Safeguarding

One of our key priorities at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is to ensure we safeguard our patients and families to protect them from harm. We have a safeguarding team who provide support to all staff and have strong links with many other professional services such as; social services, community teams and the police to ensure adults, children, young people and families are safe and supported.

We strive to work with you and your family to address any concerns you have.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. If you have concerns about the safety of a child, young person or vulnerable adult while visiting our hospital, please speak to a member of staff who will contact the Safeguarding Team.

Contact the Safeguarding Team: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you think someone may be at immediate risk, danger or harm, contact the police on 999.

Statutory Safeguarding requirements

How we meet the statutory Safeguarding requirements

Staff receive Safeguarding training appropriate to their roles and responsibilities as per the Inter-collegiate documents for adults and children, Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) and The Care Act (2014). The training assists staff in confidently identifying children, young people and adults at risk of abuse and/or neglect and following internal/external safeguarding procedures.
The Trusts Executive Director and Lead Nurse for Safeguarding provides assurance for the organisation in relation to Safeguarding.
The Trust has a Lead, Named Nurse and Safeguarding Nurse who provide support, advice and supervision to staff.
The Safeguarding Team regularly undertake audits to ensure there are no gaps in service provision and report outcomes to the Safeguarding Committee.
The Lead Safeguarding Nurse completes an annual Safeguarding Report to the Trusts Board and Birmingham Safeguarding Boards/Partnership.
The Trust has Safeguarding policies and guidance in line with local and national guidance which are regularly reviewed and updated. These include: Safeguarding Children and families, Safeguarding Adults at Risk, PREVENT, Domestic Abuse, Managing Allegations Against Staff -Person in Position of Trust, Was Not Brought and Did Not Attend.
Staff are encouraged to raise any concerns regarding a Person in Position of Trust in line with statutory guidance and our Trust has a Position of Trust Lead who will sensitively manage allegations against staff.
Robust safer recruitment process which include monitoring Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks to ensure appropriate staff are suitable for the positions.
All staff engage with multi-agency working and appropriate information sharing to ensure we safeguard children, young people and adults. This includes identifying children who are subject to child protection plans (CP), Child in Need plans (CIN), Early Help plans (EH), Care Orders via the Trusts First Contact Forms.
Staff may be required to contact external organisations such as social care, mental health services, education establishments (school/nursery), health visitors and GPs to gather information or share Safeguarding concerns.

Information for Adults

Adults who are worried or concerned about their safety and require support can speak to a member of staff at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital or contact:

Birmingham Adult Social Care: 0121 3031234 between 9-5pm or out of hours 0121 6754086 (If you are vulnerable adult with care and support needs)

National Domestic Abuse helpline: 0800 2000 247 (confidential, non-judgemental information and support 24/7)

Samaritans: 116123 (whatever you are going through, you can contact the Samaritans for support)

Police: 999 if you or someone else is at immediate risk

Information for Children and Young People

Children and Young People under 18 years old who are worried about their safety and require support or advice can speak to a member of staff at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital or contact:

Birmingham Safeguarding Childrens Partnership: 0121 3031888 between 9-5pm or out of hours 0121 6754806

Child Line: 0800 1111

Police: 999 if you or someone else is at immediate risk

Samaritans: 116123 (whatever you are going through, you can contact the Samaritans for support)

YoungMinds Textline: 85258 (Provides free 24/7 text support for young people across the UK experiencing mental health crisis)

Our 7 commitments to safeguarding

To hear the voice of adults, young people and children

Ensure the Trust is a place of safety for patients and staff
Provide a positive experience with safeguarding at the ROH
Gather feedback and take action

To make safeguarding a priority

Ensure we have clear processes and arrangements to be used to support practice
Promote wellbeing and protect individuals from abuse and harm
Ensure continous improvement by developing and promoting a learning culture in the Trust

To improve awareness and practice

Ensure leadership support for safeguarding is provided
Work with designated professionals and share learning
Ensure staff are competend to carry out their safeguarding responsibilities

Mental Capacity Act (MCA), Deprivation of Liberty Safeguardings (DoLS) and Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) are understood and embedded

Provide a framework that promotes effective use of DoLS
Implement changes to MCA in accordance with Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS)
Respect the dignity and human rights of patients

To work in partnership

Access community resources that could reduce social and physical isolation for patients
Collaborate effectively with other agencies, local authorities, police and third party organisations
Share safeguarding information as required with local partners

To have a safe and effective reporting workforce

Be transparent and accountable. Share learning with individual teams and the wider Trust
Support the health and wellbeing needs of our staff and patients
Promote training for staff developed in line with local and national guidance in partnership with local safeguarding boards.

To ensure a focus on transition from child to adult services

Embed local and national health sector transition care models
Provide the required specialist support with transition
Invest as required in transition care using social platforms, leaflets and posters

Current policies and initiatives

The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital supports the Government’s objectives to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking and recognises the significant role that NHS providers play in both combatting it and supporting victims. This is part of our safeguarding strategy and arrangements.

Modern slavery is a hidden crime that encompasses slavery, servitude, human trafficking and forced labour. We are committed to ensuring that all of our employees are aware of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and their safeguarding duty to protect and prevent any further harm, and abuse when it is identified or suspected that the individual may be or is at risk of modern slavery/human trafficking.

We are committed to ensuring that no modern slavery or human trafficking takes place in any part of our business or our Supply chain.

This statement sets out actions taken by The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital to understand all potential modern day slavery and human trafficking risks and to implement effective systems and controls. In particular, we ensure our supply chains and business activities are free from ethical and labour standards abuses.

Steps taken to date include:

People

We confirm the identities of all new employees and their right to work in the United Kingdom
Our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, Contact Officers, and Grievance Policies additionally provide a platform for our employees to raise concerns about poor working practices.
We use social media to raise awareness of safeguarding practices with internal and external stakeholders
We deliver comprehensive training to our staff on how to identify and support victims of human trafficking
We are working collaboratively with local providers and our safeguarding board to coordinate our efforts and create a network of support

Procurement and our supply chain

Our procurement approach follows the Crown Commercial Service standard and includes a mandatory exclusion question regarding the Modern Slavery Act (2015).
When procuring goods and services, we additionally apply NHS Terms and Conditions (for non-clinical procurement) and the NHS Standard Contract (for clinical procurement). Both require suppliers to comply with relevant legislation.

We understand that Safeguarding processes can be stressful and sensitive for families and carers, we will ensure that our patients, families and carers are informed about the process, investigations and outcome.

The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital Modern Day Slavery and Human Trafficking statement

Review of effectiveness

In 2021/22, our anti-slavery programme will also:

Continue to support our staff to understand and respond to modern slavery and human trafficking, and the impact that each, and every individual working in the NHS can have in keeping present and potential future victims of modern slavery and human trafficking safe.
Safeguarding training is mandatory for all staff and includes information on trafficking and modern day slavery in order to promote the knowledge and understanding of escalating concerns via the Home Office national referral mechanism/duty to notify process.
Ensure our staff have access to training, supported by Health Education England (HEE), on how to identify those who are victims of modern slavery and human trafficking. This training will include the latest information and will help staff develop the skills to support individuals who come into contact with health services
Review all of our safeguarding policies and training programmes to ensure that Modern Day Slavery and human trafficking reflect potential requirements in pending reforms relating to the pre-criminal needs of people involved in human trafficking and modern slavery.

Garry Marsh
Executive Director of Patient Services, Governance and DIPC
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital
July 2021

Transition from child to adult services

We use the word transition to describe the process of preparing, planning and moving from children's to adult services. Find out more here.

Learning Disability Team

We celebrate learning disabilities and strive to ensure you have the best experience when using our services. We have a learning disability nurse whose role it is to support you to access our services and reduce barriers to good quality healthcare. The learning disability nurse supports all staff to provide specialist care, advice and treatment in a way that suits you. This covers all children and adults who attend the ROH for outpatient appointments or inpatient stays who have a learning disability or autism.

The learning disability nurse works closely with staff to ensure your needs are met and appropriate reasonable adjustments are put in place. The learning disability nurse liaises with you, your parent/carer, staff, other professionals involved and external agencies to coordinate your care.

Contact details:
Florence Dowling,
0121 685 4000 extension 55721
07341123385
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Reasonable adjustments

We will offer and implement reasonable adjustments in line with The Equality Act (2010) and NHS Long Term Plan (2019) to ensure that our services are fully accessible to you. Reasonable adjustments are individual to each patient, so please tell us what you need.

We will:

Complete training on learning disability and autism awareness
Implement appropriate reasonable adjustments
Make sure the hospital passport is available and used (hospital passport as a hyper-link to copy of a hospital passport?)
Discuss your communication needs and preferences, and adapt to these
Arrange appropriate communication support (e.g. a translator or easy read information)
Explain at every stage of your appointment or procedure what we are doing
Provide support to you, your parent or carer

Some examples of how we can support you

For Outpatient appointments:

Discuss with you what support you require and record this in your hospital passport
Offer a calm, quiet space to wait in
Offer an appropriate appointment time (e.g. when a department is quieter)
Offer longer appointment times
Ensure required equipment is available, such as a hoist

For inpatient stays:

Plan with you what support you need prior to admission
Share information with everyone involved in your care so all staff know how to best support you
Facilitate visiting the area prior to admission, alternatively you can use AccessAble to familiarise yourself with the hospital
Arrange for you to be admitted the night before the procedure if this would help relieve anxiety
Request for you to be first on the theatre list, or as early as possible
Offer flexible visiting times for your parent or carer
Request a side room if this is preferred and possible
Arrange for your parent/ carer to stay with you if you would like. Many patients with a learning disability or autism find this helps to reduce distress and anxiety
Offer you meal choices to suit your requirements (e.g. Young adult menu)
Work with you and the key people in your life to ensure a smooth discharge