Safeguarding Policy

resilient roots 

Care. Benefits. Coordination. 

Safeguarding Policy 

Version 1.0 · June 2026 · Resilient Roots Services Ltd · ICO registration ZC170832 

Company  Contact
Resilient Roots Services Ltd  Email: info@resilientroots.co.uk
Registered: 28a Grange Street, Clifton, Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5EW
Company No: 17239772  Website: resilientroots.co.uk
ICO Registration: ZC170832

 

EMERGENCY CONTACTS — ALL FOUNDERS MUST HAVE THESE SAVED IN THEIR PHONES If an adult is in immediate danger: call 999

Adult Safeguarding Referral:
If there are concerns that an adult with care and support needs is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, a safeguarding referral should be made to the client’s local council Adult Social Care team.

During office hours: Contact the client’s local council Adult Social Care team via their published safeguarding referral telephone number.

Out of hours (evenings, weekends, and bank holidays): Contact the client’s local council emergency duty team using their out-of-hours safeguarding contact number.

Alternatively, referrals can be made using the client’s local council’s online safeguarding referral form or designated Adult Social Care email address, where available.

Named Safeguarding Lead: Jody Nason — Contact via info@resilientroots.co.uk Cover if Jody unavailable: Shani Crofton or Victoria Patel

 

  1. Purpose and Scope 

Resilient Roots Services Ltd is a care navigation and benefits assistance service working with older people and their families. The nature of our work means we regularly interact with people who may be, or may become, vulnerable to abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation. This policy sets out our commitment to adult safeguarding and the procedures every founder must follow. 

This policy applies to all three founders of Resilient Roots Services Ltd and to any contractors, advisers, or volunteers acting on our behalf. Compliance with this policy is mandatory. 

This policy is grounded in the Care Act 2014 and the statutory guidance ‘Care and Support Statutory Guidance’ (updated 2022), which establishes the legal framework for adult safeguarding in England. It reflects the six safeguarding principles: empowerment, prevention, proportionality, protection, partnership, and accountability. It reflects the Making Safeguarding Personal approach, which places the wishes and outcomes of the adult at the centre of all safeguarding activity.

 

  1. Our Legal Duties 

The Care Act 2014 places the primary safeguarding duty on local authorities. All organisations working with adults at risk share responsibilities including: 

  • Recognising indicators of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation
  • Acting on concerns promptly and appropriately
  • Referring to local council adult safeguarding team where there is reason to believe an adult at risk may be experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect
  • Co-operating with any subsequent safeguarding enquiry under Section 42 of the Care Act 2014
  • Maintaining appropriate records

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is also relevant. Every person is assumed to have mental capacity unless it has been established otherwise through a proper assessment. We do not assume that an older person lacks capacity because of their age, a diagnosis, or the nature of a decision. 

  1. Who Is an Adult at Risk? 

The Care Act 2014 defines an adult at risk as a person aged 18 or over who: 

 

  • Has needs for care and support (whether or not those needs are being met) •  
  • Is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect 
  • As a result of those care and support needs, is unable to protect themselves from the abuse or neglect or the risk of it
  • In our work, the older people we support will frequently meet this definition. Adult children and family members who engage our services may also meet it in some circumstances. We apply safeguarding awareness to all our client interactions. 
  1. Types of Abuse We May Encounter 
Category of abuse  Indicators particularly relevant to our work
Financial or material abuse Unexplained changes to wills, LPAs, or bank accounts; missing money or property; an older person appearing not to know their own financial position; a family member or carer appearing to control finances; pressure on the older person to sign documents; benefits not reaching the older person
Neglect and acts of omission An older person not receiving adequate food, warmth, or medical attention; prescribed medication not being administered; isolation from friends, family, or services; a carer failing to access entitled support on behalf of the person in their care
Physical abuse  Unexplained injuries; fear or distress in the presence of a particular person; an older person seeming frightened to speak freely
Psychological or 

emotional abuse

 An older person appearing anxious, withdrawn, or distressed; being prevented from making their own decisions; being belittled or threatened
Domestic abuse 

(including economic abuse)

 A pattern of controlling behaviour by a partner, family member, or carer; the older person having no access to their own money or finances
Organisational or 

institutional abuse

 A care provider failing to meet standards; systematic poor practice; neglectful treatment across a care setting
Self-neglect  Refusing care, medication, or support in a way that is placing the person at serious risk, particularly where capacity may be affected

 

 

This list is not exhaustive. If something does not feel right in a client interaction, treat it as a potential safeguarding concern and speak to the named Safeguarding Lead. 

  1. Recognising a Safeguarding Concern 

A safeguarding concern may arise when: 

  • A client or family member makes a direct disclosure of abuse, neglect, or exploitation •
  • We observe something in a home visit or conversation that raises concern 
  • Information emerges during the assessment process suggesting the older person is at risk
  • A benefit application reveals financial irregularities suggesting possible exploitation
  • An older person expresses fear or distress, or indicates they are not free to speak 
  • A care coordination referral raises questions about the quality or safety of existing care 
  • Indicators are not proof. Our role is to recognise that a concern exists and to follow the four-step procedure below. We do not investigate. 
  1. What to Do: The Four-Step Procedure 
PRINCIPLE: The safety and welfare of the adult at risk comes first. Our commercial relationship with the client, the preference of a family member, and the wishes of the person who engaged our service do not override our duty to act on a genuine safeguarding concern.

 

Step 1: Do not promise confidentiality 

If a client begins to tell you something you believe may be a safeguarding concern, do not promise to keep it confidential before you have heard what it is. You can say: ‘I want to help you, but I need you to know that there are some things I may be required to share with other organisations if I believe someone is at risk of harm.’ 

Step 2: Listen, record, do not investigate 

  • Listen carefully and calmly. Do not express shock, disbelief, or make promises about outcomes.
  • Ask open questions only if clarification is needed. Do not press for detail beyond what is necessary to understand the nature and immediacy of the risk.
  • Record what was said or observed as soon as possible, in the person’s own words where possible. Note the date, time, location, and who was present. Keep the record factual.
  • Do not investigate the concern yourself. Do not contact the alleged abuser. Do not take any action that could compromise a subsequent statutory investigation.

Step 3: Consult the Safeguarding Lead 

Contact Jody Nason, named Safeguarding Lead, as soon as possible and in all cases within 24 hours. If Jody is unavailable, contact Shani Crofton or Victoria Patel immediately. 

 

Together, consider: 

  • Is this an emergency? If there is immediate risk to life or safety, call 999 first. Do not delay.
  • Does this meet the threshold for a Section 42 enquiry under the Care Act 2014? 
  • Does the person have mental capacity to make their own decisions about their safety? 
  • Is the risk serious enough that a referral should be made even without consent? 

Step 4: Make the referral 

If a referral is to be made, contact the local councils adult safeguarding team using the numbers at the top of this policy. Provide: 

  • The full name, date of birth, and address of the adult at risk
  • The nature of the concern and relevant background
  • The immediate level of risk as you assess it
  • Whether the adult is aware a referral is being made
  • Your name, Resilient Roots Services Ltd, and your contact details

Follow up the referral in writing by email to the local council to create a record. Note the name of the person you spoke to, the date and time, and any reference number given. 

Update the case record with a full factual account of the concern, the consultation, the decision made, and the referral. 

  1. Consent and When It Can Be Overridden 

The Making Safeguarding Personal approach means we seek to involve the adult at risk in decisions about their own safety. In most cases we will seek consent before making a referral. However, a referral may or must be made without consent where: 

 

  • The adult lacks mental capacity to make a decision about the referral, and a referral is in their best interests 
  • The adult is subject to coercive control that prevents them from freely consenting
  • Others are at risk, including other vulnerable adults or children in the same household 
  • The risk is so serious that overriding the refusal is necessary to prevent significant harm or death 

Where we override consent, we document the reasons in full at the time. The decision is made by the Safeguarding Lead in consultation with at least one other founder. 

  1. Lasting Power of Attorney and Financial Safeguarding 

A significant proportion of our clients will have, or be in the process of establishing, Lasting Powers of Attorney. Financial LPAs in particular create a specific safeguarding risk. We are alert to the following indicators of potential LPA misuse: 

  • An attorney making financial decisions that appear contrary to the donor’s known wishes or best interests
  • A donor who does not appear to know what decisions are being made on their behalf
  • An attorney who is reluctant for us to speak with the donor directly
  • Changes to financial arrangements that cannot be explained

If we have concerns about LPA misuse, we refer to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), not the local authority. OPG telephone: 0300 456 0300. Online reporting form: gov.uk/report-concern about-attorney-deputy-guardian. 

  1. Named Safeguarding Lead 
Detail  Information
Named Safeguarding Lead  Jody Nason
Role  Co-Founder and Named Safeguarding Lead
Direct contact  Contact via info@resilientroots.co.uk
Email  info@resilientroots.co.uk
Cover when unavailable  Shani Crofton or Victoria Patel
Local authority safeguarding (office hours)  0300 300 8122 (Monday to Friday, 8:45am to 5:20pm)
Local authority safeguarding (out of hours)  0300 300 8123 (evenings, weekends, and bank holidays)

 

  1. Record Keeping 

All safeguarding concerns, consultations, decisions, and referrals must be recorded in writing. Records must be: 

  • Factual, objective, and written in plain English
  • Dated, timed, and attributed to the founder who made the record
  • Stored securely, with access restricted to the Safeguarding Lead and one other founder
  •  Retained for a minimum of seven years from the date of the last entry, or longer if required by Local council.
  1. Allegations Against a Founder 

If a safeguarding concern involves the conduct of one of the founders, the other two founders manage the concern. The subject founder is excluded from all discussion, decisions, and records. The concern is referred to the local council adult safeguarding team in the same way as any other concern. If the concern involves criminal conduct, the police are contacted. 

  1. Training and Review 
Requirement  Standard
Safeguarding 

awareness training

 All three founders complete training before taking any paid client. Free resources available from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (scie.org.uk) and the Ann Craft Trust (anncrafttrust.org).

 

 

 

Requirement  Standard
Policy review  Annually by the named Safeguarding Lead, or sooner if there is a significant change in the law, guidance, or our service model
Post-incident review  Following any safeguarding referral, a structured review is conducted within 28 days
Local authority 

liaison

 The Safeguarding Lead maintains current knowledge of Central Bedfordshire Council safeguarding procedures, reviewed annually

 

Version  1.0
Date  June 2026
Named Safeguarding Lead  Jody Nason
Data Protection Lead  Victoria Patel
Next review due  June 2027
Local authority 
Approved by  All three founders

 

This policy is grounded in the Care Act 2014, the Care and Support Statutory Guidance (updated 2022), the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and the Making Safeguarding Personal framework. 

Resilient Roots Services Ltd · Safeguarding Policy · Version 1.0 · June 2026 · resilientroots.co.uk ·