Safeguarding & Other Policies

Promoting a Safer Church - Safeguarding

Policies

Safeguarding Policy 2026 for Children
Safeguarding Policy 2026 for Vulnerable Adults
Safeguarding Photography Policy 2026
Domestic Abuse Policy 2026
CCTV Policy 2026
Linslade Complaints Policy 2026
Policy on the Recruitment of Ex Offenders 2026
Policy on the Streaming of Live Services 2026

Parish Safeguarding Officer

Jo Muzsnyai-Smith
Contact: 07877048535
Email:[email protected]

St Albans Diocese: Jez Hirst - Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser
Contact: 01727 818107 | 07867 350886
Email: [email protected]

https://www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding

Some useful organisations if you need support or advice:

Older and Vulnerable People

Action on Elder Abuse Helpline:
080 8808 8141 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

Age UK Advice:
0800 169 65 65
www.ageuk.org.uk

Carers UK: Charity providing advice, information and support for carers.
0808 808 7777
www.carersuk.org

Scope: Charity with support, information and advice to help disabled people have the same rights as everyone else.
0808 800 3333
www.scope.org.uk

Shelter: Charity providing information, advice and advocacy to people with housing problems.
0808 800 4444
www.england.shelter.org.uk

Mental Health Support

Samaritans: Phone if you feel you are struggling to cope and need someone to talk to.
116 123 24/7 helpline
www.samaritans.org

Mind: Charity offering information and advice on mental health issues as well as local support services.
0300 123 3393
www.mind.org.uk

SHOUT: 24/7 free Mental Health Support Service when you are feeling anxious, low, stressed or overwhelmed.
85258
www.giveusashout.org

SAFEGUARDING IS NOT OPTIONAL (BUT BISCUITS HELP) From the Study (With Biscuits)
by Rev Dr Tim Keen
I have today attended Safeguarding Leadership Training.
Four hours. Two flipcharts. One PowerPoint presentation in a shade of diocesan mauve that
can only be described as penitential.
Now, before I say anything else, let me be absolutely clear: safeguarding MATTERS. It matters more than almost anything else we do. It matters more than vestment colours, more than the correct deployment of incense, more even than the Great Coffee Rota Dispute of 2019. If the
Church cannot be safe for the vulnerable – children, survivors of abuse, those at risk, those who carry scars invisible and visible – then we deserve to close the doors and turn St Faithful’s into a particularly draughty museum.
So yes. We go. We attend. We listen. We learn again what we already know. But my word.
The day began with introductions. “Share your name, your role, and one word that describes
how you feel about safeguarding.” There were offerings such as “important”, “essential”, “complex”, and one slightly alarming
“bewildered”. I offered “non-negotiable”, which sounded suitably leadership-adjacent while
concealing the fact that I was calculating how many biscuits one is morally permitted before
appearing greedy. We spent a good portion of the morning discussing “parish safeguarding culture”. This is, apparently, the atmosphere in which safeguarding either flourishes or withers. It was compared (with admirable persistence) to gardening. You cannot simply plant a policy and expect roses. You must water, weed, prune, and occasionally remove something deeply embedded that has been there since 1973 and insists on being called “tradition”. There was much talk of “healthy challenge”. I found myself nodding vigorously, because I have discovered over the years that the most dangerous sentence in church life is not “We’ve run out of hymn books,” but “We’ve always done it this way.” Safeguarding thrives in sunlight. It does
not do well in cupboards. We then arrived at the mysteriously titled “Saving Graces”. I confess I braced myself for a brief theological diversion involving sacramental metaphors. Alas, it was a framework. There are always frameworks. This one involved virtues, behaviours, and the sort of laminated card that makes you feel you are about to board a particularly serious aeroplane.
Around me sat newly appointed churchwardens and Parish Safeguarding Officers, for whom
safeguarding is less a garden and more an undiscovered continent populated by acronyms. One gentleman, retired some years ago from what I suspect was an engineering background,
approached each discussion point with the expression of a man attempting to bump-start a
lawnmower that has not been used since the Millennium. His contributions were earnest,
slightly delayed, and always began with “In my day…” And yet – and this is important – he was trying. They all were. Risk management followed. We examined scenarios. We asked what we would do if X happened during Y, involving Z and a cup of tea. Much of this is bread-and-butter for
incumbents. We live in the land of risk assessments. We dream in flowcharts. Somewhere in my filing cabinet is a document assessing the theological hazards of the Advent candle near the curtain. But what struck me – between the second and third chocolate hobnob – was that for some in the room this was not repetitive. It was revelatory. The realisation that safeguarding is not merely about responding to disaster, certainly not about saving the church's (rightly tarnished) reputation, but about shaping positive, caring culture. That it is not suspicion, but care. Not paranoia, but love with its sleeves rolled up. There was a moment – and I record this without irony – when a newly minted churchwarden said quietly, “I hadn’t realised how much responsibility we carry.” The room shifted slightly. Less irksome. More human.
Because here is the thing. We may find the repetition tiresome. We may feel that four hours is a long time to rehearse what many of us could recite backwards. We may even harbour the
occasional uncharitable thought about diocesan stationery choices. But the repetition is the point. Culture is not built in a single inspiring sermon. It is built in policies revisited, in training attended, in questions asked again. It is built when someone new to office discovers that this is not optional. That safeguarding is not an administrative hoop but a moral commitment. If we are bored, so be it. Better boredom than complacency. Better a roomful of clergy suppressing sighs than a parish where no one knows what to do, or how to care well, when someone discloses something horrific.
By the end, we were invited to write down one action we would take back to our parish. I
resisted the temptation to write, “Re-stock biscuit tin.” Instead, I wrote: “Keep talking about
culture.” Because policies sit in folders. Culture lives in people. And the Church – for all its quirks,
committees, and occasionally struggling cognitive engines – must be a place where the
vulnerable are not managed, but cherished.
So yes. I will go again in three years. I will smile sweetly at diocesan PowerPoints. I will discuss
frameworks. I will smile kindly at the retired engineer. And I will remember that safeguarding is not a bureaucratic imposition. It is what love looks like when it is properly organised.
Tim
Revd Dr Tim Keen - Vicar
Any resemblance in this article to the training session attended today by Canon Tom Kennar is
purely coincidental.

St Faithful’s is fictional. The affection is real.
Books by Canon Tom Kennar (including “The Parish Life” – about St Faithful’s - Volumes 1 & 2)
are available in print and e-book. Merchandise lurks online. See https://
tomkennar.blogspot.com/p/st-faithfuls-authors-resources.html for more details.
AI assisted. The ideas, drafting, and publishing responsibility is entirely human.
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CYBER FRAUD
The National Cyber Security Service (NCSS) is a government organisation that investigates spam or suspicious emails and websites.

You can contact them:  [email protected].
Reporting spam emails, texts, and scams is effective.

Nearly half a million websites (URL = the web address of a website) have been disabled, preventing many potential victims from being scammed.

This shows the importance of reporting all suspicious texts and emails, and every report received is acted on.

They analyse the content of the email that you report and any websites it links to.
If they discover activity that they believe to be malicious, they:
    • seek to block the address the email came from, so it can no longer send emails
    • work with website hosting companies to remove links to malicious websites
    • raise awareness of commonly reported suspicious emails and methods used with
  the help of our partners.

If you think you may have been a victim of fraud or cyber crime, and live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you should report this to:

Report Fraud at www.reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

There are ways you can protect yourself from attacks like this, and the NCSC has published plenty of advice that will help you to stay secure online.

For further information about reporting suspicious emails to the NCSC and a full overview of the NCSC’s advice for the general public, check out their website at
www.ncsc.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails.

  PSYCHOLOGICAL OR EMOTIONAL ABUSE – ADULTS

What is psychological or emotional abuse?
Emotional or psychological abuse is behaviour that has a harmful effect on an adult’s emotional health and development.
All abuse of vulnerable people has an emotional impact.
(Social Care Institute of Excellence, 2018)

Types of psychological or emotional abuse…

Enforced social isolation.

Preventing someone from accessing services, educational and social opportunities, and seeing friends.

Removing mobility or communication aids or intentionally leaving someone unattended when they need assistance.

Preventing someone from meeting their religious and cultural needs.

Preventing the expression of choice and opinion.

Failure to respect privacy.

Preventing stimulation, meaningful occupation or activities.

Intimidation, coercion, harassment.

Use of threats, humiliation, bullying, swearing or verbal abuse.

Addressing a person in a patronising or infantilising way.

Threats of harm or abandonment.
Cyberbullying.

Possible indicators of psychological or emotional abuse…

An air of silence when a particular person is present.

Withdrawal or change in the psychological state of the person.

Insomnia, low self-esteem.

Uncooperative and aggressive behaviour.

A change in appetite, weight loss/gain.

Signs of distress: tearfulness, anger.

Apparent false claims by someone involved with the person to attract unnecessary treatment.

EXTREMISM AND RADICALISATION CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS

Definition…

Radicalisation is the process through which a person comes to support or be involved in extremist ideologies. It can result in a person becoming drawn into terrorism and is in itself a form of harm.

Extremism goes beyond terrorism and includes people who target the vulnerable –including the young – by seeking to sow division between communities based on race, faith or denomination; justify discrimination towards women and girls; persuade others that minorities are inferior; or argue against the primacy of democracy and the rule of law in our society. This can include harmful minority religions (“cults”).
(House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Guidance)

Radicalisation is when individuals are:
Exploited by extremists to support terrorism and violent extremism in some cases encouraged to participate in terrorist groups and actions.

This is not an aspect of safeguarding with which we have much experience in the Church of England.

It is, however, important that there is an awareness of what it is, who is at risk and the relevant indicators.

There is no clear profile of a person likely to become involved in extremism or a single indicator of when a person might move to adopt violence in support of extremist ideas.

The process will be different for every individual and can take place over an extended period or within a very short time frame.

Given this, it is important that awareness, sensitivity and expertise are developed to recognise signs that an individual is being exploited and put at risk of significant harm.

Children and adults at risk can be drawn into violence, or they too can be exposed to the messages of extremist groups by many means.

These can include family members or friends, direct contacts with members, groups, organisations, or through the internet or social media.

This may lead them to risk being drawn into criminal activity, which has the potential to cause significant harm.

Factors associated with extremism /radicalisation…

Identity crisis when an individual is distanced from their cultural/religious heritage, which leaves them uncomfortable with their place in the society around them.

Personal crisis through family tensions; sense of isolation; adolescence; low self-esteem; disassociating from existing friendship group and becoming involved with new and different groups of friends; searching for answers to questions about identity, faith and belonging.

Personal circumstances such as migration; local community tensions; events affecting country or region of origin; alienation from UK values; having a sense of grievance that is triggered by personal experience of racism or discrimination or aspects of government policy.

Unmet aspirations with perceptions of injustice; feeling of failure; rejection of civic life.

Criminality through experiences of imprisonment; poor resettlement/reintegration; previous involvement with criminal groups.

Other critical risk factors…
Being in contact with extremist recruiters.

Articulating support for violent extremist causes and leaders.

Accessing violent extremist websites, especially those with a networking element.

Possessing and viewing violent extremist literature.

Using extremist narratives and a global ideology to explain personal disadvantage.

Justifying the use of violence to solve societal problems.

Joining extremist organisations.

Significant changes to behaviour or appearance.

Other potential indicators…
Use of inappropriate language.

Possession of violent extremist literature.

Behavioural changes.

The expression of extremist views.

Advocating violent actions.

Association with known extremists.

Seeking to recruit others to an extremist ideology.

Grooming
  What is grooming?

Grooming is when someone builds trust and an emotional connection with a child, young person, or vulnerable adult to manipulate, exploit, or abuse them.

It can happen online or in person, quickly or over a long period.

The groomer may be a stranger or someone the child already knows (including family members, peers, or trusted adults like teachers, sports coaches or faith leaders).

Groomers often present themselves as caring, helpful, or authoritative.

They may use gifts, attention, advice, secrecy, flattery or intimidation to gain control of their victims, and can manipulate a victim’s feelings to create dependence or confusion.

A victim may not recognise they are being groomed while it is happening, and may experience mixed emotions such as loyalty, affection, fear or distress.

What might grooming look like in our parish?

Grooming can be hard to spot.

Victims may hide what is happening or seem to display their normal behaviour.

You might notice a victim becoming unusually secretive about where they go or what they are doing online.

They may start spending time with someone older, or have unexplained money, clothes or devices.

They may start drinking or using drugs, go missing for periods of time, or spend much more (or much less) time on their phone.

Emotional changes such as being withdrawn, distressed or upset can be signs, as can sexualised language or behaviour that isn’t appropriate for their age.

Recognising harmful narratives...

Children, young people, and vulnerable adults who are involved in sexual or criminal exploitation must always be regarded as victims first and foremost.

What may appear to be offending behaviour can often be the result of coercion, grooming, or control by others.

Safeguarding responses should prioritise protection and support rather than criminalisation.

How should we respond?

Addressing grooming involvement requires an appropriate safeguarding and multi-agency response.

Individuals should not try to manage these issues independently.
They must follow ‘Reporting Safeguarding Concerns and Allegations’ and 'Responding Well to Victims and Survivors of Abuse'
Church of England guidance.

Speak to your Parish Safeguarding Officer if you are concerned.
Contact the Police in an emergency or where there is immediate risk.

Domestic Abuse and Violence

National Domestic Violence: Phone if you are experiencing domestic abuse.
0808 2000 247 24/7 helpline
www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk

Hourglass: Charity working to protect vulnerable older adults and prevent abuse. 24/7 helpline provides confidential advice and support.
0808 808 8141
www.wearehourglass.org

ManKind Initiative: National charity that provides help and support for male victims of domestic abuse and domestic violence.
0808 800 1170
www.mankind.org.uk

Women's Aid: Charity for women across the UK who have experienced domestic violence.
www.womensaid.org.uk

Children and Young People

NSPCC Child Protection: Phone if you are worried about a child.
0808 800 5000 24/7 helpline
www.nspcc.org.uk

Child-line: Phone if you are a child or young person and are worried about anything.
0800 1111 24/7 helpline
www.childline.org.uk

Young Minds: Support and advice for young people and parents.
0808 802 5544
www.youngminds.org.uk

Safeguarding Prayer

Loving God,

We pray that this church may be a place of welcome, security and compassion.

Keep us watchful yet caring,
trusting yet ready to question,
that all who worship here may do so in safety and in the knowledge of your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

May the doors of this church be wide enough to receive all who come seeking God and fellowship.

May the doors of this church be narrow enough to shut out pettiness and pride, envy and enmity.

May the threshold of this church be no stumbling block to young or frail feet.

May the threshold of this church be too high to admit complacency and self-seeking.

May this church be, for all who enter, a safe place and the doorway to a richer life in Christ.


  What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is exactly what it says – guarding the safety of the members of our Church Community and as such it has its roots very firmly in our Christian duty to love one
another.

There will be vulnerable people in most congregations, including ours, who need us to look out for them.

We all have a responsibility for Safeguarding, that is looking out for each other’s well-being.
We tend to think of the abuse of children when we think of Safeguarding, but people can be vulnerable at any age and in a number of different ways.

Our Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) works
alongside and on behalf of the PCC to ensure
that all who worship with us and visit us are
as safe as they can be.

Speak to your PSO if you see or hear
anything that doesn’t feel right – because if it
doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t.

IF YOU CONCERNED ABOUT YOURSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE - SPEAK TO SOMEONE.

CALL 999 IF THERE IS IMMEDIATE DANGER.

What is Abuse?

Abuse comes in many forms and can be broadly divided into the following categories:
Sexual abuse
Physical abuse
Domestic abuse
Psychological or emotional abuse
Coercive control
Spiritual abuse
Financial or material abuse
Neglect (of child/other)
Self neglect
Modern slavery
Discriminatory abuse
Organisational abuse

Any member of our congregation may be vulnerable to one or more of these so it is important we are mindful of them.

It wouldn't happen here.

It is hard to think that anything harmful could happen within a Church community, but sadly it can and, on occasion, it does.

A church is a fully inclusive community – we turn no-one away – and for this reason we may, from time to time, have someone among us whose behaviours are abusive.

Abusers are excellent at appearing “normal”
and “kind” people – they build this persona.

It is part of our responsibility as Christians to care for and love one another: we cannot do this unless we are prepared to consider that sometimes harm can hide in plain sight.

It is important we look out for anything that seems “not right” to us about someone’s behaviour or notice something that seems odd and share with our Parish Safeguarding Officer.

  SAFEGUARDING TOPICS

  POSSIBLE BARRIERS TO REPORTING SAFEGUARDING CONCERNS...

Recognise – Respond – Record - Refer

Reporting a safeguarding concern can feel complicated, but reporting a safeguarding concern should be straightforward.

Possible barriers…

Doubt
A worry about getting it wrong, causing harm, or overstepping.
What if it feels like interfering?

Remember…

When someone shares a concern with you, it is often because they want help.
They are trusting you to do something with what they have shared.
A safeguarding concern is never just a private matter, and you are not being asked to take sides or make a judgement.
You are being asked to pass the concern on so that someone trained to help can take it from there.
Keeping people safe and supported is at the heart of what we are called to do.
That is not interference. That is care.

What if someone told you something in confidence, or asked you to keep it a secret?

It takes courage for someone to share something difficult, and that matters.
A request for confidentiality cannot come before someone's safety.
Referring is not a betrayal of trust.
In many cases, it is the most caring thing you can do.

What if it happened a long time ago?

Non-recent concerns are still concerns.
Time does not change the obligation to refer.
It does not make what happened any less important to the person who experienced it.
If someone shares something that happened in the past, they may have questions about what happens next and what will be shared.
Where you can, be honest with them about the process.
Your PSO/DSO can help you navigate this conversation and make sure the person disclosing knows what to expect.

What if it involves someone senior?

This is often the hardest barrier of all.
The Reporting Safeguarding Concerns and Allegations Code set out by the Church of England is there to help.
Seniority does not change the process, and you will not be left to handle it on your own.

What if you are not sure it is serious enough?

The code does not ask you to investigate or to be certain.
It asks you to refer, and to let the right people take it forward.
If you are unsure, speak to your Parish Safeguarding Officer.
The Diocesan Safeguarding Team are also there to advise and support.
They are there to help you work through it.

  Useful link
Reporting Safeguarding Concerns and Allegations Code


WHAT IS DOMESTIC ABUSE?

The UK government’s definition of domestic abuse is:

“any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to psychological, physical, sexual, financial, and emotional.”

Domestic abuse…

Usually a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviour through which an abuser seeks power over their partner or a family member
Rarely a one-off incident
Occurs across all of society – it can happen to anyone
Also includes so-called ‘honour’-based violence
Female genital mutilation
Forced marriage

A new criminal offence was introduced in 2015

Closed the gap in the law around patterns of controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate family relationship (Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015)

Criminalises patterns of coercive behaviour where they are perpetrated against a family member
Behaviour, when viewed in isolation, may appear innocuous, but the cumulative effect on a victim may be significant, causing damage and distress

Controlling behaviour…
A range of acts designed to make a person dependent:

by isolating them from sources of support.
exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain.
depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape.
Regulating their everyday behaviour.

Coercive behaviour…
Is an act or a pattern of acts such as:

assault
threats
humiliation
intimidation

 And other abuse that is used to:

harm
punish
frighten
isolation from family, friends, support
exploiting resources/money
preventing escape
regulating everyday behaviour

Adoption and Children Act 2002 section 120
Amended the definition of 'harm' in Section 31(9) of the Children Act 1989 to include 'impairment suffered from seeing or hearing
the ill-treatment of another'.

This makes witnessing domestic abuse a reason to take action to protect a child from harm in England and Wales.

Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme – Clare’s Law
The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (known as ‘Clare’s Law’) allows an individual to:

ask police to check whether a new or existing partner has a violent past.
enable an agency or an individual to ask the police to release information concerning an individual being at risk of domestic violence.

If an application is made under the scheme, Police and partner agencies will carry out:

checks, and if they show that the partner has a record of abusive offences, or there is other information to indicate that there may be a risk from the partner, the Police will consider sharing this information.

'We receive calls from male victims of domestic abuse across all age ranges and professions'.
mankind.org.uk 2024

DOMESTIC ABUSE AND CHILDREN

Witnessing or hearing domestic abuse is very distressing for a child and causes serious harm.
Children living in a home where domestic abuse is happening are at risk of other types of abuse too.
Children can experience domestic abuse in different ways.

CHILDREN MIGHT…

see the abuse
hear the abuse from another room
see a parent’s injuries or distress afterwards

be hurt by being nearby or trying to stop the abuse

IMPACT ON CHILDREN…

Exposure to violence, parental conflict and the distress of a caregiver is extremely anxiety-provoking for children.
Prolonged and/or regular exposure to domestic violence can have a serious damaging impact on children’s physical safety and emotional well-being and constitutes emotional abuse.
Children may also suffer because domestic violence affects parents’ capacity to provide care for their children.

There is a close link between parental violence and violence against children.

Between 50% and 70% of children living with domestic violence are directly physically or sexually abused themselves.

Nine out of ten young people who report neglect also report living with domestic violence.

DIRECT OR INDIRECT HARM TO CHILDREN…

physical and emotional neglect may result in basic needs, i.e., food/warmth, not being met
under-stimulation leading to cognitive delay
difficulty in communicating distress
signs of anxiety, fear and worry
school behaviour and attainment impaired
poor school attendance due to absence to protect parent or younger children
self-blame for parental behaviour
unplanned separations causing distress and disruption to friendship networks
embarrassment about unpredictable parental behaviour
taking on caring responsibilities for themselves and their parents
isolation caused by reluctance to talk about family issues
denying own needs and feelings
stress-related illnesses
confused and torn loyalties

DOMESTIC ABUSE TOWARDS WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

DEFINITION OF DOMESTIC ABUSE…

The definition of domestic violence in England and Wales was expanded in March 2013 to include victims aged 16 and 17 years old. Teenage girls aged 16-19 are most at risk of domestic abuse (Crime Survey for England and Wales, 2013/14). 13.1% are likely to experience violence from their partners or ex-partners. Other figures suggest that 1 in 5 teenagers have been abused by their boyfriend or girlfriend (Barter et al (2009) Partner Exploitation and Violence in Intimate Teenage Relationships).

STATISTICS…

Women are more likely to experience the most serious forms of domestic violence.
Women are more likely to be killed or seriously injured by their partner, ex-partner or lover.
However, there are also male victims, and domestic violence also occurs in same sex relationships.
The 2013/14 Crime Survey for England and Wales found that, overall, 28.3% of women and 14.7% of men had experienced any domestic abuse since the age of 16.

POSSIBLE INDICATORS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE OR VIOLENCE…

has unexplained bruises, cuts or injuries
becomes unusually quiet or withdrawn
has panic attacks
has frequent absences from work or other commitments
wears clothes that conceal bruises even on warm days
stops talking about their partner
is anxious about being out or rushes away
is always accompanied by their partner
feels that the abuse is their fault when it is not
is a victim of verbal abuse and humiliation in front of others
fears outside intervention
experiences damage to their home or property
feels isolated – not seeing friends and family
has limited access to money

“Everyone has arguments, and everyone disagrees with their partners, family members and others close to them from time to time. We all do things we regret and cause unhappiness to those we care about. But if this begins to form a consistent pattern, then it’s an indication of domestic abuse.”
(Women’s Aid, 2010)

WHAT IS FINANCIAL OR MATERIAL ABUSE?

Financial or material abuse is the denial of access to money, property, possessions, valuables or inheritance or the improper or unauthorised use of funds via omission, exploitation or extortion through threats.

Types of financial or material abuse…

theft of money or possessions
fraud, scamming
preventing a person from accessing their own money, benefits or assets
employees taking a loan from a person using the service
undue pressure, duress, threat or undue influence put on the person in connection with loans, wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions
arranging less care than is needed to save money to maximise inheritance
denying assistance to manage/monitor financial affairs
denying assistance to access benefits
misuse of personal allowance in a care home
misuse of benefits or direct payments in a family home
someone moving into a person’s home and living rent-free, without agreement or under duress
false representation, using another person’s bank account, cards or documents
exploitation of a person’s money or assets, e.g. unauthorised use of a car
misuse of a power of attorney, deputy, appointeeship or other legal authority
rogue trading – e.g. unnecessary or overpriced property repairs and failure to carry out agreed repairs or poor workmanship

Possible indicators of financial or material abuse…

missing personal possessions
unexplained lack of money or inability to maintain lifestyle
unexplained withdrawal of funds from accounts
power of attorney or lasting power of attorney (LPA) being obtained after the person has ceased to have mental capacity
failure to register an LPA after the person has ceased to have mental capacity to manage their finances, so that it appears that they are continuing to do so
the person allocated to manage financial affairs is evasive or uncooperative
the family or others show unusual interest in the assets of the person
signs of financial hardship in cases where the person’s financial affairs are being managed by a court-appointed deputy, attorney or LPA
recent changes in deeds or title to property
rent arrears and eviction notices
a lack of clear financial accounts held by a care home or service
failure to provide receipts for shopping or other financial transactions carried out on behalf of the person
disparity between the person’s living conditions and their financial resources e.g. insufficient food in the house
unnecessary property repairs

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking of children,
young people and adults.

Definition…
Modern slavery is defined as the recruitment, movement, harbouring or receiving of children, women or men through the use of force, coercion, and abuse of vulnerability, deception or other means for exploitation by the Modern Slavery Act.
Modern Slavery is an international crime, affecting an estimated 29.8 million slaves around the world.
It is a global problem that transcends age, gender and ethnicity, including here in the UK, and we must bring this hidden crime into the open.

Human trafficking is one form of modern slavery. It involves recruiting, moving, or keeping someone through violence or coercion to exploit them.
This does not have to involve travel across borders; trafficking can happen entirely within the UK. Poverty, limited opportunities at home, lack of education, unstable social and political conditions, economic imbalances and war are some of the key drivers that contribute to trafficking of victims. What’s more, victims can often face more than one type of abuse and slavery, for example, if they are sold to another trafficker and then forced into another form of exploitation.

Modern slavery can affect adults and children, including people born in the UK and people from overseas. It can happen in everyday settings, such as workplaces, private homes or community spaces, as well as in more hidden or isolated situations. It can include victims who have been brought from overseas, and vulnerable people in the UK, being forced to work illegally against their will in many different sectors, including brothels, cannabis farms, nail bars and agriculture.

It is a serious form of abuse and a safeguarding concern.

Types of exploitation…

People experiencing modern slavery may be exploited in different ways:

Labour exploitation: People being made to work in unsafe or unfair conditions, often for little or no pay, and unable to leave
Child trafficking: Young people (under 18) are moved either internationally or domestically so they can be exploited
Forced labour / Debt bondage: Victims are forced to work to pay off debts that, realistically, they never will be able to. Low wages and increased debts mean not only that they cannot ever hope to pay off the loan, but the debt may be passed down to their children.
Forced labour: Victims are forced to work against their will, often working very long hours for little or no pay in dire conditions under verbal or physical threats of violence to them or their families. It can happen in many sectors of our economy, from mining to tarmacking, hospitality and food packaging.
Sexual exploitation: Victims are forced to perform non-consensual or abusive sexual acts against their will, such as prostitution, escort work and pornography. Whilst women and children make up the majority of victims, men can also be
affected. Adults are coerced often under the threat of force, or another penalty.
Criminal exploitation: Often controlled and maltreated, victims are forced into crimes such as cannabis cultivation or pickpocketing against their will.
Domestic servitude: Victims are forced to carry out housework and domestic chores in private households with little or no pay, restricted movement, very limited or no free time, and minimal privacy, often sleeping where they work.
Forced marriage: Where a person is pressured, threatened, or coerced into a marriage without their free and informed consent. Forced marriage is fundamentally different from arranged marriage and can occur in any cultural context.
Organ and tissue exploitation

Signs and indicators of modern slavery…

Indicators may not be obvious.
People experiencing exploitation may appear:

fearful
withdrawn
unable to speak freely

Other signs you might see include…

Signs of physical or psychological abuse:

looking malnourished
unkempt
appearing withdrawn

Under the influence and control of others:

they may rarely be allowed to travel on their own
rarely interact or appear unfamiliar with their neighbourhood or where they work
victims may be living in dirty, cramped or overcrowded accommodation
and/or living and working at the same address
they may have no identification documents
have few personal possessions
always wear the same clothes day in day out
clothes they do wear may not be suitable for their work
victims have little opportunity to move freely and may have had their travel documents retained, e.g. passports
they may be dropped off / collected for work regularly either very early or late at night.
victims may avoid eye contact
appear frightened or hesitant to talk to strangers
fear law enforcers for many reasons, such as not knowing who to trust or where to get help
fear of deportation
fear of violence to them or their family.

These signs may suggest limited control over their own circumstances and could indicate exploitation.

If you are concerned, speak to your Safeguarding Officer.

If you have concerns that you or someone you know is being stalked or harassed, report this concern to the police or local authority.