Working with people who could be at risk

Working with children and young people

Definition

We have a common duty to protect everyone under the age of 18 years, as they have a right to be protected by the adults around them (under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child).  Children are not expected to safeguard themselves.

There are specific children known as children at risk who we must take extra steps to safeguard; under the age of 18 years who is experiencing or is at risk of abuse, neglect or other kinds of harm; and who has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs).

Responsibilities

Organisations must recognise their responsibilities to all children under the age of 18, to keep them safe and to recognise those who may be a child at risk. The organisation must ensure that the adults that they appoint to work/volunteer with children

• are safe and suitable individuals
• that they are or will be appropriately trained for the role, to meet the child’s needs, and understand their safeguarding responsibilities
• that they adhere to a code of conduct that ensures they will be appropriate role models for children, and will not commit any act that will harm the children in their care

Working with adults at risk

There must be procedures in place that will ensure that a safeguarding report can be made to social services where there are suspicions that a child is at risk of abuse, neglect or harm.

Definition

Organisations have a common law duty of care to keep everyone safe who visits your premises/grounds/online sites, whether they are a regular visitor, a contractor or for a one-off event. You may recognise that some people have care and support needs (e.g. a volunteer with long covid symptoms), you may provide services or activities especially for people with care and support needs (e.g. those with a particular health condition) or for carers who have support needs.

This is important as it is a factor towards identifying an adult at risk:

• anyone over 18 years of age who is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect and has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs), and as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.

The third factor means that no-one can assume that a person is an adult at risk but should work with them in a supportive relationship to help them to recognise the risk and their ability to protect themselves. There may be some basic measures that your organisation can help with but if the adult is unable to protect themselves from the risk or threat of abuse, then there must be procedures in place that will ensure that a safeguarding report can be made to social services where there are suspicions that an adult is at risk of abuse or neglect.

Responsibilities

The organisation must ensure that the adults that they appoint to work/volunteer with adults who have needs for care and support

• are safe and suitable individuals
• that they are or will be appropriately trained for the role, to meet the care needs if this is the purpose of the activity, and understand their safeguarding responsibilities
• that they adhere to a code of conduct that ensures they will act appropriately and will not commit any act that will harm the adults in their care.

Wales Safeguarding Procedures

The Wales Safeguarding Procedures are a practitioner (worker/volunteer placed in direct contact with people who could be at risk) guide to the procedures to follow if you have concerns about them which include a risk of abuse or neglect. The Procedures are available on the Wales Safeguarding Procedures website and can also be easily accessed by downloading the free Wales Safeguarding Procedures app via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.  

Ensure that your safeguarding training follows the recommendations of the Wales Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Standards and the Wales Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Framework.