Safeguarding adults and children

There are effective systems to protect adults and children at risk from abuse and neglect within all services provided by the Trust across all our sites.

Everyone has a right to live a life free from abuse and neglect. We all have a duty of care to protect adults and children.

We work with local partners and individual agencies to safeguard and support our people and population.

Robust governance arrangements help ensure that we fulfil our safeguarding responsibilities, and work effectively to safeguard patients under our care.

Employing appropriate staff

We help prevent unsuitable people from working with our patients, especially those who may be particularly vulnerable.

We meet statutory requirements and ensure that all staff we employ meet the right level of checks with the national Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting working with us.

How we safeguard

When concerns are raised by our patients, families, our staff and agency partners, we follow up. This means we can make sure that their care and health needs are not affected in any way.

The Trust has a statutory duty under Section 11 of the Child Act 2004 and Care Act 2014 to protect children and adults and promote their welfare.

We are actively engaged with the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board (OSAB) and the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board.

We work with the national Child Protection - Information Sharing (CP-IS) service to help us quickly identify children and families where there are known safeguarding concerns.

Our team

The Trust's Chief Nursing Officer has Executive responsibility for safeguarding.

We have named adult, children and maternity professionals, and named doctors for adults and children who provide training and support to our staff.

Further resources

• Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk Policy (OUH intranet access only)
• Raising a concern | Safeguarding concerns including domestic abuse - Oxford University Hospitals
• Mental Capacity Act 2005
  
• Modern Slavery Statement [Pending]
  
• Safeguarding relating to OUH staff