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We are recruiting… JOIN OUR TEAM

We are seeking to make an appointment for a
Safeguarding Training and Consultancy Manager

The Manager will be responsible for the business sales, development and coordination of the training and consultancy services. Acting as the principal point of contact between customers and the associate team. Listening to and responding to customer requirements, maintaining and developing customer relationships and creating detailed proposal documents.

The Manager will play a leading role in the development of all safeguarding training materials, quality assurance of safeguarding policy and procedures, lead for safeguarding reviews and audits including safeguarding packages and in buildings Athena’s customer base and associate team. The post holder will be a role model for associates and lead in promoting exceptional customer service.

We are forward thinking, ambitious and have a strong commitment to safeguarding and safer cultures. We would love to hear from you.
For an application pack and further information, please contact: sarah.carlick@theathenaprogramme.co.uk

Safeguarding Modern Slavery and Trafficking for Front-line Practitioners

I recently had the pleasure of speaking on a virtual conference on the subject matter of ‘Safeguarding those who may have been Trafficked’. Issues raised from the conference highlighted the issue of language barriers and the lack of use of interpreters. I perceived the issue of language slightly differently, in that so often the language of safeguarding does not seem to include modern slavery and trafficking as a dominant issue within safeguarding training frameworks. Now, more than ever, we must step up our safeguarding awareness due to the pandemic and national policies appear to be closing more doors to access health or social care for those that are vulnerable. We must never forget that the adults, children and/or families, that are often subject to unthinkable and harrowing experiences, are first and foremost human beings, all of whom have the right to be safeguarded from harm and exploitation.

I also wanted to bring this conversation to those within the housing sector and how safeguarding, housing, modern slavery and trafficking are all parts of the same sphere. Notwithstanding that they can all stand as individual components, but I believe more should be included within training to highlight how they are interlinked and connected.

Trafficking is a serious crime and an absolute violation of a person’s human rights. It is estimated that approximately 2.5 million people worldwide have been trafficked and who are currently enslaved and exploited. Trafficking and modern slavery is a multi-billion-pound industry, blighting most countries worldwide, whether they are the place origin, destination or transit.

No matter if the accommodation is privately rented, owned by housing associations or unoccupied stock, there are some common features that may suggest trafficking activity or the false imprisonment of individuals is taking place.

Complaints about overcrowding, noise levels, smells and lighting, as well as frequent visitors, could provide you with a trigger to consider this area of exploitation.

Other signs that someone is being trafficked and forced to work may be that they: –

appear to be under the control of someone else and reluctant to interact with others

do not have personal identification on them
have few personal belongings, wear the same clothes every day or wear unsuitable clothes for work
are not able to move around freely
are reluctant to talk to strangers or the authorities
appear frightened, withdrawn, or show signs of physical or psychological abuse

are dropped off and collected for work always in the same way, especially at unusual times, i.e. very early or late at night
look scruffy, malnourished or injured

https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/spot-the-signs-of-slavery/

Research indicates that migrants arrested for attending to plants in the flats, houses and attics where cannabis is grown in bulk are often victims of trafficking and ‘debt bondage’ yet many are not recognised as such by police.

https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/cannabis-farms-are-a-modern-slavery-blind-spot-for-uk-police-study-suggests

A further viewpoint is that tenants do not receive training unlike front-line practitioners. However, I advocate that best practice would be to include raising awareness with your tenants to spot the signs and report anything they feel is suspicious or doesn’t feel right. We need help from every tenant to report any concerns, therefore tenants also need access to information and helplines.

Useful links:

Salvation Army – involvement The National Referral Mechanism

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/human-trafficking-victims-referral-and-assessment-forms

https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/modern-slavery/spot-signs

Further advice and support

Modern Slavery Helpline 
Information and advice on modern slavery.

The Salvation Army
Immediate and intensive support to ensure victims of trafficking are given the best possible chance of recovery.

Migrant Help
Support services for adult victims of human trafficking.   

Kalayaan
Advice, advocacy and support services for migrant domestic workers.

Medaille Trust
Helps women, young men and children who have been freed from human trafficking.

I would like to thank Dr Jane Hunt of the Helen Bamber Foundation, who is not only very knowledgeable in this area, but gave me the inspiration for this blog.

Safeguarding Issues With Virtual Platforms

The other day I got a message from a local company offering a virtual wine tasting event, which was thoroughly appreciated and embraced by the general public during lockdown. Their invites were sent out via zoom for everyone to join the virtual gathering. It was going well, and everyone was enjoying the session, until the virtual gathering was hacked and offensive child pornography was now looming on everyone’s screens. The hosts did not know what to do, so they carried on, trying their best, but did not end the session and thus leaving some very concerned, distraught and offended participants.

This is not the first incident of this type I have recently heard about and generally, people are not sure what to do when these terrible things happen. They are just good citizens trying to keep their business afloat or connecting with others to share information. We are in unprecedented times and we want to be able to socially engage, therefore there is an understandable increase in popularity of using Zoom, House Party, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Google hangouts, etc which has unfortunately raised their profile to online hackers. These types of technology resources are keeping us all going in one format or another.

We do not know people’s stories and we do not know how people may be affected by such incidents. There is huge amount information on the internet about how to use these platforms securely, such as the basics of locking meetings once all the participants have joined; restricting the call feature and only allow to record by trusted participants or the host; using unique ID numbers or passwords for access; invite only; use waiting rooms, etc.

I felt it was extremely important and necessary to let people know what to do if anything like this happens to you:

End the online session straight away
Report the incident to the police
Contact everyone and check how they are. Give them the contact details for Victim Support https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/
Review the online platform you are using to and make every effort that you can to continue to use it safely and securely in the future.

If there is anyone who would like any support, advice or guidance, please get in touch with us.

Undeniable Reasons Why You Should Review Your Safeguarding Policies and Procedures, NOW!

Who could predict in our lifetime we would all be experiencing the implications and affects of a global pandemic? Working at home can offer your organisation many opportunities, especially for updating and reviewing your safeguarding policies and procedures. Perhaps you have had to adapt to digital working, undertake assessments and support remotely, undertake home visits under exceptional circumstances or simply been inundated with safeguarding concerns. Please consider the following, now…

Whilst people are working from home and there is the mental and physical space away from the office, it is a good time to reflect on the organisation’s processes and systems.
You may need an interim ‘holding’ statement or a change to your procedures based on the current situation, for example, digital safeguarding; responding to safeguarding over the phone; how staff and volunteers respond to safeguarding via video calling.
Regularly reviewing policies and procedures keeps the organisation up to date with regulations, technology, and industry best practices.
Policies and procedures are living documents that should grow and adapt with your organisation and changes in practice.
Outdated policies can leave organisation at risk. Old policies may fail to comply with new laws and regulations. They may not address new systems or working remotely, digital safeguarding practices or technology.
Policy reviews ensures that your policies are compliant with legislation and best practice, and are consistent and effective.
With all the pressing daily tasks, the urgency to move to home working, it’s easy for policy reviewing to fall to the bottom of the to do list.
An up to date policy is essential for funding bids.

Times have changed and policies will need to adapt with these changes. A good, robust policy and procedure protects you, your staff and your organisation’s reputation. If you feel you would like to discuss a policy review or update, please contact us.

COVID-19 Public Health England’s Every Mind Matters

Public Health England’s (PHE) Every Mind Matters platform has launched this week with new advice focused on looking after people’s mental wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It has been updated after new data shows more than 4 in 5 (84.2%) people are worried about the effect that coronavirus is having on their life, with over half saying it was affecting their wellbeing and nearly half (46.9%) reporting high levels of anxiety. See ONS Coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain: 16 April 2020 for details.

Every Mind Matters highlights that there are lots of things people can do to look after their mental wellbeing and help others to prevent these concerns from becoming more serious.

The range of new resources, designed specifically to help manage one’s mental wellbeing during this time, include a tailored COVID-19 Mind Plan, COVID-19 specific content for individuals and their loved ones, and support for specific mental wellbeing issues such as anxiety, stress, low mood and trouble sleeping. The website signposts people to activities such as mindful breathing exercises, help reframing unhelpful thoughts and muscle relaxation.

To help get this vital message out there, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are supporting Every Mind Matters and have narrated a new short film set to be broadcast across national TV channels from Monday 20 April.

Everyone in the country has been affected by COVID-19 in some way, be it through staying at home and being separated from friends and family, uncertainty about work or education or knowing someone with the virus. The film portrays a range of people whose lives have been affected by COVID-19. It aims to reassure people that support is available and encourages everyone to take care of their mental wellbeing at this difficult time.

Alongside the new COVID-19 mental health support, Every Mind Matters encourages people to complete a personal ‘Mind Plan’, a quick and free interactive tool offering tailored mental wellbeing advice. More than 1.9 million Mind Plans have been completed since the launch in October.

The NHS-endorsed content has been developed in partnership with clinicians, academics and leading mental health charities and social enterprises including Mind, Mental Health Foundation, Samaritans, Rethink, Mental Health First Aid England, the Royal Foundation, the Centre for Mental Health, Time to Change, NSUN and What Works Wellbeing. It offers authoritative, evidence-based and practical support to the general public, as well as people with specific mental health concerns.

Press release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/covid-19-mental-health-campaign-launches

COVID-19: Deprivation of liberty safeguards during the coronavirus pandemic

This guidance – valid during the coronavirus pandemic – is for health and social care staff who are caring for, or treating, a person who lacks the relevant mental capacity.

Here is a summary of the key points from the guidance:

This guidance is only valid during the COVID-19 pandemic and applies to those caring for adults who lack the relevant mental capacity to consent to their care and treatment. The guidance applies until withdrawn by the Department of Health and Social Care. During the pandemic, the principles of the MCA and the safeguards provided by DoLS still apply.
Decision makers in hospitals and care homes, and those acting for supervisory bodies will need to take a proportionate approach to all applications, including those made before and during the pandemic. Any decisions must be taken specifically for each person and not for groups of people.
Where life-saving treatment is being provided, including for the treatment of COVID-19, then the person will not be deprived of liberty as long as the treatment is the same as would normally be given to any person without a mental disorder. The DoLS will therefore not apply.
It may be necessary, for a number of reasons, to change the usual care and treatment arrangements of somebody who lacks the relevant mental capacity to consent to such changes.
In most cases, changes to a person’s care or treatment in these scenarios will not constitute a new deprivation of liberty, and a DoLS authorisation will not be required. Care and treatment should continue to be provided in the person’s best interests.
In many scenarios created or affected by the pandemic, decision makers in hospitals and care homes will need to decide: (a) If new arrangements constitute a ‘deprivation of liberty’ (most will not). (b) If the new measures do amount to a deprivation of liberty, whether a new DoLS authorisation may be required (in many cases it will not be).
This guidance will help decision makers to make these decisions quickly and safely, whilst keeping the person at the centre of the process.
If a new authorisation is required, decision makers should follow their usual DoLS processes, including those for urgent authorisations. There is a shortened Urgent Authorisation form within the guidance which can be used during this emergency period.
Supervisory bodies who consider DoLS applications and arrange assessments should continue to prioritise DoLS cases using standard prioritisation processes first.
DoLS assessors should not visit care homes or hospitals unless a face-to-face visit is essential. Previous assessments can also be considered as relevant evidence to help inform the new assessments.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/878910/Emergency_MCA_DoLS_Guidance_COVID19.pdf

COVID-19 NHS Tools for Child Protection

A tool that provides data on protected vulnerable children for the NHS and local authorities is being broadened to include school nurses and health visitors. The response to the coronavirus epidemic is extremely challenging for us all. The NHS Digital’s response is hoping to strengthen protection for all children at risk of abuse during this time, when they may be more at risk.

‘The Child Protection Information Sharing (CP-IS) is a system that alerts NHS staff when children are subject to a child protection plan, or children designated as ‘looked after’, or pregnant women who have an unborn child protection plan, present at an unscheduled care setting (such as an A&E or walk in centre). It also alerts a child’s social worker when such a visit occurs’.

This system is rapidly being configured so that health visitors and school nurses will also be alerted to details if children are falling under any of the above categories in their school or geographical area. The information will be sent to them via their clinical system from the NHS. Sharing information is a vital part of child protection and safeguarding those most at risk.

‘This extension of the CP-IS service will provide school nurses and health visitors with a reliable source of information on who vulnerable children are in circumstances where the capacity of local agencies is reduced and where existing local information sharing cannot be relied upon. The service is set to be live in London by next week in pilot form before being rolled out nationally as swiftly as possible thereafter’.

https://digital.nhs.uk/news-and-events/news/child-protection-information-to-be-shared-with-school-nurses-and-health-visitors

Free Advice & Guidance from Athena

We would like to offer free initial advice and guidance on all safeguarding children & adult matters to not only our existing customers, but to any organisation that are recruiting and training volunteers, or just need to check their policies through this challenging period.

If you are unsure about anything safeguarding related, please do not hesitate to contact
Dr Sarah Carlick on 07927 549 499 or email sarah.carlick@theathenaprogramme.co.uk

10 Reasons why you should invest in Safeguarding Remote Style Training

In light of the current extraordinary circumstances we are finding ourselves in, more and more people are working at home than usual. However, this does not mean learning has to stop. You may actually find that you are more able to free up staff for training during the current reduced day to day business activity.

Did you know, here at Athena we already offer remote delivery of all our safeguarding courses?

This style of training has been well received by many delegates who love the personal intimacy of remote delivery and today, more than ever, it is easier to come together electronically online

These are our top 10 reasons why you should invest in remote style delivery for your safeguarding training:

1. Safeguarding training is still on the agenda through these turbulent times
2. It offers a flexible style of delivery rather than face to face but is more interactive than mundane e-learning
3. Our remote training is still delivered by one of our highly experienced trainers
4. It allows participants to visually connect and put safeguarding, at the heart of everything they do, into practice.
5. All the training materials are disseminated to the participants beforehand, as well as screen sharing the presentation during the training session
6. Colleagues can still collaborate to work through creative training materials, such as case scenarios
7. There are a variety of options of learning outcomes for each course, along with engaging training materials
8. Provides a confidential training environment
9. Helps delegates to focus, getting the maximum engagement out of the training session
10. Lower costs with no added extras for expenses and travel

We still have loo and brew breaks throughout the training session so everyone can feel comfortable: being comfortable is part of learning whilst in an enjoyable and safe space.

See a case study on remote style delivery training here

For further information please feel free to contact us:

Dr Sarah Carlick
Tel: 07927 549499
Email: sarah@theathenaprogramme.co.uk

Safeguarding the vulnerable through the coronavirus epidemic

As we watch the world go into ‘lock down’ my mind is racing thinking of all the possible consequences and implications for those that are vulnerable. Whether it’s our young children or the elderly in care homes with restricted visitation from loved ones. What about those in domestic abuse situations being asked to remain confined to their homes or the children that are at risk of suffering harm? What will happen to the interventions that are in the process of being put in place to keep them safe? My mind is wandering from talking to children about how they may be worried when hearing about coronavirus, to having family abroad and how our own parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents are going to manage on a daily basis if in self isolation.

Safeguarding awareness of our vulnerable groups has never been more important in the following months, as well as looking after staff, volunteers and wider community. It should be obvious by now that we need to implement robust washing of our hands, commit to social distancing and self isolation. In terms of those that need medication, have mental health issues, who are locked in damaging relationships, have children missing from home, or for those that are homeless, living in poverty or those that simply do not have residence for such strange times.

I think the list is endless and we are unsure of the long term impact in those that are well and those that are vulnerable.

As we watch and live with the world though this epidemic it will open the door for further financial abuse of the elderly and increased emotional stressful situations. It will heighten the risks for children and young people in care or in need of protection; or the elderly who cannot access basics at the supermarket.

I cry; I keep calm; I worry; I wonder how I can support those in need; I try and be kind whenever possible… I am sure you are the same. Will our charity, business, organisation survive? How do we change our services to outreach services? How do we protect our staff? What are the daily implications to just ‘care’; to keep people ‘safe’; to find the words that need to be found…?

There’s a lot of news and social media coverage about the epidemic and it can be overwhelming for practitioners, for parents and worrying to children. It is encouraged that you and others who work closely with children to filter information and talk about it in a way that their child can understand.

Simple reassurance. Remind children that researchers and doctors are learning as much as they can, as quickly as they can, about the virus and are taking steps to keep everyone safe.
Give them control. It’s also a great time to remind your children of what they can do to help – washing their hands often, coughing into a tissue or their sleeves, and getting enough sleep.
Watch for signs of anxiety. Children may not have the words to express their worry, but you may see signs of it. They may get cranky, be more clingy, have trouble sleeping, or seem distracted. Keep the reassurance going and try to stick to your normal routines.
Monitor their media. Keep young children away from frightening images they may see on TV, social media, computers, etc. For older children and young people, talk together about what they are hearing on the news and correct any misinformation or rumours they may hear.
Be a good role model. The coronavirus doesn’t discriminate and neither should we. It started in Wuhan, China, but that doesn’t mean that having Asian ancestry – or any other ancestry – makes someone more susceptible to the virus or more contagious. Stigma and discrimination hurt everyone by creating fear or anger towards others. We should show kindness, empathy and support to those who are ill.

Some of the above is the same when meeting with clients and when in touch with elder people. If someone’s been advised to self-isolate, if they are worried about going out or they prefer to stay in as a precaution, there are still plenty of things you can do to help.

Stay in touch over the phone, by post, or online by video calling
See if people need any shopping or help by running some errands ( you may need to leave food at the door if they are unwell)
Encourage people to stay active around the house and keep moving

It is a time for keeping people safe which that means making sure they have contact with others and just simply being there. I do not have the answers, but as we all try to work through this unknown, child abuse and abuse of vulnerable adults does not go away. I wish it did, but please protect the elderly, the ill or those living in poverty from further abuse and suffering whenever and however we can.

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