Safeguarding Policy

Dementia Active is committed to creating a safe, supportive and respectful environment for everyone who comes into contact with our charity. Safeguarding is central to the way we work, particularly because many of our members are adults at risk by virtue of their dementia diagnosis and may need additional support to express their wishes, make decisions, or raise concerns.

Our Safeguarding Adults at Risk and Children Policy and Procedures explains how Dementia Active works to prevent abuse, neglect and harm. It sets out the responsibilities of our staff, volunteers, trustees, self-employed staff, patrons and visitors, and makes clear that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

The policy covers how concerns should be recognised, recorded and reported, including what to do if someone makes a disclosure or if a member of the team notices a change in a person’s wellbeing, behaviour, appearance or circumstances. It also explains how Dementia Active works with families, carers, Oxfordshire safeguarding services and other relevant agencies when concerns arise.

A key part of our safeguarding approach is prevention. This includes safer recruitment, appropriate DBS checks, induction, staff and volunteer training, clear codes of conduct, supervision, and regular review of safeguarding practice by the charity’s leadership and trustees.

The policy also includes guidance on confidentiality, consent, mental capacity, whistleblowing, record keeping, and reporting serious incidents where required. These procedures help ensure that concerns are handled carefully, proportionately and in the best interests of the person involved.

The full Dementia Active Safeguarding Adults at Risk and Children Policy and Procedures booklet can be downloaded from this page. It provides detailed information about our safeguarding standards, reporting processes and the steps we take to protect members, volunteers, students, staff and visitors.