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Safeguarding Policy

Everyone we support has the right to live free from abuse, harm and neglect. Safeguarding is everybody’s business at Mission Healthcare, and it comes before everything else we do. This policy explains how we protect the adults in our care, what our staff must do if they are worried about someone, and how you can raise a concern with us or directly with Kent County Council. Our Safeguarding Lead is Shola Babatunde, a Director of Mission Healthcare, who is responsible for making sure every concern is acted on.

Last reviewed: September 2026. Next review: September 2027. Available in large print, easy read or another format on request.

Our commitment

We will:

  • treat every person we support with dignity and respect, and listen to what they tell us
  • recruit staff safely, including enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and references
  • train every member of staff in safeguarding before they work alone, and refresh that training regularly
  • act on every concern, however small it seems, and never ignore or delay a report
  • work openly with Kent County Council, the NHS, the police and the Care Quality Commission
  • support anyone who raises a concern in good faith, and never penalise them for doing so

The law and guidance we follow

This policy reflects the Care Act 2014 and its statutory guidance, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 — in particular Regulation 13 on safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment — the Equality Act 2010, the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. We work within the procedures of the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board.

The six safeguarding principles

The Care Act sets out six principles that guide everything we do:

  • Empowerment — people are supported to make their own decisions, with informed consent.
  • Prevention — it is better to take action before harm occurs.
  • Proportionality — the least intrusive response appropriate to the risk.
  • Protection — support and representation for those in greatest need.
  • Partnership — working with the local community and other agencies.
  • Accountability — being open and answerable for what we do.

The types of abuse we look out for

The Care Act identifies ten categories of abuse and neglect. Our staff are trained to recognise all of them:

  • physical abuse
  • domestic abuse, including coercive control
  • sexual abuse
  • psychological or emotional abuse
  • financial or material abuse, including scams and fraud
  • modern slavery
  • discriminatory abuse
  • organisational or institutional abuse
  • neglect and acts of omission
  • self-neglect

We are also alert to online and telephone scams, radicalisation, and abuse that takes place through carers, family members or people posing as officials.

Signs that someone may be at risk

Signs can be physical, such as unexplained bruising, weight loss, poor hygiene or untreated injuries. They can also be behavioural, such as becoming withdrawn or fearful, a sudden change in mood, reluctance to be alone with a particular person, missing money or possessions, unpaid bills, or changes to a will or bank account that the person does not understand. Our carers see people regularly and are trained to notice when something changes.

What our staff must do

Any member of staff who suspects that someone is being abused, neglected or harmed must:

  • make sure the person is safe, and call 999 if there is immediate danger or a crime is taking place
  • listen to the person, take what they say seriously, and never promise to keep it secret
  • not investigate, question the person repeatedly or confront anyone
  • preserve any evidence
  • report it to Shola Babatunde, our Safeguarding Lead, straight away, and always within the same working day. If the Safeguarding Lead is unavailable, report it to the Director on duty
  • write down exactly what they saw and heard, in the person’s own words where possible, with the date and time

Shola Babatunde, Director and Safeguarding Lead, is responsible for safeguarding at Mission Healthcare, supported by our Directors. They will make a safeguarding referral to Kent County Council where the criteria are met, notify the Care Quality Commission where required, and keep the person and their representatives informed. Where someone may lack capacity to make a particular decision, we follow the Mental Capacity Act and act in their best interests.

How to raise a safeguarding concern

You do not need to be certain, and you do not need proof. If you are worried about someone, tell us or tell Kent County Council.

  • In an emergency, or if a crime may have been committed: call 999. For non-emergencies, call the police on 101.
  • Mission Healthcare: ask for Shola Babatunde, our Safeguarding Lead, on +44 7470 367 720 or admin@missionhealthcare.co.uk.
  • Kent County Council adult social care: 03000 41 61 61, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, or social.services@kent.gov.uk. Out of hours, call 03000 41 91 91. Text relay users can dial 18001 03000 41 61 61.
  • Care Quality Commission: 03000 616161 or enquiries@cqc.org.uk. The CQC cannot investigate individual cases, but it uses what you tell it to decide when and where to inspect.

Speaking up at work

Our staff can raise concerns about the safety or care of anyone we support without fear for their own position. Concerns can be raised with our Safeguarding Lead or either Director, or externally with Kent County Council, the Care Quality Commission or the independent charity Protect. Staff who raise genuine concerns are protected under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, and we will not tolerate anyone being victimised for doing so.

Training and review

Every member of staff completes safeguarding training during induction, before they support anyone on their own, and refreshes it at least every year. Safeguarding is a standing item in supervision and team meetings. This policy is reviewed every year, and sooner if the law, national guidance or local procedures change.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled a concern, please see our Concerns and Complaints policy.