Purpose and scope of the policy
Purpose of policy
The purpose of this policy and its associated procedure is to set out LDC’s commitment to help protect all children and adults at risk, including those in our communities or accessing our services and to protect LDC, its staff, elected members and volunteers.
The term ‘representatives of LDC’ is used to refer to council employees, LTMTS employees, district councillors, volunteers, contractors and anyone working on behalf of, delivering a commissioned service for, or representing the council.
Scope of policy
The scope of this policy is to:
- understand LDC's roles and responsibilities
- outline the legislative framework
- Provide details of how to access a separate procedural document which outlines details on recognising the signs and types of abuse and how to report concerns
This policy covers safeguarding children and adults at risk of abuse and neglect.
This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of LDC, including senior managers, paid staff, elected members, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff and students. Failure to comply with the policy and related procedures will be addressed without delay and may ultimately result in dismissal/exclusion from the organisation.
It is not the role of the council to decide whether a child or adults at risk has been abused or not. This is the task of the statutory protection agency (Staffordshire County Council) which has the legal responsibility. It is, however, everybody’s responsibility to ensure that concerns are shared and appropriate action taken.