Safeguarding Adults at Risk Policy and Procedure

Al-Waris Foundation is committed to safeguarding adults at risk who come into contact with the charity through its activities, services, projects, events, communications, partnerships or other work.

Everyone has the right to live free from abuse, neglect, exploitation and avoidable harm.

Al-Waris Foundation recognises that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

The Board of Trustees has ultimate responsibility for safeguarding within the charity. Operational safeguarding responsibilities may be delegated to appropriately appointed individuals, but the trustees retain overall responsibility for ensuring that safeguarding risks are identified, managed and reviewed.

Al-Waris Foundation will take reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent harm and will respond promptly and appropriately where a safeguarding concern arises.

Safeguarding action should respect the adult's rights, dignity, wishes and autonomy while recognising that circumstances may sometimes require action without consent to protect the adult or another person from serious harm.

This policy applies to:

It applies to Al-Waris Foundation activities:

For the purposes of this policy, an adult is a person aged 18 or over.

In England, the Care Act 2014 safeguarding duties concern an adult who:

Al-Waris Foundation recognises that vulnerability is not always permanent.

A person may become particularly vulnerable because of circumstances including:

The charity should consider the person's actual circumstances rather than applying labels unnecessarily.

Al-Waris Foundation will apply the following principles:

Adults should be supported to make their own decisions and give informed consent wherever possible.

It is better to take reasonable action before harm occurs.

The response should be proportionate to the risk presented.

People at greatest risk should receive appropriate support and protection.

Safeguarding often requires cooperation between individuals, communities, statutory authorities and organisations.

Safeguarding decisions and responsibilities should be clear and appropriately recorded.

Al-Waris Foundation will also:

This policy should be read in the context of applicable law and guidance, including where relevant:

Where Al-Waris Foundation operates outside the United Kingdom, applicable local safeguarding law and reporting requirements must also be considered.

Where local law provides a lower level of protection than this policy, Al-Waris Foundation should seek to maintain the standards contained in this policy so far as lawful and reasonably practicable.

Abuse may be a single act, repeated acts, deliberate conduct or a failure to act.

It may occur in person or online.

It may be committed by:

Forms of abuse may include:

Including assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, inappropriate restraint or inappropriate physical sanctions.

Including physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, economic, coercive or controlling behaviour between personally connected people.

Including sexual activity without consent, sexual assault, rape, sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, sexual exploitation or being made to view or participate in sexual activity.

Including threats, intimidation, humiliation, coercion, harassment, isolation, controlling behaviour or unreasonable restriction.

Including:

Including:

Including abuse or harassment connected with a protected characteristic or other aspect of a person's identity.

Including neglect, poor practice or abuse within an organisation, service, institution, project or care environment.

Including ignoring medical, emotional or physical needs, failing to provide appropriate care, or withholding necessities.

Including behaviour that seriously threatens a person's health, safety or wellbeing, where safeguarding intervention may be appropriate.

Including:

The Board of Trustees has ultimate responsibility for safeguarding.

The Board will:

Al-Waris Foundation will appoint a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).

The DSL is responsible for coordinating operational safeguarding arrangements.

Responsibilities include:

The identity and current contact details of the DSL should be maintained in controlled organisational records and made available to those who need them.

Where practicable, the charity should appoint a deputy or alternative safeguarding contact.

Safeguarding action must not be unnecessarily delayed because the DSL is unavailable.

The Board may appoint a Trustee Safeguarding Lead.

This does not remove the collective responsibility of all trustees.

Everyone covered by this policy must:

A concern may arise because:

Proof is not required before reporting a genuine safeguarding concern.

If an adult tells you they are being harmed or are at risk:

If an adult is in immediate danger or requires urgent medical assistance:

In the United Kingdom, emergencies should normally be reported using 999 or 112.

For overseas activities, the relevant local emergency arrangements should be used.

Concerns should normally be reported to the DSL as soon as possible.

A safeguarding report should include, where known:

If the DSL is unavailable and delay could increase risk, the concern should be raised directly with the appropriate authority.

Adults should normally be involved in decisions about their safeguarding.

Where an adult has capacity to make the relevant decision, their wishes should be respected so far as possible.

However, there may be circumstances where information needs to be shared or action taken without consent.

Examples may include where:

The reason for acting with or without consent should be recorded.

Al-Waris Foundation will not assume that a person lacks capacity merely because they:

Where the Mental Capacity Act 2005 applies, the charity will have regard to its principles.

Capacity is decision-specific and time-specific.

Where significant uncertainty exists, appropriate professional advice should be sought.

Where appropriate, the adult should be asked:

The person's wishes should inform the safeguarding response, subject to the need to protect them or others and comply with legal obligations.

The DSL will consider whether a concern should be referred to:

Al-Waris Foundation does not replace statutory safeguarding authorities.

Appropriate safeguarding advice should be obtained where the correct referral route is unclear.

If an allegation concerns the DSL, it should be reported to the Chair or Trustee Safeguarding Lead.

If it concerns the Chair, it should be reported to another unconflicted trustee.

Where multiple trustees are implicated or internal reporting may create further risk, the concern should be raised directly with an appropriate statutory authority and, where appropriate, the Charity Commission.

An allegation that a trustee, staff member, volunteer, contractor, representative or other person acting for Al-Waris Foundation has harmed or exploited an adult at risk must be treated seriously.

Interim protective measures may include:

Such measures are precautionary and do not themselves determine guilt.

External safeguarding or criminal investigations must not be compromised by an internal investigation.

Roles must be assessed individually for DBS eligibility.

Al-Waris Foundation will request the appropriate level of DBS check where:

A DBS certificate alone does not establish suitability.

Recruitment decisions must consider the wider safeguarding risk of the role.

Where the legal criteria for a DBS referral are met, Al-Waris Foundation will make the required referral.

See the Safer Recruitment Policy.

Because Al-Waris Foundation may provide money, food, essential items or other assistance to people experiencing hardship, particular attention must be paid to financial exploitation.

Warning signs may include:

No person acting for Al-Waris Foundation may demand personal payment, gifts, favours or other benefits from a beneficiary in exchange for charitable assistance.

Suspected fraud involving charity resources must also be considered under the Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Corruption Policy.

Aid distributions should be planned to minimise safeguarding risks.

Consideration should be given to:

Receiving aid must not be made conditional upon participation in photography, publicity, religious activity, political activity or the provision of unnecessary personal information.

Emergencies and disasters can increase safeguarding risks.

Risks may include:

Safeguarding must therefore be incorporated into emergency-response planning and not treated as an administrative issue to be considered only after aid is distributed.

Safeguarding obligations apply to overseas activities.

Before relevant overseas work, the charity should consider:

Where local reporting mechanisms are weak or unsafe, the charity should determine an appropriate alternative safeguarding response.

Safeguarding must form part of proportionate partner and contractor due diligence.

Depending on the arrangement, Al-Waris Foundation may:

A partner's failure to manage serious safeguarding risks may result in suspension or termination of the relationship.

See the Overseas Operations and Partner Due Diligence Policy.

People acting for Al-Waris Foundation must not exploit beneficiaries.

They must not:

Where gifts are offered, the Gifts and Hospitality Policy should be followed.

Safeguarding responsibilities apply to digital communications.

Official channels should be used where reasonably practicable.

Communications must remain professional.

People acting for the charity must not:

Safeguarding concerns arising online must be reported.

Al-Waris Foundation may document charitable work through photographs and video.

The dignity, privacy and safety of beneficiaries must take priority over content creation.

Appropriate consent or another lawful basis must be established according to the circumstances.

People must not be pressured to participate as a condition of receiving assistance.

The charity should avoid:

Where illustrative or AI-generated content is used, it must not be falsely represented as evidence of a real beneficiary, completed project or distribution.

See the Photography, Video and Beneficiary Consent Policy.

Safeguarding information should be shared when necessary, lawful and proportionate.

Information should be:

Consent should be sought where appropriate, but it is not always required for safeguarding information sharing.

Data protection law should not be incorrectly used as a reason to avoid necessary safeguarding action.

Safeguarding records must:

Sensitive safeguarding information should not be stored unnecessarily on personal devices or personal messaging accounts.

Safeguarding information is confidential but not absolutely confidential.

Information may need to be shared where necessary to:

Only information reasonably necessary for the purpose should be shared.

Safeguarding information must be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.

Safeguarding records may contain:

Access must therefore be appropriately restricted.

The charity must identify an appropriate lawful basis and any additional processing condition required.

See the Data Protection and UK GDPR Policy.

A safeguarding incident may constitute a serious incident for charity regulatory purposes.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for ensuring consideration is given to whether the Charity Commission should be notified.

Regulatory reporting must not delay urgent safeguarding action.

See the Serious Incident Reporting Policy.

People acting for Al-Waris Foundation should be able to raise genuine safeguarding concerns without fear of retaliation.

Concerns about:

may also be raised under the Whistleblowing Policy.

A person will not be penalised for raising a genuine concern in good faith merely because it is not ultimately substantiated.

Complaints about safeguarding practices may be raised under the Complaints Policy.

However, an immediate safeguarding concern must not be delayed while an ordinary complaint is processed.

Safeguarding procedures take priority where protection from harm is required.

Training should be proportionate to the person's role.

Training may cover:

Those with designated safeguarding responsibilities should receive more detailed training.

Training should be refreshed periodically and when significant changes occur.

Relevant trustees, staff and volunteers should receive safeguarding information during induction.

This should include:

The Board should receive proportionate safeguarding assurance.

This may include anonymised information concerning:

Reports must avoid unnecessary disclosure of personal information.

Failure to comply with this policy may result in:

Action will be proportionate to the circumstances.

This policy should be read alongside, where applicable:

This policy will be reviewed:

Changes must be approved in accordance with Al-Waris Foundation's governance arrangements.

Version: 2.0 Status: Approved Approved by: Board of Trustees Approval date: 25/08/2026 Next scheduled review: 24/08/2027