Adult Safeguarding Statement

Adult Safeguarding Statement 

Irish Cancer Society (ICS) Services being provided involving Adults:                    

  • ICS Support Line;    
  • Daffodil Centres located in 13 hospitals nationwide. The centres are staffed by ICS cancer nurses and trained volunteers;  
  • Night Nursing end of life care carried out by ICS Night Nurses;  
  • Patient Transport service from home to hospital;  
  • ICS Community Team / Hubs, which deliver a range of services such as practical and financial support, coaching, and exercise support;   
  • ICS funded virtual and face to face counselling delivered by independent third parties;  
  • Interactions with other organisations and charities where an ICS staff member or volunteer is present;  
  • Events organised and delivered by staff or independent third parties on ICS premises;  
  • Fundraising events organised and delivered by ICS staff/volunteers/contractors or independent third parties where adult Service Users (SUs) are present or involved;  
  • ICS retail shops;  
  • ICS Media /Promotional events where adult SUs and ICS staff/volunteers/contractors are present.   

Principles Safeguarding Adults 

The ICS believes that the welfare and safety of every adult SU is of paramount importance. Our guiding principles and this Adult Safeguarding Statement is based on guidance from ‘Safeguarding Guidance for Charitable Organisations working with Vulnerable Persons (Adults)’ by the Charities Regulator, and the HSE’s ‘Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse National Policy & Procedures (2014)’.  

The ICS adheres to the following principles: 

  • All adult SUs are equal and have the right to be protected from harm and treated with respect;   
  • The safety and welfare of adult SUs is everyone’s responsibility;   
  • Our priority is to ensure that the welfare and safety of every adult SU is paramount;  
  • Our Guiding Principles apply to all paid staff, CEO, committee/Board members, volunteers, carers and students on work placement within our organisation;  
  • We are committed to upholding the rights of every adult SU, including the rights to be treated with respect, kept safe and protected from harm, listened to and to have their views taken into consideration;  
  • We are committed to respecting and promoting the principles of equality and diversity and to work with all adult SUs in a culturally sensitive way within the context of the Irish constitution and law;  
  • We will review our Guiding Principles, Adult Safeguarding procedure, and any accompanying policies every two years or sooner if necessary due to service issues or changes in legislation or national policy. 

Risk Assessment  

We have completed a Safeguarding Risk Assessment that indicates the areas of potential risk of harm, the likelihood of risk occurring, and gives the required policy, guidance or process documents required to alleviate these risks. Please see the ICS Adult Safeguarding Policy.  

Procedures  

Our Adult Safeguarding statement is in line with ‘Safeguarding Guidance for Charitable Organisations working with Vulnerable Persons (Adults)’ by the Charities Regulator, and the HSE’s ‘Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse National Policy & Procedures (2014)’. In addition to the procedures listed in our risk assessment, our Adult Safeguarding policy and Employee Handbook support our intention to safeguard adult service users. 

Implementation  

We recognise that implementation is an ongoing process. The ICS is committed to the implementation of this Adult Safeguarding Statement and the procedures that support our intention to keep Adult SUs.   

The Safeguarding group will ensure that this policy, and Adult Safeguarding Statement, will be reviewed at least every 2 years or as soon as practicable or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement refers. 

For any queries, please contact: 

The Designated Safeguarding Officer is Cathy Killeen, Night Nursing Team Leader  

Contact details: ckilleen@irishcancer.ie (086) 0329 679      

The Deputy Designated Safeguarding Officer is Alex Phelan-McGahon 

Contact details: aphelanmcgahon@irishcancer.ie (086) 1373315 

Email: adultsafeguarding@irishcancer.ie

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