Safeguarding at Earnest Care

Our commitment

Safeguarding is not a policy document. It is a set of habits, held by every person who works here, that makes it likely somebody notices when something is wrong and certain that they know what to do next.

• A named Designated Safeguarding Lead, with a deputy, available at all times
• Safeguarding training for every member of staff at induction, refreshed annually
• Enhanced DBS checks with the relevant barred list on every single person, rechecked on a defined cycle
• A whistleblowing policy that protects staff who raise concerns about colleagues, and a culture in which doing so is expected rather than tolerated
• Clear recording, so concerns are documented at the time rather than reconstructed later
• Direct working relationships with local authority safeguarding teams in every borough we operate in

What we are alert to

For children: physical, emotional and sexual abuse; neglect; exploitation, including criminal and sexual exploitation; female genital mutilation; radicalisation; and domestic abuse in the household.

For adults at risk: physical, sexual, psychological and financial abuse; neglect and acts of omission; self-neglect; discriminatory abuse; organisational abuse; domestic abuse; and modern slavery. Financial abuse of older people is more common than most families realise and frequently involves someone close to them.

How to raise a concern

1. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999

   Do not wait to speak to us first.

2. Contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead

   By phone on 07539 535098 or email at safeguarding@earnestcare.co.uk. You can raise a concern anonymously.

3. We act within 24 hours

   The concern is recorded, assessed and, where the threshold is met, referred to the local authority safeguarding team. We will tell you what we have done.

4. You can also go direct to the local authority

   You never need our permission or involvement to contact a council safeguarding team, Ofsted or the CQC. If you would rather not come to us, go straight to them.

Raising a concern about us

If your concern is about Earnest Care itself or one of our staff, you can contact the regulators directly. Ofsted has a duty to investigate concerns about registered childcare providers, and the CQC has the same duty for registered care providers. Their contact details are public and we will provide them on request without discouragement.