A safe, just and equal world for women

• Safeguarding adults in line with legislation, relevant national and local guidance including The
  Care Act Statutory Guidance and Local Safeguarding Adult Boards arrangements as well as and
  best practice.
• Creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm to adults and ensuring that all our activities are
  delivered in a way which keeps all adults safe.
• Taking a pro-active approach to identify risks of harm both within and outside of the family
  context at the earliest possible opportunity and recognise the circumstance which may increase
  risk. We recognise that some adults are at increased risk of harm due to additional needs and the
  barriers they may face.
• Advance recognises that harm can be experienced anywhere, including within Advance’s
  activities or any other organised community setting, in people’s home, in safe accommodation,
  in the person’s home and in care settings.
• Advance work in partnership with women and girls, and professional partners to minimise and
  remove risks as soon as possible.
• Advance expect all staff including volunteers to share our commitments and fulfil their
  responsibilities to promote the wellbeing of all adults we work with, to keep them safe and to
  practise in a way that prioritises their protection.

Advance will:

• Continuously work to embed and promote a transparent safeguarding culture where everyone is
  valued, listened to, and respected, and is comfortable to discuss and share concerns.
• Provide effective leadership by appointing a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), a Deputy DSL
  and a Trustee with responsibility for and expertise in safeguarding.
• Ensure all policies and procedures are kept up to date in line with legislation, statutory guidance
  and safeguarding best practice.
• Provide effective management for all staff (and volunteers) through regular and consistent
  supervision, support, training, and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers
  are aware of and feel confident to implement our policies, procedures and code of conducts and
  are competent in doing so.
• Communicate our safeguarding approach, policy and procedures to service users making sure
  that everyone in our services (including adults at risk) know what to do – who they can speak to
  – if they have a concern.
• Listen to, empower, and support the adults we work with to voice their wishes and views, which
  will be respected and supported unless there are overriding reasons not to.
• Continuously develop and implement an effective internal policy set that details Advance’s
  approach to safer recruitment, data protection, complaints, whistleblowing, bullying and
  responding to allegations made against people who work with adults at risk.
• Use our policy set and associated procedures to record and share concerns and proportionate,
  relevant information with agencies who need to know (including service users unless in rare
  circumstances where this could increase their risk).
• Ensure that all Advance sites provide a physical and psychological safe environment for all, by
  applying health and safety measures in line with current legislation and regulatory guidance and
  working to best trauma-informed and responsive practices.
• Do all we can to ensure that adults receive a service which is safe, which meets their needs.
• Recognise and respect diversity while ensuring the rights and safety of adults of all backgrounds
  are equally well protected.

Last updated June 2023

Advance Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) dsl@advancecharity.org.uk