CareCottageSupport Ltd

Safeguarding

Our safeguarding commitment

The safety and welfare of every vulnerable adult we support is our highest priority. This page explains our approach and how to raise a concern.

If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 immediately. For non-emergency safeguarding concerns about our service users, use the contacts below.

Our commitment

CareCottage Support Ltd is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all vulnerable adults in our care. We believe that every adult has the right to live free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Our safeguarding policies and procedures are underpinned by:

  • The Care Act 2014, which introduced the statutory framework for safeguarding adults in England, including the “Making Safeguarding Personal” principle
  • The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), which protects people who may lack capacity to make specific decisions
  • The Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019 — Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS)
  • The Human Rights Act 1998

The six safeguarding principles

Our safeguarding practice is guided by the six principles set out in the Care Act 2014:

  1. Empowerment — People are supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and give informed consent
  2. Prevention — It is better to take action before harm occurs
  3. Proportionality — The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented
  4. Protection — Support and representation for those in greatest need
  5. Partnership — Local solutions through community engagement and the involvement of services, communities, and individuals
  6. Accountability — Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding

Types of abuse

Our staff are trained to recognise indicators of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. These may include, but are not limited to:

  • Physical abuse
  • Domestic violence or abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Psychological or emotional abuse
  • Financial or material abuse
  • Modern slavery (including trafficking and forced labour)
  • Discriminatory abuse
  • Organisational or institutional abuse
  • Neglect and acts of omission
  • Self-neglect

Any concern — no matter how minor it may seem — should be reported without delay.

How to raise a safeguarding concern

For staff: internal process

  1. Contact your line manager or the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) immediately — by phone if urgent
  2. Record your concerns in writing as soon as possible, capturing what you observed or were told, in the person's own words where possible
  3. Do not investigate the concern yourself or confront the alleged abuser
  4. Maintain confidentiality — share information only on a need-to-know basis
  5. If you cannot reach the DSL and the matter is urgent, contact the local authority safeguarding team directly

For families, service users, and members of the public

If you have a concern about the welfare of someone we support, or about the conduct of any member of our staff, please contact us directly. We take all concerns seriously and will respond promptly.

DBS and training

All staff who work directly with our service users hold a current Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including a check of the Adults' Barred List where applicable.

DBS checks are completed before any member of staff begins unsupervised work with service users. All staff are required to subscribe to the DBS Update Service to ensure their disclosure remains current.

All staff complete mandatory training including:

  • Safeguarding Adults (Level 2 minimum
  • Mental Capacity Act & Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
  • Information Governance & GDPR

Whistleblowing

Employees who have concerns about poor practice or potential abuse may raise them through our Whistleblowing Policy without fear of detriment. Workers raising genuine safeguarding concerns are protected under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

For independent, confidential advice, staff may contact: