Safeguarding

Safeguarding

At BeST, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to protecting the well-being, rights and safety of every person we support. We take a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and harm, and work closely with our partners to prevent it.

What safeguarding means

Safeguarding is the process of protecting people’s health, wellbeing and human rights, especially those who may be more vulnerable to abuse or neglect. This includes people who have care and support needs due to disability, mental health, age or other factors.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Whether you are a tenant, a family member, a support worker, or a member of the public, we all have a role to play in identifying and reporting concerns.

What we do

BeST has clear safeguarding procedures in place to identify and respond to concerns quickly and effectively. This includes:

  • Training all our staff to recognise and report safeguarding issues
  • Working closely with local authorities, support providers and health services
  • Carrying out regular reviews and audits to ensure the safety of our tenants
  • Hold an internal database with safeguarding reports on
  • Following guidance set out by the Care Act 2014, local safeguarding boards and other national frameworks

We always put the person at the centre of any safeguarding action and strive to work in a way that promotes their dignity, independence and choice.

 

What to do if you’re worried

 

If you are concerned that someone is at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation, or if you are experiencing harm yourself, please speak up. Even if you're not sure, it’s better to raise a concern than to stay silent.

You can report safeguarding concerns to us directly by:

 

Types of abuse we respond to

 

We take action to protect people from a wide range of harm, including:

  • Physical abuse
    When someone hurts your body. This can include hitting, pushing, slapping, or being held down.
  • Emotional abuse
    When someone makes you feel scared, worthless or upset. This could be shouting, name-calling, ignoring you, or threatening you.
  • Sexual abuse
    When someone touches you or makes you do sexual things that you don’t want to do or don’t understand. This is never okay.
  • Financial abuse
    When someone takes your money, controls how you spend it, or steals from you.
  • Neglect
    When someone is meant to help you but doesn’t. This could mean not giving you the food, medication, or support you need.
  • Discrimination
    When someone treats you badly because of who you are — like your race, religion, disability, gender, or sexuality.
  • Domestic abuse
    When someone in your family, partner, or someone you live with hurts or controls you.
  • Organisational abuse
    When a group of people or a service (like a care home or support provider) treats you badly. This could be not giving the right care, ignoring your needs, or being rude and unkind.
  • Self-neglect
    When someone is unable to look after themselves. This might mean not eating, not maintaining personal hygiene, or not taking medication.

 

Working in partnership

 

We know that safeguarding is most effective when agencies work together in collaboration. That’s why we work closely with our support providers, local safeguarding teams, social workers, family members, and the people we support to ensure concerns are raised and addressed promptly.

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