Safeguarding Adults and Children
Safeguarding is a crucial element of providing care for both adults and children. The elements of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults are subject to various and regular external assessment. The NHS Coventry takes its responsibilities in this area very seriously to ensure effective safeguarding across an entire patient journey.
We are committed to ensuring that arrangements for safeguarding children and young people are effective, robust and provide maximum protection for children. The PCT undertakes the following in relation to safeguarding arrangements:
- All appropriate staff have enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) pre employment checks completed prior to commencing employment. (In circumstances where there may be a delay in receiving the outcome of a CRB check, a detailed risk assessment is completed to determine whether the employee can commence employment before receipt of the completed check).
- A Trust wide policy for safeguarding Children and Young People is in place; approved by via the Trust's governance arrangements, regularly reviewed and updated by the designated leads for child protection and compliant with the statutory requirements, Care Quality Commission standards and best practice in safeguarding.
- The Chief Executive/Chief Nurse provides Board level leadership and responsibility for children's services, including safeguarding children and young people.
DECLARATION OF COMPLIANCE IN RESPONSE TO THE CARE QUALITY COMMISSION’S REVIEW OF NHS ARRANGEMENTS TO SAFEGUARD CHILDREN.
The Primary Care Trust (PCT) takes its responsibilities towards the
safety of children very seriously. Safeguarding is given a very high
profile and all staff who work for the organisation are made aware of
its importance. Child safeguarding is everybody’s business! The
PCT
actively engages with colleagues in partner organisations to drive this
agenda forward and is an active partner on Coventry Safeguarding
Children Board.
In July 2009 the Care Quality
Commission published a document called
“The Review of Arrangements in the NHS for Safeguarding Children.”
Shortly afterwards the Chief Executive of the NHS, David Nicholson,
wrote to leads of all NHS organisations and asked them to take urgent
action to ensure that children are safeguarded locally. Boards of NHS
Trusts are required to publish a local declaration on their websites.
This declaration represents assurance from NHS Coventry (PCT and its
provider arm Coventry Community Health Services) that safeguarding
arrangements in the following key areas have been reviewed.
- Commissioning
Process by which the health needs of the local population are identified. Priorities for investment are set and appropriate services are purchased and evaluated. Primary Care Trusts do not provide all of the healthcare services needed by the local population, they buy-in or commission services from other provider organisations. Typically this includes local hospitals. - PCT
Primary Care Trust. A PCT is responsible for commissioning the most appropriate services for the local community.