Safeguarding policy

We are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all those who use our services directly, and those in their family network, especially children, young people, and vulnerable adults. We’re committed to supporting people to make informed choices and have honest conversations about death and dying.

We strive to create an environment where people can gain support and information from our nurse-led information and be treated with respect and care and be free from abuse, exploitation, and neglect.

Your call and contacts are important to us and for almost all of the time they are confidential and remain between yourself and the service.

You are in control of the information you decide to share around your situation, the other people it impacts and any identifying information. We will make notes on your contacts and all calls are recorded. These will be secured safely and only used with your consent, except in the situations mentioned below.

There may be times when we are worried or concerned about your safety or the safety of others that you talk to us about, whether they are children or adults. At these times we may need to look at getting you or them some help and support. We would always want to work with you in identifying the right support and help ensuring this is put in place by making a referral with your consent. Referrals are normally made to the Local Authority but at times may involve the emergency services.

There may be times when we feel you are not able to work with us or understand the safety concerns we have. In these situations, we may need to pass the information on without your consent. This would be called breaching confidentiality and it is always a last resort.

These are times when we may need to do this:

• Where we assess you or any children/young people in your care to be in a life-threatening situation.
• If you tell us that children and young people or ‘adult at risk’ is being harmed or at risk of harm, from themselves or others. This would include neglect.
• Where you have alleged abuse by a person known to you by virtue of their professional role or social standing, where this also provides access and potential risk to other children/young people and adults at risk.
• Where you tell us you are abusing others or talk to us about an identified person who you have thoughts of abusing.
• When the age or circumstances of the caller indicate they do not have the ability to make appropriate decisions to promote their immediate safety.
• Where a third party has been identified as being in life-threatening danger.
• When we are told we must share information by law, for example for a court case.

We would always discuss our concerns with you and seek to gain your consent to make referrals; breaching confidentiality is a last resort. All decisions around breaching confidentiality will be discussed with a member of staff who holds safeguarding responsibilities as a designated Safeguarding Lead.

Where breaches are considered appropriate, Compassion in Dying may seek help in different ways, by contacting the Local Authority and asking them to be in contact or visit you in person, we may look at getting an ambulance if medical treatment is needed, or the police.

There may be times when we are contacted by someone reporting concerns about a third party, asking for help and support for that person/people. In this situation we would make a referral to an appropriate agency. This would be considered a referral with consent and does not breach confidentiality.

All referrals and breaches would be recorded along with information about the call, we take our responsibility for holding your information very seriously and we will only disclose the information relevant to the concern and not all the content of the call.

If you would like more information, please contact us.