By Jacqui Wilkinson, Community Action Suffolk
“We feel empowered. We feel listened to. That is profound”. Julia Hancock, Charity Manager for the Selig Suffolk Trust (Selig), states as she opened her conversation with Jacqui Wilkinson, Training, Safeguarding, and Quality Framework Officer at Community Action Suffolk. Julia and Jacqui met to discuss the importance of amplifying the voices of the people Julia’s organisation supports. Julia emphasized the need to have the confidence in your knowledge and to champion speaking out, especially when it feels like no one is listening.
Sometimes the valuable lessons we learn come from the most challenging places. Julia and the dedicated team of staff, volunteers and Trustees at Selig have experienced the challenges and joy that come with providing housing, support and other services to those without a home.
Selig is a charity that works to prevent social exclusion by helping those who find themselves excluded for whatever reason, to reintegrate into society by providing hope, hospitality and a home. They have four ‘Hope into Action’ houses across Suffolk and in 2023 they opened Selig Suffolk Springboard. Springboard provides affordable, high quality, self-catering, supported accommodation for 9 homeless adults.
The reality of working with people experiencing a range of issues, including mental health challenges, physical health problems, and trauma is challenging. Julia and her team focus on the individual, prioritising their often unmet needs, and then focusing on these needs as the centre of their work. They proactively navigate the challenges of a stretched system, with numerous professionals and organisations involved in providing partial support. Navigating this system with safeguarding concerns can be a challenge.
Recently, Julia encountered a situation where a client was desperately in need of help – “Lots of people telling us we were wrong; we knew that we weren’t. We were being told we were, ‘too invested’, ‘we didn’t know them that well’; but we saw them every day. Day in day out. We saw them for who they were and not how they would present at a meeting with Professionals. As a small organisation it is easy for ‘specialists’ to consider their skills to be more knowledgeable, but we’re professional and personal – we know about the people who use the services we provide, who we see padding about in their slippers each day. We work with a maximum of 17 individuals so we know them well.
In this situation we saw someone increasingly unable to control themselves – when we raised this issue no one listened to us. This case needed wider cross system support – we needed everyone, every service and professional to come together to collaboratively to agree the right support plan for this person. Unfortunately, this was not achieved, and this situation ended in tragedy, with ripple effects for many in the aftermath.
One of the things Julia shared from their learning from this was, ‘through your safeguarding support at Community Action Suffolk and your safeguarding training we now feel empowered. If no-one is listening, we know that you will and that we will be able to work out what to do.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead training was incredibly empowering; it taught us how to use the Suffolk Safeguarding Adults Framework and the language that is needed for referrals.
The support and training has resulted in our team feeling more robust in safeguarding and more confident in our referrals and how to escalate a concern; even when we are told no. We will go to the Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership website and use the escalation guidance for concerns if we need to.
We have learned to listen to the ‘niggles’ and trust ourselves. Sometimes it is lots of small things together, making a bigger picture of concern and it’s important they are shared. We have learned to, ‘Trust ourselves’ and ‘Read the signs’ and make that referral, using the Adults Framework for guidance and not be talked out of our genuine concerns.
Community Action Suffolk’s safeguarding support has given us confidence and equipped us with the knowledge we need. You listened to us when no one else did. You introduced us to the Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership and between you we were given a place to speak and share our experience at a Safeguarding Adults Board meeting. You listened. The Safeguarding Adults Board meeting listened. That was profound.
We, like many in the VCFSE, are often the littlest people at any table so to be heard in that way I think is wonderful because it often feels like the big organisations dominate and have a voice
I know that if I need to, I can call you at CAS for safeguarding support and a discussion. That you will listen. I can talk things over with you – who isn’t part of our organisation, who are objective and who have a very different perspective to draw on. I feel confident that if you thought we were wrong you would say so. Very nicely, but you would say that you understand but maybe another way to look at this is …’
Community Action Suffolk helps knit together the VCFSE and other sectors and partners. CAS, understands the challenges we face and helps us have a voice and be heard.
We are confident in our knowledge and procedures and stay confident and focussed for those we are here to support and care for. That confidence is a huge factor because when you are advocating for somebody and nobody is listening to them, or you, it is easy to doubt yourself. Now I am confident to ring the MASH Professionals line for a discussion, and they have been brilliant explaining why something is or isn’t a safeguarding referral and we use that in our staff learning.
We feel safer because we know what to do. We, like many small voluntary organisations, we are trying to support our communities brilliantly, but we are stretched and we are lean. We are focussed on the lives of the people we are here to support and are confident now in making their lives seen and voices heard so their needs can be met.
If you would like to develop your confidence and robustness in safeguarding like Julia and the team at Selig, then have a look at the full range of CAS Safeguarding training, including the Designated Safeguarding Lead course, Introduction to safeguarding and our safeguarding support ranging from safeguarding policies and procedures, 1 to 1 policy surgeries and safeguarding policy reviews, Quality Framework etc visit our website or contact Jacqui Wilkinson, Training, safeguarding and Quality Framework Development Officer [email protected] or call 01473 345312
To know more about Selig Suffolk click here
If you are concerned about someone and it is an emergency call 999.
