Safeguarding
During this period safeguarding adults and children advice and support from CCG safeguarding professionals is available seven days a week 8am-8pm:
T: 020 3350 4033
Please note: This is not for referrals which should be made to the relevant local authority social care team.
Safeguarding children
Designated professionals have pulled together relevant and proportionate information from the NHSE and NHSI safeguarding platform to further support professionals in these challenging times to ensure the safeguarding of children, young people and their families remain paramount.
If you require Designated Nurse support and advice you can contact the support line on:
T: 02033504033
See below a list of useful documents and information to further support professionals in safeguarding children.
GP Safeguarding Adults & Children Training
Training and learning in e-portfolios: It is useful to note any case discussion you have about an adult or child safeguarding issue can be reflected upon and a note of learning made and that it counts towards your overall hours of safeguarding adults and children training.
However if you would like to supplement this with an online training both bluestream, e-lfh.org.uk and rcgp online learning offer a level 3 adult or child safeguarding programme as e-learning can count to up to 50% of your overall requirements. e-lfh.org.uk also offer PREVENT level 3 training. Please find a bespoke version of the Intercollegiate Document for Safeguarding Adults for GP’s and practice staff attached as a helpful guide.
Please find a bespoke version of the Intercollegiate Document for Safeguarding Adults for GP’s and practice staff here as a helpful guide.
For children, please refer to the Intercollegiate Document for Safeguarding Children.
Safeguarding and Covid-19 Resources
Please find a list of resources to support General Practitioners and Practice staff in relation to safeguarding adults including specific tips in this area related to Covid-19. There are particular concerns about domestic abuse, including abuse and neglect between adults with care and support needs and their carers. There are also concerns about decision making and restrictions for those with cognitive impairments and financial abuse of those who are dependent on others for their shopping and errands during this time.
General Safeguarding Tips during Covid-19 from RCGP
This a really useful concise top tips for adult, child and family safeguarding with some links to consider for your patient facing website.
Mental Capacity Act (MCA)
The Act applies to people 16 years and over and is law, there is no change to the application of this law during Covid-19 although it presents new challenges around issue such as capacity to decide to self-isolate for example. There is a statutory Code of Practice and below are some general top tips for using the MCA:
• GP MCA tips
• The RCGP best interests decision support tool
A new suite of quick guides to MCA and clinical practice:
• MCA introduction
• The Mental Capacity Act requirements
• MCA requirements for clinical decisions
This recent document from Barristers at 39 Essex Street, is a helpful brief on the MCA still requiring decisions to be made in a persons best interests where they are assessed as lacking capacity to make said decision and the requirement to legally authorise any deprivations of liberty which may occur.
This is a recent recorded webinar from the leading Barrister on MCA and DoLS bespoke to Covid-19 with slides to accompany.
In order to search swiftly for valid applicable Power of Attorney during this period, the Office Of Public Guardian have implemented a new rapid response procedure to help partners in the NHS and local authorities identify those who may lack mental capacity and need support during the coronavirus crisis, follow the link here.
A legal note in relation to social distancing and those who lack capacity to make that decision.
This is a short video with slides from Barrister Alex Ruck-Keen about for end of life care planning.
The Resuscitation Council have produced a FAQ sheet on Respect care planning DNACPR decision making during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Guidance released for care homes, supported living and domiciliary care about managing Covid-19 can be found here.
Financial Abuse
Those who have dementia or reduced cognitive function are the subgroup of people who are most at risk of being victims of financial abuse compared to any other risk factor. Similarly, those who have poor health and have (or are at risk of) clinical depression and other illnesses are at substantial risk of financial abuse. During social isolation and distancing, there are more opportunities for financial abuse to occur on line, over the phone, on doorsteps and within families. It is a crime and a safeguarding issue.
Here is one page guide from the Law Society on spotting the signs.
This is a call from Police forces to share intelligence about doorstep scamming.
This short video was made by Waltham Forest but can be used in any area in relation to volunteers during the Covid-19 outbreak. May be good for patient facing websites.
It is 3 mins long and gives a simple message of:
• if you see something say something,
• that as volunteers you have a safeguarding role,
• flags that some people may volunteer for the wrong reason and
• tells volunteers we want them to be safe too
Domestic Abuse and COVID-19
It is important to recognise domestic abuse is also about carers and adults with care and support needs, adult children and parents as well as between intimate partners.
This Safelives link contains advice, helplines and on line tools.
This is guidance on DVA in the context of end of life care in the COVID-19 pandemic produced with the RCGP and partner organisations.
This is guidance from IRIS on GP teams responding to domestic abuse during virtual consultations.
This is an easy read guide to explain self isolation.
Useful guidance on caring for people with learning disability and autism with Coronavirus.
Sign language translation of Covid-19.
Unpaid Carers
A guide from the government for unpaid carers to plan for the possibility of them becoming unwell through the virus and being unable to care for their loved one.
Mental Health and COVID-19
This is government advice for the public on mental wellbeing.
World Health Organisation guidance on mental health.
