Dorset HealthCare is fully committed to ensuring that all patients and service users (adults and children) are cared for in a safe, secure, and caring environment, and that the risks of abuse and neglect are minimised.  

We have comprehensive policies in place to help protect adults and children, including our Safeguarding Adults Policy  and Safeguarding Children Policy, as well as the Bournemouth, Dorset & Poole Multi-Agency Safeguarding Adults Policy.  

We are an active member of the Safeguarding Adult Board for the county of Dorset (read its multi-agency policies) and the Childrens Partnerships for both Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) – their multi-agency policies are available on a joint website. 

The pan-Dorset Safeguarding Adult Board and Childrens Partnerships were established to improve the practices which protect and safeguard children and adults with care and support needs, in vulnerable circumstances. Their work includes: 

  • developing strategies to reduce risk and prevent harm occurring to children and adults in vulnerable situations, as well as reacting effectively when it happens 

  • ensuring national policy and guidance are adhered to locally 

  • determining local policy and procedures 

  • co-ordinating activity between agencies 

  • facilitating joint training 

  • ensuring good communication with the public and raising awareness of how to recognise and refer concerns about vulnerable children and adults being harmed 

  • monitoring and reviewing progress in safeguarding practices 

  • developing ways of working, which will improve ability to support residents across the community to live a life free from abuse and neglect 

  • learning from lessons where people have experienced abuse and neglect, to prevent it happening again. 

We take part in Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews, Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews and Multi-Agency Public Protection Reviews (MAPPA) with partner agencies whenever they are required.  

To find out more about our commitment to safeguarding children, young people and adults with care and support needs, read our safeguarding declaration below. 

Children, young people, and adults at risk 

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust (DHC) is fully committed to ensuring that all service users, are cared for in a safe, secure, and caring environment and that the risks of harm, abuse and neglect are minimised and the opportunity to enhance life chances are maximised. This declaration identifies the Trust’s commitment to safeguarding and protecting children, young people, and adults with care and support needs. 

As a result, a number of safeguarding arrangements are in place. 

  • A robust governance structure – the Board level Executive Lead with responsibility for safeguarding is the Director or Nursing, Therapies and Quality. 

  • Our safeguarding service is led by the Head of Safeguarding. The postholder is supported by the Safeguarding Adult/Mental Capacity Act Lead and the Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children and Young People. The Trust also has a Named Nurse for Looked after Children and a Named Doctor for Safeguarding Children. 

  • There is an internal Trust safeguarding group that meets every other month. 

  • The Trust is fully represented and engaged in pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership arrangements for children and both Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset Safeguarding Adults Boards. 

  • The Trust assures that there is appropriate representation at adult safeguarding working groups. 

  • An annual safeguarding report is received by the Trust’s Quality Governance Committee and Trust Board. 

  • The Named Professionals lead on issues in relation to safeguarding children, young people, and adults with care and support needs and work closely with statutory and voluntary community partner organisations. 

  • The Trust implements the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) process to ensure safe and robust recruitment processes. 

  • The Trust has a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and guidance in place that meets the requirements of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 and the Care Act 2014. All policies and guidelines are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain relevant and fit for purpose and are aligned to the multi-agency policy and procedures. 

  • The Trust has a safeguarding training strategy in place, in line with the Intercollegiate Document ‘Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competences for Healthcare Staff’ (March 2019) and the ‘Adult Safeguarding: Roles and Competences for Healthcare Staff’ (updated 2024). The Trust’s Learning and Development Service has a training database for all staff, is maintained and regular compliance reports are provided to service managers, directorates and the Trust Safeguarding Group. 

  • Our safeguarding service offers safeguarding supervision on a mandatory basis to practitioners that hold a caseload of children. 

  • The Trust has an internal quality assurance and audit programme that includes safeguarding to assure systems and processes are working effectively. Additionally, the Trust Safeguarding Service takes part in multi-agency audits with partner agencies. 

  • The Trust is committed to effective inter-agency information sharing, to ensure that children, young people and adults with care and support needs are protected from harm, abuse or neglect and to ensure they receive the services they require. The Trust is a signatory of the Dorset Information Sharing Charter (2019) which enables partner organisations to share information safely and provide a more integrated service for residents. 

  • The Trust fully participates in Multi-Agency Safeguarding arrangements. 

  • The Named Professionals indicated below are fully supported by an internal Trust safeguarding service. 

Joint Chief Nursing Officer and Executive lead for Safeguarding – Professor Dawn Dawson 

Director of Nursing, Therapies and Quality – Cara Southgate 

Head of Safeguarding – Alison Clark 

Named Nurse for Safeguarding Children and Young People – Clare Travis-Punter 

Safeguarding Adult/ Mental Capacity Act Lead – Adam Beardsmore 

Named Nurse for Children in Care & Care Leavers – Jenna Pitt 

Named Doctor for Safeguarding Children – Dr Chrissy Boardman 

Dawn Dawson 

Chief Nursing Officer 

December 2024