Purpose
DMH Associates has a Duty of Care to Clients, Colleagues, Organisations, Associates and contractors. Associates and contractors have a duty of care and are expected always to act in the best interests of clients of dmh associates. Associates and contractors must develop and maintain professional and supportive working relationships with colleagues both inside and external to their own organisation and respect the contributions of other associates or contractors working on behalf of dmh associates.
The purpose of this policy is to protect people, particularly children, at risk adults and beneficiaries of assistance, from any harm that may be caused due to their coming into contact with associates and contractors of dmh associates. This includes harm arising from:
- The conduct of staff or personnel associated with dmh associates
- The design and implementation of dmh associates’s programmes and activities
The policy lays out the commitments made by dmh associates, and informs associates and contractors and associated personnel of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding.
What is safeguarding?
In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples’ health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.
In our sector, we understand it to mean protecting people, including children and at risk adults, from harm that arises from coming into contact with our associates, contractors or programmes.
Scope
- All associates or individuals/organisations contracted by dmh associates
- Associated personnel whilst engaged with fieldwork or visits related on behalf of dmh associates, including but not limited to the following: consultants; volunteers; contractors; programme visitors including journalists, celebrities and politicians
Policy Statement
dmh associates believes that everyone we come into contact with, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or ethnic origin has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
This policy will address the following areas of safeguarding: child and adult safeguarding,
dmh associates commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work as follows.
dmh responsibilities
dmh associates will:
- Ensure all associates and contractors have access to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this policy
- Design and undertake all its programmes and activities in a way that protects people from any risk of harm that may arise from their coming into contact with dmh associates. This includes the way in which information about individuals in our programmes is gathered and communicated
- Implement stringent safeguarding procedures when appointing, managing and deploying associates and any contracted personnel
- Ensure that DBS checks and certificates are produced for all associates or contractors who are requested to conduct fieldwork or evaluations where there will be contact with children or vulnerable adults
- Follow up on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process
Associate and contractor responsibilities
- All associates and persons contracted by dmh associates have a responsibility to familiarise themselves with this safeguarding policy and the procedures that go with it. They must maintain a proper focus on the safety and welfare of children and vulnerable adults in all aspects of their work.
- All associates or contractors whose field work on behalf of dmh associates will involve coming into contact with vulnerable adults and children will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and accordingly will be expected to hold a Basic DBS certificate.
- It is dmh associates’ policy that when conducting evaluation or research fieldwork on behalf of clients that contact with vulnerable adults or children is only conducted with prior agreement and suitable arrangements with the client organisation.
- Suitable arrangements include appropriate consent prior to any meeting or interview and supervision by a trained staff member of the client organisation during the evaluation field work process.
- Associates shall be expected to adhere to the above arrangements when conducting field work on behalf of dmh associates and not to enter into any arrangement for evaluation field work without these arrangements in place.
Additionally, associates and contractors are obliged to:
- Contribute to creating and maintaining an environment that prevents safeguarding violations and promotes the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy
- Report any concerns or suspicions regarding safeguarding violations
