How we safeguard patients

The Trust works in partnership with other health and social care agencies to prevent harm, and support individuals and communities with additional needs or who have difficulties accessing healthcare including those with learning difficulties or disabilities.

The Trust has policies and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable children and adults and strives to continuously improve its support for vulnerable people.

SECAmb is committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of children and adults at risk of abuse and sets out how it will achieve this in its Safeguarding Strategy which can be located in our document library.

All polices and procedural documents are reviewed regularly, however the safeguarding referrals procedure is currently under review and is ‘out of date’ as a result of the ongoing review. This is due to the recent re-publication of Working Together to Safeguard Children, the Adult Intercollegiate Document and the pending re-publication of the Child Intercollegiate document to ensure that documentation reflects the most up to date guidelines.

Adults

Safeguarding adults’ procedures relate to the multi-agency response in respect of a person aged 18 years or over:

The Care Act is a large and far reaching piece of legislation and safeguarding changes form part of the new legal requirements. Several safeguarding changes have been brought about with the implementation of the Care Act (2014) which came into force on 1^st April 2015

(the Care Act 2014)

Children

Where the term child, children or young person is stated, this relates to a person who has not yet reached their 18th birthday.

(Children Act 1989, 2004).

Our legislative responsibilities to safeguard children and young people, requires us to be vigilant and responsive, every time we engage with service users and families.

Guidance is provided by the document; Working Together to Safeguard Children (DCSF, 2010), which defines safeguarding as:

“The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully.”

View our safeguarding policy

View our annual safeguarding report for 2017-18

The Trust's Safeguarding Lead is Jane Mitchell and she can be contacted on:

Direct line: 0300 123 9195

Secure (external) email: secamb.safeguarding@nhs.net

Email: Safeguarding@secamb.nhs.uk

or by post to:

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Crawley HQ & EOC
Nexus House,
4 Gatwick Road,
Crawley RH10 9BG

If you have concerns about someone in your community then you can make a referral directly to your local authority.

BRIGHTON & HOVE

Brighton and Hove City Council Adult Services.
Phone: (01273) 295555

Brighton and Hove City Council Children’s Services
Phone: (01273) 295920

EAST SUSSEX

Safeguarding Adults in East Sussex
Phone: 0345 60 80 191 or out of hours - 01323 636399

Safeguarding Children in East Sussex
Phone: 01323 464222 or out of hours - 01273 335905/6

WEST SUSSEX

West Sussex Adult Services
Phone: 01243 642121

West Sussex Children’s Services
Phone: 01403 229900 or out of hours – 0330 22 26 664

HAMPSHIRE

Hampshire Adult Services
Phone: 0300 555 1386

Hampshire Children’s Services
Phone: 0300 555 1384 or out of hours 0300 555 1373

KENT

Kent Adult Services
Phone: 03000 41 61 61 or out of hours - 03000 41 91 91

Kent Children’s Services
Phone: 03000 41 41 41 or out of hours - 03000 41 91 91

MEDWAY

Medway Adult Services
Phone: 01634 33 44 66 or out of hours - 03000 41 91 91

Medway Children’s Services
Phone: 01634 33 44 66 our out of hours – 03000 41 91 91

SURREY

Surrey Adult Services
Phone: 0300 470 9100 or out of hours - 01483 517898

Surrey Children’s Services
Phone: 0300 470 9100 or out of hours - 01483 517898

NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Age UK
for help and advice about money matters, health and wellbeing, travel and lifestyle, home and care.

MENCAP
information and advice for families and professionals working or living with someone with a learning disability.

Action on Elder Abuse (AEA)
working to protect and prevent the abuse of vulnerable older adults. The only charity in the UK and in Ireland working exclusively on the issue today.

NSPCC
working to end child cruelty across the UK.

Barnardo’s
working to transform the lives of vulnerable children and young people

The Silver Line
is the only free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Call anytime on: 0800 4 70 80 90.

Page last updated 03/01/19