Safeguarding at Harrogate Private GP Ltd:

Who is responsible for safeguarding?

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Here at Harrogate Private GP all staff members play a role in safeguarding. Safeguarding is not just something we choose to do, it is also something we are required by law to do.

At Harrogate Private GP the Safeguarding Lead is Dr Joy Shacklock

Safeguarding simply means keeping people safe from harm. It is about protecting children and adults from abuse or neglect. There are many different types of abuse:

Types of abuse that children can suffer include: physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, bullying and cyberbullying, child sexual exploitation, child trafficking, criminal exploitation and gangs, female genital mutilation and grooming.

Types of abuse that adults can suffer include: physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, financial or material abuse, modern slavery, discriminatory abuse, organisational or institutional abuse, neglect and self-neglect.

The role of General Practitioners and general practice in safeguarding is defined by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP safeguarding standards for general practice) as:

“Contributing to the protection of children and adults from abuse and neglect using the specific skills, resources and capacity available in general practice by:

  • Implementing professional safeguarding responsibilities which includes continual

    professional development in safeguarding

  • Preventing abuse and neglect

  • Identifying abuse and neglect

  • Responding appropriately to abuse and neglect, including supporting victims and survivors of

    abuse

  • Having governance systems and processes in place to support safeguarding, and working collaboratively with other health colleagues, safeguarding partners and agencies.”

As doctors, we have a professional responsibility to safeguard children and adults who are at risk of harm. This is set out in the General Medical Council’s ‘Good Medical Practice’ 2024 which has the following guidance that doctors must follow:

“You must consider the needs and welfare of people (adults, children and young people) who may be vulnerable, and offer them help if you think their rights are being abused or denied.

You must follow our more detailed guidance on Protecting children and young people and 0-18 years: guidance for all doctors.

You must act promptly on any concerns you have about a patient – or someone close to them – who may be at risk of abuse or neglect, or is being abused or neglected.”

General Medical Council. Good Medical Practice 2024. Good medical practice 2024 - GMC

How does Harrogate Private GP Ltd safeguard children and adults who are, or who might be at risk of, experiencing abuse or neglect?

Keeping children and adults safe from abuse and neglect cannot be done by one person or one agency. At the heart of any safeguarding process is the child or adult who may be suffering abuse. We work in partnership with our patients who are, or who are at risk of, experiencing abuse as well as their families and advocates as appropriate.

Integral to protecting children and adults from abuse and neglect is working together with other professionals and agencies to ensure any child or adult experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, abuse can be supported and protected. When there is a safeguarding concern about a child or adult, we will work with our colleagues across health, as well as with our partner agencies locally, such as child and adult social care, education and the police, to ensure the child or adult is protected and supported.

To find out more about how agencies work together in our local areas to keep children and adults safe please visit:

What will happen if a GP or any member of staff at Harrogate Private GP is worried that a child or adult is being abused or neglected?

All staff at Harrogate Private GP have a duty and responsibility to speak up and say something if they are worried a child or adult might be being abused or neglected. If any staff member has a concern, they will discuss this with the Safeguarding Lead, Dr Joy Shacklock, or with one of the other GPs who will decide what needs to happen next.

If a doctor is concerned that a child or young person is at risk of abuse or neglect, they must take steps to make sure the child or young person is protected. It can be very upsetting and stressful for families when this happens and parents often have questions about what their doctor may or may not do. This leaflet from the General Medical Council (GMC) helps to answer those questions: What to expect if your doctor is worried about your child’s safety

If a doctor is concerned that an adult is at risk of abuse or neglect, they will

  • Ask the person if they require any immediate support to keep themselves safe

  • Explain how safeguarding works

  • Ask the person what they would like to happen

  • Support the person in a way to give them choice and control to improve their quality of life, wellbeing, and safety.

To do this the doctor will:

  • Listen to the person

  • Understand their views and wishes

  • Take them seriously

  • Treat them with respect

  • Support them to feel as safe as they want

  • Support them to make their own decisions

  • Keep them informed and involved

  • Tell the person what will happen next

Confidentiality and information sharing:

Sharing information with other relevant professionals is an important part of safeguarding. Sadly, reviews of cases where a child or adult has been killed or seriously harmed due to abuse or neglect, have often found that professionals have not shared the right information with the right person at the right time to keep the child or adult safe.

All staff at Harrogate Private GP must comply with the law and national guidance when making decisions about information sharing to safeguard children and adults. Trust is an essential part of the doctor-patient relationship and confidentiality is central to this.

Doctors are under both ethical and legal duties to protect patients’ personal information from improper disclosure. But appropriate information sharing is an essential part of the provision of safe and effective care. Patients may be put at risk if those who are providing their care do not have access to relevant, accurate and up-to-date information about them.

Confidentiality is an important ethical and legal duty for doctors and all healthcare staff. However, there may be circumstances where we will need to share necessary, relevant and proportionate personal information about a patient without their consent.

Examples of these circumstances include:

  • There are other people who are, or may be, at risk of abuse or neglect, including children,

  • Sharing the information could prevent a serious crime,

  • A serious crime has been committed,

  • Someone in a position of trust is implicated in causing abuse/neglect,

  • The risk of serious harm or death is very high in a domestic abuse situation,

  • A court order has requested the information.

At Harrogate Private GP, we will always endeavor to inform the patient that we will need to share information about them in order to keep them or others safe from serious harm, as long as informing the person does not increase risk of harm to the person or others.

Safeguarding Training:

All staff at Harrogate Private GP have the appropriate levels of safeguarding training for their job role. We follow the RCGP Safeguarding Standards which sets out the professional safeguarding standards for all GPs and general practice staff working in any general practice setting in the UK, including the independent/private sector. The RCGP safeguarding standards can be found here: RCGP safeguarding standards for general practice

Mental Capacity:

Mental capacity is about being able to make your own decisions. When making decisions about what action is necessary to safeguard an adult, healthcare professionals sometimes have to consider whether the person has mental capacity to understand their situation and make decisions about what should happen to them.

A person may lack mental capacity if their mind is impaired or disturbed in some way, which means they’re unable to make a decision at that time.

All professionals have to follow The Mental Capacity Act which empowers and protects people who are not able to make their own decisions. This covers decisions about property and financial affairs, health, welfare and where they live.

For more information on the Mental Capacity Act and Making Decisions visit:

Where can you get help if you are worried you or someone else is suffering abuse or neglect?

Remember:

  • Abuse is always wrong.

  • No one should have to live with abuse.

  • By reporting abuse you can help bring it to an end.

To find out more about the different types of child abuse visit the NSPCC: Types of Child Abuse & How to Prevent Them | NSPCC

To find out more about the different types of adult abuse visit the Social Care Institute for Excellence: Types and indicators of abuse: Safeguarding adults - SCIE

Worried about a child?

Where there are significant immediate concerns about the safety of a child, you should contact the police on 999.

If you are worried about any child and think they may be a victim of neglect or abuse, any member of the public can share their concerns with children’s social care:

Worried about an adult?

If you or the person you are concerned about is in danger and immediate action is required, you should ring the emergency services on 999.

Domestic abuse:

Domestic abuse isn’t just physical. It includes controlling, coercive, threatening and degrading behaviour, usually by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer. It can also include financial control, belittling someone, isolating them from their friends and family, making threats to children or pets, controlling who they see or what they do or sexual violence. Living with domestic abuse can cause long term emotional as well as physical harm.

Despite the fact that domestic abuse is common, it is under-reported. Some people may not be aware that what is happening to them is domestic abuse and some people do not tell anyone because they feel ashamed or that in some way it is their fault but this is never the case. If you are being abused, you are not alone, and it is not your fault.

IDAS About domestic abuse - IDAS

Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of sex, gender reassignment, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality, or background. It can occur within a wide range of relationships. While both men and women can be affected by domestic abuse, statistics show most domestic abuse is carried out by men and experienced by women.

Domestic abuse always has an impact on children. Young people can also experience domestic abuse within their relationships.

Where to find help and support if you are a victim or survivor of domestic abuse:

If you are in an emergency, phone 999

Where to find help and support if you are worried about your behaviour towards your partner, ex-partner or any family member:

You can always speak in confidence to any member of staff at Harrogate Private GP. The safeguarding lead is Dr Joy Shacklock - use contact us to make us aware and let us help you.

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