care Needs Assessments:

If you think someone requires any care and/or support needs they are entitled to a free care needs assessment. People can either complete a needs assessment themselves or ask for a referral from a professional.

If your concerns are about an adult at risk of self-neglect or hoarding, or you are concerned they cannot look after themselves adequately and they require support, please complete a professional referral for a Care Needs Assessment with Kent County Council.