Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. It is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop the risks and experience of abuse or neglect, while also ensuring that the wellbeing, views, wishes and beliefs of adults and children are promoted within safeguarding arrangements. 

Those most in need of protection include:  

  • Children and young people 
  • Adults at risk, such as those receiving care in their own home, people with physical, sensory and mental impairments, and those with learning disabilities. 

As NHS England and Improvement states, all staff, whether they work in a hospital, a care home, in general practice, or in providing community care, and whether they are employed by a public sector, private, or not-for-profit organisation, have a responsibility to safeguard children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect in the NHS. 

We are committed to ensuring all staff recognise that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and that there are processes in place to safeguard individuals who access services in their areas. 
We work closely with local partners and are responsible for ensuring that effective systems are in place to safeguard adults and children at risk.

All adults have the right to live their lives free of abuse and neglect and have the right processes in place to ensure their safeguard and better outcomes. 

We are committed to working with other statutory agencies, as set out in the Care Act (2014) to provide a person-centred approach to safeguarding vulnerable adults. 

The Care Act (2014) defines adults at risk as anyone over the age of 18 years old who: 

  • Has needs for care and support 
  • Is experiencing, or is at risk of abuse/ and or neglect 
  • As a result of these needs is unable to protect themselves against the abuse and/or neglect 

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System (ICS) is a core member of the Hampshire Safeguarding Adults Board, the Southampton Local Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB), the Isle of Wight Safeguarding Adults Board and the Portsmouth Safeguarding Adults Board and has a duty to co-operate with local authorities and police as statutory partners to safeguard adults. The ICS is responsible for ensuring that effective systems are in place to safeguard adults and children at risk. 

As the main commissioner of healthcare for local populations across Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, we work with other health and social care providers and stakeholders to ensure effective systems are in place that provide good outcomes for adults. We employ experts in the field of safeguarding adults to support us in meeting our statutory duties as an Integrated Care System.  

The following six principles of safeguarding underpin all safeguarding responses: 

  • empowerment 
  • protection 
  • prevention 
  • proportionality 
  • partnership 
  • accountability 

Keeping children safe is the responsibility of all professionals and everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play.  Nothing is more important than children’s welfare. Children who need help and protection deserve high quality and effective support as soon as a need is identified. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:  

  • protecting children from maltreatment 
  • preventing impairment of children’s health or development 
  • ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care 
  • taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes 

We are absolutely committed to ensuring that the health and wellbeing of all children, including looked after children, are met. 

The Children Act (1989/2004) and Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government, 2018) underpin the work of the Safeguarding and Looked After Children Team which supports the CCG in discharging their duties for children and families living across Hampshire. Section 11 of the Children Act (2004) places a legal duty on all health organisations, including Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System (ICS) to ensure that in discharging their functions, they have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. 

The ICS also has representation on the Southampton Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP), the Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP), the Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership (PSCP) and the Isle of Wight Safeguarding Children Partnership.

If you have any concerns about safeguarding issues, please report them without delay. 

If you think someone is in immediate danger, please call 999. 

Adults 

Hampshire: 

Isle of Wight: 

Southampton:

Portsmouth:

 

Children 

Hampshire: 

Isle of Wight: 

Southampton:

Portsmouth:

Modern slavery is the recruitment, movement, harbouring or receiving of children, women or men through the use of force, coercion, abuse of vulnerability, deception or other means for the purpose of exploitation.

Individuals may be trafficked into, out of or within the UK, and they may be trafficked for a number of reasons including sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude and organ harvesting. The Modern Slavery Act (2015) introduced changes in UK law focused on increasing transparency in supply chains, to ensure our supply chains are free from modern slavery (that is, slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking).

We are committed to working with partners to improve our practice in combatting slavery and human trafficking and to raise awareness, disrupt and respond to Modern Slavery.

Our policies are being revised for the new organisation and will be updated here in due course. Read our latest Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement here.

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