In response, we designed and implemented an educational board as a practical, user-friendly resource tailored to meet the needs of our clinical staff. This board consolidates essential information, clear guidelines, escalation pathways, and relevant contact details, ensuring safeguarding procedures are readily accessible during daily clinical practice. Its visually engaging format highlights key policies and presents step-by-step actions to guide staff in recognising and responding promptly and appropriately to safeguarding concerns.

To complement the board, we integrated regular team briefings and training sessions to reinforce learning and encourage open discussion around safeguarding challenges.

Ultimately, our goal is to empower every team member to act decisively and effectively in safeguarding vulnerable patients, thereby improving patient safety, promoting a culture of vigilance, and raising the overall quality of care across the ward.

Accurate and detailed documentation is essential. We need to clearly record who exactly lives with the patient, identify any vulnerable children or adults within the household, and note any past safeguarding concerns. This comprehensive approach will enable us to recognize vulnerable individuals earlier in their care journey, ensuring timely safeguarding interventions and improving patient safety.

Moving forward, the team is committed to reinforcing the importance of thorough documentation and safeguarding awareness during preoperative assessments to uphold the highest standards of care.

By leading with these open-ended questions we allow patients to share more of their life and how they are feeling, rather than trying to make them fit into a box of checklists and numerical values. Life goes much beyond these factors, and when considering safeguarding it is important that all aspects of a patient's life are considered.

To improve our awareness of the Safeguarding process we have introduced a 'Think SAFE' approach - See (observe for signs of abuse/neglect), Act (ensure the patient's safety and follow emergency protocols), Follow (the correct referral procedures) and Evaluate (debrief, reflect and learn). We have also raised awareness of how to refer to the Safeguarding team on HIVE, how to identify a patient with a current Safeguarding referral using the pink dot, and have discussed how to open a Safeguarding conversation with a patient when there is a concern ('Breaking the Ice').

To help our patients we have ensured that domestic abuse helpline posters (English and Urdu versions) are available in all patient toilets. We have a quiet room available for private discussions in the 2 main outpatient areas, and posters advertising this are displayed in the patient toilets and booking-in rooms. Patients and visitors can ask to use the Quiet Room at any time during their visit if they feel anxious, upset or unsafe and a member of staff will be available to help them.

Additionally we have put together a supply of resource packs containing leaflets for local and national safeguarding organisations (including women's, men's, LGBT, children's and mental health). These are packed in a plain white envelope which is designed to protect privacy and dignity and allow a patient at risk to dispose of it discreetly.

As a team we are working on the following procedures, to help create awareness, increase understanding and the actions to take by staff in case of any safeguarding concern outcome of patients and their families.

1  Communicated in hurdle for members of staff to share ideas, understanding and experiences.

ii Call to action on what to do in case of any concerns noticed in patients.

iii Information on what safeguarding is and how it relates to our role.

iv That safeguarding is a responsibility of every member of staff within the trust

2  Placing posters with accurate and up to date information on safeguarding in specific areas in the outpatients department, such as toilet areas to reach vulnerable patients.

ii Placing of information in staff areas on how to handle safeguarding concerns in patients and how to contact the safeguarding team in the hospital.

3  Designing of our BEE BRILLIANT BOARD, with all the important information, including

i Definition of safeguarding.

ii The 5 Rs of safeguarding

iii Posters on how to make referrals

iv Examples of safeguarding issues and

v Importance of Professional Curiosity

Thank you

As a team we are working on the following procedures, to help create awareness, increase understanding and the actions to take by staff in case of any safeguarding concern outcome of patients and their families.

1  Communicated in hurdle for members of staff to share ideas, understanding and experiences.

ii Call to action on what to do in case of any concerns noticed in patients.

iii Information on what safeguarding is and how it relates to our role.

iv That safeguarding is a responsibility of every member of staff within the trust

2  Placing posters with accurate and up to date information on safeguarding in specific areas in the outpatients department, such as toilet areas to reach vulnerable patients.

ii Placing of information in staff areas on how to handle safeguarding concerns in patients and how to contact the safeguarding team in the hospital.

3  Designing of our BEE BRILLIANT BOARD, with all the important information, including

i Definition of safeguarding.

ii The 5 Rs of safeguarding

iii Barriers and issues of safeguarding

iv Professional curiosity and its importance

v Posters on how to make referrals

Thank you

Here 'Safeguarding Is Everyone's Responsibility'. We understand that any staff member can and may notice any concerns during any stage of the patients appointment. We emphasise on this being relayed back to the appropriate staff so correct intervention an take place.

It is important to have clear and accurate information documented on HIVE if we believe a patient is a safeguarding risk.

HIVE allows us to send referrals to the Safeguarding team as required. Options to add FLAGS, sending messages to the accurate speciality so the WHOLE team are aware are available. Which makes it easier to uphold the highest standards of care and deliver the best holistic care to patients at all times.

Staff have also been informed on how they can identify any patient with a current Safeguarding referral on HIVE by looking out for the PINK DOT which is easily accessible just above/beside patients name and data on HIVE.

Our Safeguarding LINK NURSE attends all meetings required and gives us regular updates on any changes that we may need to know. There is a board dedicated to Safeguarding at Pre-Op Assessment Unit so all information is always readily available for staff and patients.

Our team continues to be vigilant in all aspects regarding Safeguarding and will take all steps required to ensure patients get the best care they deserve.

As a team we are working on the following procedures, to help create awareness, increase understanding and the actions to take by staff in case of any safeguarding concern outcome of patients and their families.

1  Communicated in hurdle for members of staff to share ideas, understanding and experiences.

ii Call to action on what to do in case of any concerns noticed in patients.

iii Information on what safeguarding is and how it relates to our role.

iv That safeguarding is a responsibility of every member of staff within the trust

2  Placing posters with accurate and up to date information on safeguarding in specific areas in the outpatients department, such as toilet areas to reach vulnerable patients.

ii Placing of information in staff areas on how to handle safeguarding concerns in patients and how to contact the safeguarding team in the hospital.

3  Designing of our BEE BRILLIANT BOARD, with all the important information, including

i Definition of safeguarding.

ii The 5 Rs of safeguarding

iii Barriers and Issues in safeguarding.

iv Professional curiosity ( meaning and importance)

v Posters on how to make referrals, who to call and talk to on safeguarding matters

vi Examples of Safeguarding cases.

Thank you

Call to Action- As a team, undertake a Quality Improvement Project to improve safeguarding outcomes for your patients and their families.

Our initiative is designed to reinforce staff awareness around the signs and indicators of domestic abuse and violence ensuring that we remain vigilant not only for our patients but also for our colleagues. We aim to empower staff to trust their instincts, speak up when something feels wrong, and follow the appropriate safeguarding protocols with confidence and clarity.

We have focused on:

• Recognising the signs of abuse across all demographics, patients, staff, and family members.

• Encouraging open dialogue and fostering a culture where concerns can be raised safely and sensitively.

• Following correct reporting procedures, ensuring every step taken contributes to the protection and wellbeing of those affected.

To support this, we created a dedicated safeguarding notice board, prominently placed in a quiet area of the first floor waiting room at Altrincham Outpatients. It features a comprehensive list of helplines and support services. Additionally, we’ve ensured this vital information is accessible in discreet locations on the back of toilet doors and within the prayer/quiet room on the ground floor so individuals can seek help privately and without fear.

By refreshing our knowledge and promoting these resources, we hope to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those experiencing domestic abuse or violence. Our goal is simple: to ensure that help is visible, accessible, and acted upon.

Board created by HCA Sharon Preston and Joanne Whiteside.

Regarding the call to action and in terms of improving safeguarding outcomes, we have created a flow chart as our project to explain how to complete safeguarding referrals on Hive. We have chosen this as our project because a lot of staff members aren’t confident in reporting safeguarding concerns. The flowchart steps are as followed:

- Open Hive and click on the patient’s name to gain access to patient profile

- On the task bars shown next to the patient’s name, above clinical notes, click ‘safeguarding’

- Scroll down and complete the ‘safeguarding assessment’ form on Hive, there are further assessments e.g. assault below if necessary

- Click on ‘social care referral forms’ if this referral is required, this will take you onto the intranet safeguarding team

- On the task bars shown next to the patient’s name, above clinical notes, click ‘safeguarding’

- Scroll down and complete the ‘safeguarding assessment’ form on Hive, there are further assessments e.g. assault below if necessary

- Click on ‘social care referral forms’ if this referral is required, this will take you onto the intranet safeguarding team

- Email social care and cc in the safeguarding team but phone them if the patient is in Manchester

- Upload a copy of the referral onto Hive and finish completing the safeguarding referral

- Notify the safeguarding team by placing the order of ‘notification/referral to safeguarding team’ and sign the order.

- A safeguarding banner will now appear on the storyboard and so will the pink dot next to the patient’s name.

Our board promotes how we as staff also improve safeguarding outcomes regular on a daily basis. We take a whole family approach, with patients and those around them, recognising the interconnected needs, strengths and risks of all family members. At each appointment, we ask who lives with patient, how many siblings and who’s involved in their care and life. Parents and guardians’ names are noted so we are aware of who accompanies the patient at each appointment and who may influence other areas of their wellbeing - particularly important where safeguarding concerns arises. We also ask if the father’s name is on the birth certificate and what the name is on it. This helps us to identify the male figures in the patient’s life in case there are concerns.

To strengthen safeguarding, we encourage “Think Pink” which reinforces our duty to create a safe space for children to be heard and protected.  A pink dot next to a patients name on Hive or PSAG flags up as a safeguarding concern. This is never to be ignored – it prompts investigation through professional curiosity. This means actively seeking to understand more, rather than making assumptions.

During consultations, ‘Think Pink’ reminds us to be extra vigilant, avoid assumptions and recognise each appointment as an opportunity to detect new signs or disclosures. Through this approach – paired with wellbeing initiatives, daily morale-boosting interactions and morning huddles with positive recognition- we are building a culture where safeguarding is proactive, collaborative and centred on both the patient and their family.

Our board also encourages professional curiosity which ultimately means to ask and don’t assume. Professional curiosity in the workplace, especially regarding safeguarding, refers to a mindset and approach where professionals actively and thoughtfully seek to understand more about a situation, person, or concern rather than making assumptions or accepting things at face value. It means being alert, asking the right questions, and gathering information to identify any signs of harm, abuse, neglect or risk. Staff are encouraged to notice subtle signs of harm, ask open, non-judgemental questions, follow up on inconsistencies and liaise with safeguarding leads or paediatric teams to build a clear picture of a patient’s safety.

As nurses we fill out the safeguarding section on the navigators on HIVE and a pink dot appears! is that the end? absolutely not! we therefore launched the 'S.H.I.E.L.D' Project on the unit. This is a Safeguarding Advocacy Project to empower the staff to be active advocates of vulnerable patients and families. Leading to prompt, suitable referrals and rapid assessment to provide a better outcome for patients and their families

We have implemented some bitesize teaching and created an easy to follow guide for staff to ensure this is being completed correctly and to increase staff awareness of on how to identify if patients are a safeguarding risk. Our link nurses have excelled themselves and have been given badges to identify them as guardians, but how do we guard? We use a 'shield' which is the acronym focus of our project. Making our link nurses official 'Agents of Shield' (how could we not?). However that was not the end of IQP we also created a leaflet for our relatives rooms to educate and empower family members to identify safeguarding concerns and who to contact for help in the community.

Whilst in our care it is our duty to safeguard individuals, ensuring their safety and well-being. This involves identifying and responding to concerns about abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, from frontline staff to senior management.

Staff are given the appropriate training as follows

1. Training and Education: Ensuring staff have the necessary knowledge and skills to identify and respond to safeguarding concerns.

2. Information Sharing: Balancing the need for information sharing with confidentiality and data protection.

3. Partnership Working: Building effective relationships with other agencies to ensure a coordinated approach.

It is our aim to achieve the following

1. Prevention: Identifying risks and taking proactive measures to prevent abuse and neglect.

2. Protection: Responding to concerns and taking action to protect individuals from harm.

3. Partnership: Collaborating with other agencies, such as social services and law enforcement, to ensure a coordinated approach.

Safeguarding is a critical aspect of NHS care which requires a proactive and coordinated approach.

It focuses on protecting vulnerable individuals, particularly children and adults at risk, from abuse and neglect.

By working together and prioritizing safeguarding, healthcare professionals can help protect vulnerable individuals and ensure their safety and well-being.

We continue to be vigilant and respectful with a listening ear providing a safe space for patients and staff alike

Theme: Reasonable Adjustment for patients with learning disability and communication needs

Why reasonable adjustment?

We selected this topic because our unit cares for many patients who require long-term respiratory weaning with tracheostomies, as well as those with learning disabilities. These groups have complex communication and care needs, so making reasonable adjustments is vital for safe, effective, and inclusive treatment.

Legal Framework

The Equality Act 2010 gives all disabled people the right to reasonable adjustments when accessing public services, including healthcare. These adjustments are designed to remove barriers that would otherwise prevent disabled people from accessing essential care. By making these changes, healthcare providers ensure that patients with learning disabilities have equal access to safe, effective, and good quality healthcare.

Call to Action

Our team is conducting a Quality Improvement (QI) initiative focused on enhancing safeguarding outcomes for patients and their families. This project emphasises the significance of implementing reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with learning disabilities and communication challenges receive appropriate and effective support throughout their hospital care.

Problem

People with learning disabilities face significant health inequalities, which often result in poorer health outcomes. On average, they die 17 years younger than the general population, and around 1,200 avoidable deaths occur each year. Many of these deaths could be prevented with better healthcare provision. This highlights the urgent need to make reasonable adjustments, which are not only a legal obligation but also essential for delivering safe, fair, and life-saving care.

AICU Wythenshawe Actions

In Wythenshawe AICU, we are focusing on patients who have learning disabilities and communication needs. Our approach is multidisciplinary, ensuring that every member of the unit plays an active role in supporting both the patient and their family. By doing so, we aim to create an environment in which patients and families feel acknowledged, included, and respected in all aspects of their treatment and care.

Identified Barriers

Through this project, we have identified several barriers to providing reasonable adjustments. These include limited staff awareness, challenges around communication, inconsistent documentation, and gaps in staff training or confidence in handling the specific needs of patients with learning disabilities. Such barriers can compromise care and lead to inequalities if not properly addressed.

Solutions & Strategies

To address these barriers, we have implemented several strategies. Teaching sessions have been introduced to raise awareness among staff and build confidence in providing adjustments. A dedicated QI project has been set up to focus on reducing barriers, with clear processes such as documenting reasonable adjustments in flowsheets and using a flagging system to identify patients with learning disabilities. Collaboration across disciplines has been encouraged to provide more holistic care, and the “Treat Me Well” principles are being promoted to ensure patients are at the heart of their hospital experience.

Frameworks/Tools Highlighted

We have put systems in place to ensure adjustments are recorded and acted upon. This includes the use of flowsheets to capture necessary information, communication strategies such as visual aids and simplified language, and active family involvement in care. On an organisational level, we are working to secure leadership support, strengthen staff training, and implement clear policies that promote inclusivity and consistency in care delivery.

Visual Theme

The project has been presented under the theme “Bee Brilliant,” which represents teamwork, care, and inclusion. The use of honeycomb and bee symbols reflects the idea of collective responsibility, where every team member plays a role in creating a safe and supportive environment for patients with learning disabilities. The theme also serves as a visual reminder of the positive outcomes that can be achieved when staff work together towards a common goal.

As a team we are aiming to improve outcomes with early identification of concerns within the infants' family. We want to ensure nothing is missed and understand the full picture, sharing information and concerns with other teams and agencies as appropriate.

The Newborn Service, Managed Clinical Service continues to keep safeguarding high on its priority list with sessions on annual on face to face mandatory training and regular updates.

We highlighted how to use hive effectively to ensure all safeguarding concerns are reported correctly and efficiently.

We had a focus within the ward to ensure all members of staff feel empowered to investigate and bee curious when dealing with safeguarding issues.

We hope that by educating our staff about the safeguarding issues we might see on the ward will help staff to identify them and feel empowered to escalate and report the issues.

Results showed that many staff did not feel fully confident in certain aspects of safeguarding. To address this, the display was created and highlighted to staff, alongside email updates and quick-reference guides, with hard copies also shared. Staff were reminded of where to find our up-to-date safeguarding board and where safeguarding information is available on MFT intranet, ensuring information is accessible and confidence in safeguarding practice is strengthened.

We ask our study participants friendly open-ended questions such as how are things going or how are you getting on?. So if a participant expresses their concern we will actively listen to them, validate their experience, emphasize and provide information about available services and refer them to safeguarding team.

By this approach we are hoping that our participants will show more openness to staff, and they may feel confident to share their concerns to us and that will help us to focus on identifying ,preventing ,responding to abuse and neglect in children and vulnerable adults.

To enhance staff knowledge and confidence we focus on mandatory training for safeguarding and our safeguarding link nurse ensures that regular updates are given to the team during monthly ward meetings also monthly safeguarding newsletters are shared within research team. When there are incidents, we discuss them in the huddle and ensures that the lesson is learned.

On C5 we believe that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

We implemented a 'meet and greet' daily check where the NIC or ward manager will communicate with all the patients and check they have an understanding of their plan of care. We also decided to add in if everything was ok at home and they had no problems they wanted to discuss further.

This gave us the opportunity to deal with any issues at ward level.

Junior staff sometimes struggle to raise concerns so this gave the senior staff an opportunity to discuss this further.

All staff are encouraged to engage with patients to build a relationship in order for them to confide in them if required.

Our safeguarding champion attends any meetings and updates ward staff with any new information.

In response to Quarter 1: Safeguarding ‘Call to Action’, Main Outpatients at Withington Community Hospital approached the issue of Safeguarding as outlined on our notice board.

We put up the SUDA to show what our issues were, and we will endeavour to follow up improvement of Safeguarding awareness by:

·         increased use of literature within the department, including use of QR codes, for easy patient use if needed.

·         Auditing patient feedback where appropriate, to see if patient information is sufficient.

·         The flow chart depicted also provides a quick guide for staff to follow for ease, as some staff indicated the referral process was not always clear. We hope this will also lead to a more efficient referral experience for patients.

 Board made by: Sister Bernie Stockton, and HCA Martina Finan.

At MRI Fracture Clinic we have discussed as a team how to create a "safe space" for our patients in an Outpatient setting.

We have introduced a safe space where the patient can see their consultant in a clinic room or go into the Plaster or Treatment room without their escorts, this will give them an opening to disclose any information around their personal safety.

If it is their desire a family member or escort can then join them for the consultation with the Medical Team or Nurses.

We have also introduced "Speak to Mary" where patients can just say the phrase and the staff in Fracture Clinic will know they need to discuss safeguarding issues with us.

Bee Brilliant Q2 call to action is as follows:

 As a team, undertake a Quality Improvement Project to improve safeguarding outcomes for your patients and their families

Our project was to ask x 9 clinical staff, 6 Safeguarding questions regarding HIVE. Results were that each member of staff did have differences in their knowledge and understanding. Conclusion – All staff required updating safeguarding HIVE training, which has now been discussed as a team and training completed and now understood.

We are very proud of our board which our dental nurses Kelly Doherty and Adam Drzymala have worked hard on to achieve.

Our board shows that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. It shows the 6 safeguarding principles, the assurance tool, A-Z in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Pink dot = Think safeguarding. The 5 R’s of safeguarding and details of how and when to safeguard, and a list of contact details for our MFT safeguarding teams.

We will continue to be ‘curious’ (one of our Trust values) as safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

The outcome of this safeguarding project is that all staff are trained to recognise, respond to, and report safeguarding concerns, confidently and competently. All staff do attend regularly mandatory safeguarding training and understand how to keep people safe and follow the right procedures.

Our Dental/Cleft teams are Safeguarding HIVE ready!

As a department, we see safeguarding concerns few and far between. With this in mind, we took the opportunity to ask 20 members of our team how confident they felt in raising a concern, should they be faced with one. Even thought the team do regular training they felt it would be good to have scenario based discussions with the whole team to reinforce the correct way to log concerns.

We also reinforced THINK PINK.

Bee Brilliant Q2 call to action is as follows:

 As a team, undertake a Quality Improvement Project to improve safeguarding outcomes for your patients and their families

Our project was to ask x 9 clinical staff, 6 Safeguarding questions regarding HIVE. Results were that each member of staff did have differences in their knowledge and understanding. Conclusion – All staff required updating safeguarding HIVE training, which has now been discussed as a team and training completed and now understood.

We are very proud of our board which our dental nurses Kelly Doherty and Adam Drzymala have worked hard on to achieve.

Our board shows that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. It shows the 6 safeguarding principles, the assurance tool, A-Z in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Pink dot = Think safeguarding. The 5 R’s of safeguarding and details of how and when to safeguard, and a list of contact details for our MFT safeguarding teams.

We will continue to be ‘curious’ (one of our Trust values) as safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

The outcome of this safeguarding project is that all staff are trained to recognise, respond to, and report safeguarding concerns, confidently and competently. All staff do attend regularly mandatory safeguarding training and understand how to keep people safe and follow the right procedures.

Our Dental/Cleft teams are Safeguarding HIVE ready!

Bee Brilliant Q2 'Call To Action' has afforded an opportunity for PCC professionals to reflect on their professional curiosity communication skills and engage in the creative resources of learning. Acknowledging that our team is very large presents training constraints therefore learning from others through recording a scripted simulation about food poverty was facilitated by the PCC Safeguarding Champions & Education Team. The aim was to reach every professional through disseminating the quality improvement project in the time constraints of the call to action through email that disseminated a QR code link to the simulation. In addition to this resource a lanyard aid was created to promote professional curiosity communication as an acronym was created from 'CURIOISTY' to promote topics of discussion. A 'roadshow' to cascade this teaching was delivered to the bedside professionals as the lanyard aids were given out along with the QR Code, 7 Minute Briefing and sweet treats!

To ensure our quality improvement was inclusive, we shared this project with our stakeholders through a board display (photo attached) sharing how their information is resourced and used to strive to meet their needs whilst admitted to PCC and beyond.

Please see the submitted email attachments for the Lanyard Aids and QR Code to take you to the simulation - Thank You.

As the call to action, we wanted to highlight that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. However, many staff weren’t sure who to contact or how to escalate concerns. We devised a simple IQP project to help bridge that gap and keeps patients safe. We asked 10 different staff who the safeguarding lead is on the ward, and the processes for escalating concerns, and what colour the dot is in HIVE to watch out for. Our aim was to raise awareness from baseline to >90% in 4 weeks. We followed up the original audit with pictures and information cascaded to the team, including a basic flow chart about how to escalate, and 4 weeks later 10 different staff were asked and there was a significant improvement. Staff feedback was positive regarding the initiative, some of the responses included comments such as “The poster is really helpful” and “I didn’t know where to go before – now I do.”

There has been a clear improvement in safeguarding awareness on the ward, and staff feel more confident to raise concerns due to this Bee Brilliant campaign.

Ensuring staff are up to date with safeguarding training and our monthly safeguarding meetings have made staff feel more confident to voice any concerns and share any experiences they have had with families in the community.

We have looked at how we would refer to early help and given examples of support. Highlighting ‘Safeguarding is everyone’s business including a ‘section on never do nothing’

We have introduced a ‘think pink dot’ for our daily board, highlighting those patients which have safeguarding issues. If there are any safeguarding patients a dot to be added next to their name. This is to make people aware that there are safeguarding issues with that pt, e.g. the visit may take longer, do we need to visit in twos, coordinator is aware of any potential issues, staff, and patient safety.

Join the Movement!

As Perioperative Practitioners working in Cardiac Theatres, we play a vital role in ensuring the safety and well-being of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Think Pink Safeguarding is a campaign dedicated to promoting safeguarding awareness and best practices in the perioperative setting.

Actions to take:

1. We will stay vigilant: Be aware of potential safeguarding concerns, such as patient neglect, abuse, or exploitation.

2. We will speak up: Report any concerns or incidents to our Managers or safeguarding lead.

3. We will educate ourselves: by Staying up to date with safeguarding policies, procedures, and guidelines.

4. Attending safeguarding training sessions and workshops.

5. Participating in audits and quality improvement initiatives to enhance safeguarding practices.

6. We will Support Colleagues: Encouraging a culture of safeguarding awareness and best practices among our team.

Together, Let's Make a Difference!

By working together, we can ensure that patients in cardiac theatres receive the highest level of care and protection.

Let's Think Pink and Make Safeguarding a Priority.

Staff are trained to recognise and report signs of domestic abuse, child abuse, and elder abuse, following strict protocols to maintain patient safety and confidentiality.

Information on key helplines is readily available for support, including those for domestic violence, child protection, and elder care. Precautions such as private discussions, safeguarding referrals, and multi-disciplinary collaboration are in place to protect at-risk individuals.

The core values for safeguarding in Peri operative nursing include patient-Centered care, promoting patient dignity and rights, ensuring physical safety through sterile environments and risk management, maintaining professional accountability and ethical conduct, fostering collaborative and respectful teamwork, and providing compassionate emotional support to patients and families.

Our approach is guided by the five core NHS values: working together for patients, respect and dignity, commitment to quality of care, compassion, and improving lives.

Patient-centered Values

• Compassion and Empathy:

  Providing emotional support and reassurance to alleviate anxiety and address the fears of patients and their families. 

• Respect for Dignity:

  Treating patients as individuals with kindness and consideration for their feelings and well-being. 

• Patient-Specific Care:

  Focusing all activities on the unique needs of each patient to ensure a calm and smooth transition into the operating room and through their recovery. 

• Respect for Human Rights and Dignity:

  Treating patients with kindness, respect, and consideration for their emotions and feelings throughout the perioperative process. 

• Patient Advocacy:

  Acting as a fierce advocate for the patient's best interests and rights in a high-risk environment. 

The board reminds us to 'think pink' to check HIVE for pink dot, and to 'think family'. We have made some proactive changes with a specialised neuro divergent clinic allowing more time, a paediatric nurse supporting clinics, and a sensory room, all adjustments to help patients attend. Our improvement project is to review the number of DNA /WNB patients during the month of August , to compare the reasons to previous work, to check how many safeguarding concerns were raised and to continue this process which is embedded in practice.

Our ligature link-nurse delivered a face-to-face training session which was widely well-received by staff who attended, with a further session planned for September with a view to achieving the necessary 80% compliance mark. A pre- and post-session quiz will determine the knowledge improvement quotient.

Patient awareness of safeguarding information displayed in the department will be assessed by collating data collected on poll cards given out by reception at check-in, followed by a post-poll after information display changes by our safeguarding link-nurse.

The aim is for this to have a positive impact on our department and service delivery from a patient safety and safeguarding perspective, ensuring staff are aware of the correct processes and patients have faith in our ability to care for them.

Our "Have you locked in your Safeguarding?" project in ED is an initiative to refocus and ensure all staff are aware of the safeguarding processes with a simple break down on how to complete referrals, share information and correct documentation.

Our project includes Adult and Child safeguarding with additional points for Homelessness, Ecylpse, Complex Safeguarding, Mental Health, Domestic Violence and PREVENT.

In response, we developed a comprehensive safeguarding resource booklets, supported by MFT policy guidelines. These consist of step-by-step “how-to” booklets covering key topics such as making adult & child safeguarding referrals, supporting patients experiencing homelessness, responding to domestic violence, and completing Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) applications.  

In addition, to challenge misconceptions and promote critical thinking, the toolkit included “Myth Busters” and interactive case study scenarios. Each case study featured QR codes linking to digital feedback forms, allowing real-time insights into staff understanding, confidence levels, and areas for further training. 

 The project has already shown positive impact, with increased staff engagement and improved confidence in managing safeguarding concerns. By combining established practices with new, practical tools, this initiative has helped to create a more informed, proactive, and patient-centered approach to safeguarding.

Ultimately, improving the patient’s and their families safeguarding outcomes on AMU and SDEC plays a crucial role in supporting recovery, preserving safety, and promoting overall well-being. By promoting professional curiosity we ensure potential safeguarding concerns are identified early and therefore appropriately acted upon. Our Bee brilliant board encompasses our continued drive to improve staff knowledge of safeguarding and demonstrates our commitment to continual improvement in this area. 

This Improvement and Quality Project (IQP) focused on developing a clear and accessible escalation flowchart to support staff in navigating safeguarding concerns. The flowchart outlines how to communicate effectively, escalate appropriately, and identify the right individuals to seek advice from, ensuring that every team member feels empowered and informed when safeguarding matters arise.

We have created a pocket guide for our staff containing information around hidden harms. We have created this to increase staff knowledge in looking out for hidden harms. We have also put a copy of this quick guide in our staff areas including staff toilets, staff room, staff offices. Furthermore, we have spoke about the topic of safeguarding and hidden harms in our most recent ward meeting and everyday in our safety huddle.

Our focus is to spot and support patients who may be victims of abuse, which often goes unnoticed in hospital settings.

Our aim is to increase staff confidence to ask sensitive questions and empower our patients to disclose any concerns safely to staff in a private and safe environment.

We hope that by implementing the changes on the ward, our safeguarding outcomes will be greatly improved.

We have also investigated staff compliance around completing safeguarding eLearning which showed us excellent results with compliance being 100% for level 3 safeguarding and 97% for level 2 safeguarding. These figures show that our staff are committed to providing amazing care to our patients.

We have highlighted the safeguarding referral process and have ensured all staff are aware how to escalate.

We made our mission the consistent patient centred, systematic and robust implementation of the

safeguarding process. This raises the profile of consistent, timely referrals and open, honest communication, thereby improving patient confidence, trust and outcomes.

Ward 84 has embedded, and robust safeguarding processes and the team work collaboratively with internal and external professionals and agencies.

Whilst the staff on ward 84 conduct excellent safeguarding practice, we noted our mandatory training compliance has been below trust standard for several months. Therefore, for the Bee Brilliant Q2 Call to Action, we used this opportunity to focus on mandatory training, to ensure compliance is at trust standard and trajectories planned to prevent a reduction in compliance moving forward. Understanding that mandatory training is vital for staff education and development.

On the Neonatal Unit at Wythenshawe we care for the most vulnerable babies and their families and we frequently deal with complex and high level safeguarding cases. The safeguarding cases we manage often involve working closely with social services and can involve escalation to legal cases and to the removal of babies from their family. With this in mind we have looked at what staff can do if they have any concerns, the escalation process to follow, and how to practice professional curiosity.

We have also focused on Hive and how best to use Hive's functions to accurately record safeguarding concerns so that any information needed to communicate effectively with social services and the wider MDT can be easily accessed.

The Improvement quality Project ( IQP ) focused on ensuring all staff are compliant and up to date with Safeguarding policies and training. As Navigator Tab is not available in HIVE for us to flag the safeguarding concern in out patient department, we ensure that every morning at Cor huddle meeting, all staffs are aware that if a pink dot appears next to the patients name, then that is indicative of safeguarding concerns. We recognise , respond , and report it immediately to safeguarding team.

On the Acute Medical Unit at NMGH we care for a diverse range of patients and this Improvement and Quality Project (IQP) aimed to remind all staff of the importance of safeguarding, professional curiosity and the sharing of information. Our board display not only reminds staff of the markers (on Hive) in place for individual patients where safeguarding concerns are present, it also explains the significance of why a "whole family" approach is so important.

Our display board reminds both staff and visitors to the ward that it is a collective responsibility to protect vulnerable people including children, young people and adults who may be at risk. Safeguarding means protecting an individual's health, wellbeing and human rights ensuring they can live free from harm, abuse and neglect. As a team we are aiming to ensure that every member of staff is aware of their responsibility to report any safeguarding concerns as well as improving rapport with patients and their families by taking genuine interest in individuals and observing, listening and asking thoughtful questions.

We currently have focused our teaching Tuesday sessions for all staff on Safeguarding, as we have identified that not everyone is confident with the process of reporting safeguarding concerns. These sessions are to build confidence and competence for caring for vulnerable patients and their families

We have ensured our safeguarding board in the waiting room is up to date, and our practice educator has created a safeguarding/vulnerable patients resource folder for staff to refer to on the ward.

Crumpsall Vale will provide individual assessment, goal setting and care planning which includes therapy and support, to achieve the best outcome for the patient in the most appropriate setting.

One of the first assessments undertaken at Crumpsall vale is the OT assessment which includes a washing and dressing assessments, cognitive assessments and an access home visit.

 Self-neglect is often identified while completing these assessments. With this in mind we decided to complete a QIP in how we support and improve quality of life patient's identified from suffering from self neglect.

As a unit we have come together to work together to help improve our safeguarding responsibilities.

Our board shows what safeguarding is, different requirements for safeguarding and how staff should approach this. It also promotes the system on HIVE (pink dot). We also recognise the importance of Making Every Contact Count (MECC) with our patients.

We have created a new 'Think Pink' poster for our nurses station, highlighting steps and links that can be used.

There has also been the creation of a new up - to - date Safeguarding folder containing tip sheets for HIVE and the essential contacts for Safeguarding.

The outcome of our project is to boost staff knowledge, recognition and response to safeguarding concerns. We also encourage attendance of regular training for staff to have the latest knowledge.

As a team we know how to identify safeguarding patients via the pink dot on Hive, if we have worries, we know to raise any concerns with our manager, Safeguarding Champion and where to find safeguarding contacts.  The Safeguarding Champion relays information about the pink dots, like is it active, can we see any correspondence needed to contact the patients via the dot. We prepare clinic notes in advance which helps us identify any existing safeguard patients. We highlight safeguarding patients that need support in our morning department huddles. We make sure any identified safeguarding patients are flagged to make sure any reasonable adjustment is made. The whole team is involved, including reception staff who feel confident to raise any concerns to both clinicians and nurses.

As a team we undertook the quality improvement project – we had a meeting, the safeguard champion had identified that we found it difficult to follow up our safeguarding patients that were identified and then did not turn up. They were being missed through to follow up stage, so we emailed the safeguarding team they identified from the data that we have received a total of 3 DNA referrals under section of self-neglect in 2025, other theme is Domestic violence. We decided to create a checklist which would essentially safety net those patients, the checklist would be completed at the point the patient either did not attend or was not brought. The check list was drafted and then sent to the safeguarding team and Hive EPR Program team. They will discuss at safeguarding meeting as new MFT safeguarding team is undergoing a review and changes are going to be made to how they advise and support colleagues on the front line and a change to how we document in patient records. We are also going to log an IT request to ensure this checklist is placed on the agenda of the Safeguarding on HIVE Task and finish group.

First and foremost, staff should have professional curiosity this is as follows:

1.      Ask the right question: Open-ended, allow the patient to tell their story.

2.      Listen, feedback, respond and refer.

3.       Explore the full picture.

4.      Timely update the outcome back to the patient and their families.

Focus on how the staff are empowered and confidently to investigate and be curious when dealing with safeguarding issues before reporting. By doing the meeting to all the staff we educated and initiated what is safeguarding is all about hence will help the staff to identify by listening, feedback, respond and have the freedom to report/refer the identified issues. 

The board also display how to refer to HIVE and once display what it should look like on the patient tab.

Overall our utmost aim is to make safety for our patient and the board portrait a few information for what safeguarding is all about and few handy information. 'Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility no matter who you maybe'.       

Safeguarding is everyones business...........

Within the trust Safeguarding is a very serious matter, it protects the patients, there family and the medical staff or carers. Thanks to the Nursing Students and Nurses for aiding in the completion of this board, we covered instances of what falls under safeguarding, how it can be managed and how can we make others feel safe or supported.

Just remember that safeguarding is everyones business......

In line also with the focus on “hidden male” at the Q2 bee brilliant session we decided to incorporate “think family” into our quality improvement project as well as the importance of accurate documentation in safeguarding women and families. We are encouraging staff to be professionally curious and avoid assumptions in relation to family dynamics and visitors in order to improve safeguarding outcomes for patients.

We are also encouraging staff to remember to “Think pink” in relation to the pink dot to encourage them to identify patients and families who may need extra support and as a prompt for staff to use their safeguarding knowledge and strategies. We have also included information to remind staff where they can seek support from regarding safeguarding matters.

In addition some staff were unsure of the documentation required in when restraint/restrictive practice was needed.

Questionnaires were completed to gain an understanding of nursing staffs knowledge prior to completing the IQP. An audit of documentation was also completed.

We completed bedside teaching sessions, information was also shared through email and huddles. During this we focused on ensuring that the correct documentation was completed, making sure restraint is appropriate and all required actions are taken post restraint.

We emphasised the importance of completing regular assessments to identify patients experiencing ICU delirium, and to consider potential causes of delirium such as medications, pain, constipation and poor sleep hygiene and addressing these to reduce potential need for restraint.

We also discussed de-escalation strategies, the available communication and distraction aids available in our well being trolley.

When "thinking family" we thought of the information and support that family and friends could provide. As not all of our patients are able, to they can provide information about likes, dislikes and things that might help calm patients. In addition a familiar face can help, in these instances open visiting can be offered.

We also considered the fact that seeing a loved one experiencing delirium can be distressing therefore good communication and providing regular updates is vitally important.

Repeat questionnaires showed improvement in staff understanding but this remains an ongoing project.

As a team we looked at enhancing safeguarding practices, promoting professional curiosity, addressing barriers, and using effective communication strategies. On the learning disability team, we deal with some complex safeguarding cases.

We looked at ways that we address safeguarding concerns some of these are shown on the board which some include:

Mental Capacity & Consent: Follow the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). Involve the person, seek consent where possible, and act in their best interests if they lack capacity.

Training & supervision: Complete required safeguarding training for your role and use supervision to reflect and improve practice.

Record: Document objective facts, actions taken, names/times, and the individual’s wishes/outcomes.

Refer externally when needed: Work with the ward/department lead and Safeguarding Team to contact Manchester’s Adults Multi‑Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) or the Manchester Contact Centre.

Learning disability team support patients and service users by hospital discharge planning, communication passports, and desensitisation/health promotion and education work.

Working closely with Manchester City Council social workers. Manchester Safeguarding Partnership (MSP): Multi‑agency framework that unites health, social care, police and partners — safeguarding is everyone’s business.

People with learning disabilities face significant health inequalities, which often result in poorer health outcomes.

As a service provider it is our responsibility to ensure we use a multidisciplinary approach to ensure that patients receive the best possible care and to ensure they feel safe, seen and heard.

specialised ability centre (wythenshawe).

The wheel chat team met and discussed what barriers existed for staff members that could stop us being professionally curious regarding safeguarding.

Common barriers that team members had were

finding the time to commit to the referral process, especially in periods of high workload,

A fear of repercussions and the unknown of how the public perceive safeguarding.

This MDT have now addressed those concerns as a group and reviewed the processes involved in safeguarding to re-familiarise ourselves.

We have included some examples of managing paediatric and adult non-attendances two wheelchair clinics on our display board.

Our bee brilliant board in WYT PED is an extension of our safeguarding staff board and the main ED locked in project.

Our call to action has been an improvement in documentation with a developed ‘smart phrase’ on HIVE to ensure uniform documentation when recording safeguarding communication between the MDT, this has improved handover, patient care and understanding of what the issues may be between staff.

We have also shared our most recent CPIS audit data to demonstrate the hard work our clerical team do daily to ensure patient safety and effective communication!

The Improvement Quality Project ( IQP ) is regarding the unavailability of Navigator tab on HIVE for MTC staff.

Understand the Issues through data

Following a safeguarding study session, it was identified that the Navigator tab is currently unavailable on HIVE for staff on MTC, which is preventing them from flagging safeguarding concerns.

Define the Problem

Without access to the Navigator tab on HIVE, MTC staff may find it challenging to raise concerns regarding patients.

Agree to commence action

·           A ticket was raised with the IT team to request access to the new Navigator tab on HIVE for all staff working on MTC.

·         During the Core Huddle, staff were reminded that a pink dot next to a patient’s name indicates a safeguarding concern.

·         In response to the ticket, IT confirmed that the Navigator tab is only available to staff working in inpatient settings and will not be accessible to those in an OPD setup.

·         This update was communicated to all staff, and the safeguarding team was informed accordingly.

·         Going forward, staff have been advised that any safeguarding concerns regarding a patient should be raised directly with the safeguarding team.
The contact number for the safeguarding team is displayed on the safeguarding board.

·         At MTC, support is provided by the Fail safe Officer, who identifies cases of CND and DNA. ECLO staff play a vital role by engaging with patients with visual impairments during their appointments, gathering relevant information, and offering support within the community. If any safeguarding concerns arise, they promptly escalate the matter by contacting the Safeguarding Team to ensure the safety and well-being of the patient.

Just Do It

All staff in MTC are aware of how to identify patients under safeguarding, which is indicated by a pink dot on the patient storyboard. They are also familiar with the appropriate procedures for escalating and reporting safeguarding concerns when encountered.

We now all look to spot the PINK dot on HIVE. Lots of our team were not aware of the meaning.

With survey monkeys, we asked provocative questions to encourage the team to bee CURIOUS and ask themselves what would I do?

We encourage staff to remember “Think pink” in relation to the pink dot to identify patients and families who need additional support and as a prompt to use their safeguarding knowledge and strategies. To improve staff knowledge and confidence, we focus on safeguarding mandatory training and link nurses ensures that monthly updates provided. We included information to remind staff where they can seek support from regarding safeguarding matters. We highlighted the safeguarding referral process and have ensured all staff are aware of escalation. Also, there is an updated safeguarding folder which contains the relevant information for reference.

When "thinking family" we thought of the information and support that family, carers, NOK can access, the leaflet provides information about unit, staff caring, equipment that might help calming patients. Also, a familiar face can help, in these instances open visiting can be offered.

Our aim is to Identify risks and taking proactive measures to responding to concerns and taking action to protect individuals from harm, collaborating with other agencies including social services and law enforcement, to ensure a multidisciplinary approach.

Our team discussed how we could improve our services, enhancing training to improve the number of referrals. We implemented this and requested the volume we created before and after the training as our IQP.

We are awaiting our results.

Since July, Ward F14 has been buzzing with safeguarding awareness thanks to our “Bee Brilliant” Quarter 2 Board 🐝. The board was designed to keep safeguarding at the forefront of our daily practice, with clear messages, visual prompts, and a handy flow sheet showing how to raise concerns on Hive and complete incident reports.

We have already seen positive results: physios, medics, and nurses have confidently reported incidents of financial and physical abuse, supported by the step-by-step guidance available on the board. This has helped ensure concerns are acted on quickly and effectively, keeping our patients safe.

A big thank you to Ciya, Twinkle, and Melissa, who worked hard to create a board that’s not only informative but also eye-catching and interactive. Their efforts have encouraged staff engagement, sparked important discussions, and highlighted the shared responsibility we all have in safeguarding.

To make sure this learning sticks, key safeguarding reminders from the board are now included in our daily safety huddles, embedding awareness into routine practice and strengthening our ward’s culture of safety.

Together, we are making safeguarding second nature on Ward F14 💛.

Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework as our guide, we began our discovery phase by evaluating our current safeguarding practices. We used questionnaires to assess staff confidence in identifying and supporting patients with safeguarding concerns, as well as their knowledge and challenges in raising concerns.

Our data revealed a critical issue: While staff confidence in recognizing abuse is high, there is a gap in the actual practice of reporting concerns and making referrals to safeguarding teams. This finding became the foundation for our project's goals.

Our Approach to Improving Safeguarding

To bridge this gap and empower our staff, we developed a new approach centered around a dedicated safeguarding noticeboard and a series of key initiatives. We designed a walk-through to explain how each component contributes to our overall objective. Our methodology and findings include:

 * Educational Materials: We created posters to clearly define the different types of abuse and the legal definition of a child, ensuring our team has the foundational knowledge to identify issues.

 * Reporting Procedures: We provided a step-by-step breakdown of how to file a safeguarding concern. We emphasize the importance of "professional curiosity" and thorough documentation to ensure all concerns are properly investigated.

 * Early Help: We implemented an Early Help Checklist and an "Early Signs of Abuse" document to help staff identify risks early on, allowing us to intervene and prevent harm before it escalates.

 * Staff Empowerment: We explained the "pink dot" system to easily identify patients with known safeguarding issues. This symbol helps us approach these patients with extra awareness and care.

Long-Term Strategy

Beyond these initial steps, we've initiated new practices to embed safeguarding into our daily operations. We now prioritize proper safeguarding information during patient handovers and have included safeguarding training in our ACE day program.

For a sustainable approach, we have established a team of internal safeguarding champions who are responsible for providing regular updates and ensuring our team's knowledge and approach remain current. This ongoing commitment ensures we continue to improve safeguarding outcomes for our patients and their families.

As a result, within the department, we implemented:

1 – Quarterly staff rotation through all QCR Audits to allow people to learn and understand them. Patient safety audit specifically has safeguarding questions within it. As a result, over the last 6 months, Patient safety QCR data has been consistently between 93%-100%.

2 – Within our weekly team meeting, as part of ‘Any other Business’ we have an ‘Accreditation Quiz’ to ensure our knowledge base is consistently up to date across the department, which regularly includes safeguarding and what we need to do if there is a safeguarding concern within department.

3 – We had an occasion where a patient was Deaf and a BSL interpreter was not available – In this instance, as the hearing loop was not appropriate, the member of staff utilised pen and paper to communicate. However, to improve time efficiency and flow of communication they researched and came across ‘The Otter App’.  This is an App which allows dictation that appears as written word on the screen. This app is now a further communication tool within department to support those who are hard of hearing.

This not only causes delays and frustration for the patient and their families but also causes further issues for the running of our clinics as we are then having to bring patients back for a formal capacity assessment or best interest discussion when this could have been done at their first attendance to clinic, which causes more work and time for staff and puts further pressure on already busy clinic days.Therefore, we decided to base our safeguarding Bee brilliant project on improving this. We provided some bespoke teaching to the team on why capacity assessments are important and how they are completed in HIVE. We will continue to audit our compliance over the next few months.

I have included a definition of safeguarding, what is professional curiosity, how to make a referral, who is responsible for safeguarding, telling people to be confident and always ask for help if unsure, what does the pink dot mean and what signs to look out for. I have also put who is our main contact at the dental hospital for safeguarding and who to contact from the safeguarding team at Oxford Road campus.

I have presented my findings from a survey completed by a small sample from my team to find out what people know about safeguarding and if there are any gaps in their knowledge. I have found that there are some gaps in my team’s knowledge. I will guide my team to my board to find the answers, they can ask me or our safeguarding lead for more information. I have also spoke to my senior nurse manager about organising a team meeting, giving out newsletters or referring people back to their eLearning. This will improve outcomes for our patients and their families.

safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Communication is key.

We must Bee curious……. think pink….

By being vigilant and encouraging staff to be professionally curious it will safeguard the most vulnerable patients. On admission by allowing patients to speak up and be open and honest. During the daily meet and greet by the ward coordinator it might just give that one patient opportunity to say I am not ok. I’m worried. I’m struggling.

By completing the bee brilliant board, it has reminded staff of the importance of safeguarding and that there is nothing wrong with being curious. It is better to speak up than do nothing at all.

For this Bee Brilliant, Alice developed an IQP on DoLS as this is one of ACCU's main safeguarding risk, she created a questionnaire to ensure staff were aware of the new process on HIVE and the process and reason behind applying for a DoLS for a patient. Staff reported that this highlighted information that they were unaware of and enjoyed the challenge of scoring the highest.

At Trafford Endoscopy we are very committed to safeguard every one. Safeguarding starts with us, Not just policy, Its people.

In our department we have created a pathway with Safeguarding concerns. As per our board.

Patient will be identified by the admin team when they are booking for their appointment.

Admin team will liaise with the nursing team, Safeguarding champion via email/chat in Hive.

Safeguarding champion will contact patients/relatives and will identify any reasonable adjustment required on the day of the procedure and any other support required prior to their procedure date.

In our unit we have source and collate a Safeguarding folder and a spread sheet created where we input all patient details, any action required for staff information. Staff will be notified via our daily core huddle.

Patient attending on the day will be highlighted with pink dot in their status board on Hive, all necessary adjustment required during patient attendance to the unit will be implemented.

We ensure all our members of the team are up to date with their safeguarding e learning, and be aware on how to action/escalate when any safeguarding concerns identified in the department.

For our "Bee Board", we reviewed a recent safeguarding incident in which a staff member demonstrated professional curiosity to a very high standard. The staff member took the initiative to ask thoughtful, open-ended questions and sought further information when something didn’t seem quite right. This approach allowed for a deeper understanding of the patient's circumstances and led to appropriate safeguarding action being taken in a timely manner.

By conducting this process, we were able to identify what we had been done well, particularly how the use of professional curiosity helped to uncover concerns that may not have been immediately obvious. It demonstrated how essential it is not to make assumptions, and instead explore situations thoroughly.

This review also allowed us to refresh our mind on the safeguarding procedures, helping to ensure that  team members remain confident in recognising signs of potential harm  and understand the correct steps to take when reporting a concern. Exploring this case reminded us of the significant impact that safeguarding, when done correctly, can have on the safety, well-being, and outcomes for our patients.

The process also gave us the opportunity to reflect on any areas for improvement and  whether there were any steps we could have done differently and how we can continue to strengthen our safeguarding practices going forward.

This experience enforced our belief that professional curiosity is not just a skill, but a mindset that is essential for safe and effective practice.

Call to action- To improve safeguarding outcomes for patients and their families.

Our department has a duty to safeguard individuals from all types of safeguarding concerns.

In response to this quarters IQP project we have up dated our " Be brilliant" board which focus on using professional curiosity to act appropriate with any safeguarding concerns, gather clear information to assess and act upon concerns and consider the key principles of the care act

2014. The board includes aspects of -

1.Empowerment - supporting and encouraging others to make their own decisions and give informed consent.

2.Prevention - Take action before mistreatment.

3. Proportionality- The least intrusive response necessary to the risk presented.

4. Protection - support and representation of those in greatest need.

5. Partnership- working in partnership to achieve solutions - prevent , detect and report.

6. Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding. Duty of candour.

We are ongoing in the encouragement for both teams to "Think Pink" and to be aware of the families on the ward that may need additional support, as well as identifying those that have more complex needs prior to discharge and thinking of their continuing care in the community.

We encounter many families that will require Discharge Planning Meetings and have multiple agencies involved, for example: Social services, housing officers and sometimes court cases.

With a lot of rotational midwives on the ward, and even for the core team, it can be incredibly hard to keep up to date with the latest Safeguarding processes and having the confidence in undertaking complex discharges. In acknowledging the difficulties in liaising with multiple professionals whilst also caring for others on the ward, we are going to be focusing on an improvement project focused upon making people more confident in the above. The aim is to work with our link midwife and encourage involvement from the Safeguarding specialist team, to create a resource that will make the process easier- common numbers, protocols etc.

The aim is to ensure that when we have families that require a DPM or court involvement, staff are able to feel confident in supporting them and making the process more straightforward with limited delay.

We have included firstly three things to consider:

1. think pink

2. think curiously

3. think family

Call to action in middle: As a team undertake a quality improvement project to improve safeguarding outcomes for patients and their families.

(We have added safeguarding and DOLs application process on board so that team can easily access to it and can make referral when required) message for team is think positively about safeguarding in your area.

We have added barriers in process of safeguarding

then in purple box a key message from advance nurse practitioner.

Then under that relevant adult safeguarding legislation like care act, human rights act, mental capacity act, safeguarding vulnerable group act etc.

We have added principles of safeguarding.

Types of safeguarding concerns like physical, verbal, emotional, sexual.

On top in middle we have added three different case scenarios of patients.

If anyone needs support contact number for safeguarding like for Manchester, Salford, Trafford.

These are basically for adults social care

We have added theme THINK PINK, THINK SAFEGUARDING

Min important for LD patients hospital passport so that everyone will get knowledge how it look likes and what all elements are there.

Under that we have included process how to do safeguarding and DOLs referral on HIVE.

We believe safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and will remain to think pink.

We hope to continue to breaking the barriers of safeguarding.

Martha actively involved the entire team, including our students, gathering insightful quotes from everyone to help identify any knowledge gaps. Alongside our regularly printed and displayed safeguarding newsletter, she emphasised the importance of embedding safeguarding into everything we do at work.

To make the board even more interactive, Martha highlighted films with key safeguarding messages, encouraging everyone to think about safeguarding in a dynamic and ongoing way. Helping us to apply theory to practice. This initiative truly reflects our team’s commitment to creating a safer and more aware working environment.

As a team we educated among the staffs to focus on protecting vulnerable patients from harm, abuse, or neglect by implementing principles like safety, empowerment, and trust, and by ensuring staff are trained to recognize signs of abuse and follow established procedures. We believe that to achieve this we have focused on aspects including providing a safe environment, respecting patient choice, building trusting relationships, empowering patients with control over decisions, and maintaining clear accountability for welfare through policies. This was also educated among team members. As a result, the whole team completed all the mandatory courses, and this has made a great impact on the way we handled the safeguarding cases.

Following are the measures taken,

* Creating an environment where patients are protected from physical, emotional, and sexual harm.

* Empowerment - Giving patients a voice and control over decision-making processes, helping them to feel more in charge of their care.

* Trustworthiness: Building trust and positive relationships between staff and patients to foster open communication and a sense of security.

* Partnership: Working with patients, their families, and other agencies to ensure the best outcomes for their well-being and protection.

* Prevention: Taking steps to stop harm and abuse from occurring in the first place.

* Proportionality: Ensuring that safeguarding measures are appropriate to the level of risk involved.

* Accountability: Establishing clear lines of responsibility to ensure patients are kept safe.

Along with this we encouraged everyone to have "professional curiousity" as safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Let's Think Pink and Make Safeguarding a Priority.😊

Every shift, Emma asked 3 questions to the registered nurses who were caring for those with a Pink Dot on HIVE.

• Why does your patient have a Pink Dot?

• Where do you find the information on HIVE to find out why they have a PINK Dot?

• Do you know how the Pink Dot is created?

Asking these 3 basic questions every day to staff has embedded the importance and awareness of knowing why your patient has a Pink Dot. These questions have generated conversations everyday on the ward about the safeguarding process, generating more professional Curiousity. It has improved patient safety on admissions, as staff are more aware and curious of the Pink Dot, which has lead to missing as many safeguarding concerns that have already been raised on HIVE.

Emma created an audit with results for each month. In every month there has been improvement in every area, which shows with have successfully embedded a new professional culture and curiosity on the ward around safeguarding. For example, we have gone from only 33% of staff knowing how a Pink Dot was created in July, to 80% of staff knowing in September, which is a huge improvement.

-          In Interventional Radiology Day Unit, we have conducted a questionnaire for the nursing team to complete whereby we ask them their own knowledge and expertise about safeguarding.

-          The questions are as follows:

1.      What does safeguarding mean to you?

2.      Do you know who your safeguarding champion in Radiology department?

3.      Do you know what actions you should take if you identify a patient safeguarding concern?

4.      Do you know how to contact the MFT Safeguarding team?

5.      How do you identify safeguarding concerns in Interventional Radiology?

The purpose of this questionnaire is to know the knowledge and understanding of our team about safeguarding. This will enable us to develop an action plan accordingly to the staff’s needs on how they will need support to improve safeguarding outcomes for our patients and their families.

We are planning to arrange a teaching session regarding safeguarding of our patients and liaise with our safeguarding nurse champion/link nurse.

In our Radiology Day Unit, safeguarding is paramount as we look after a diverse range of patients who have different co-morbidities and different lifestyles, and social economic differences. It is important that we improve these outcomes for our patients.

Together as a team, we aim to improve the safeguarding outcomes for all our patients and their families/carers by getting them involved in the care. To do this, we are up-to-date with our safeguarding  and other relevant training to ensure that we are all equipped with knowledge and competence in identifying, escalating and supporting our patients.  Any patients with safeguarding issues are being discussed during the daily huddle to ensure that we all have the updated information about the patients’ situation.

On our Bee Brilliant board, one can see that the importance of the staff having all the needed skills and knowledge to be able to manage any challenges that we may encounter in dealing with any safeguarding issues in our Unit. One can also see two hands cupping a group of people. This signifies us protecting our patients’ safety by ensuring that the way we communicate enhance better safeguarding outcomes.

After a team discussion it was agreed that due to the lack of safeguarding concerns raised, there was a risk that staff may get out of the habit of ensuring they are 'switched on' to potential safeguarding issues.

For this reason, we decided to create a tip sheet for staff members to act as a refresher for:

• Remaining vigilant

• Communicating with patients

• Making safeguarding referrals

The board and tip sheet were discussed at handover and added to our 'Take 2' weekly bulletin.

It serves as a quick guide on how to make and the legal requirements for reasonable adjustments. Breakfast teaching sessions will supplement this. 

The Ward team aimed to further our knowledge surrounding safeguarding by encouraging staff to complete safeguarding training along with signposting to relevant resources such as the SG and the ward SG link nurse.

Our bee brilliant board has thinking points on it to ensure staff feel supported to follow local policy in relation to safeguarding.

As a result, we have organised an in-service training session led by the safeguarding team. We anticipate that this session will be interactive, allowing us to explore the common themes identified in the questionnaire and foster meaningful discussions. To encourage participation, we have advertised the training on the safeguarding board.

Additionally, we have uploaded the safeguarding flowchart to HIVE, making it easily accessible for clinicians to support their decision-making processes. This quarterly focus has been invaluable in enhancing both safeguarding knowledge and staff confidence.

Here in the EED we interact with 1000’s of people a month from all walks of life and from all over Manchester. Providing exemplary safeguarding care to our visitors is essential and is a commitment every member of staff in EED has taken. This commitment, and the exertion required to undertake it, was celebrated by the Safeguarding team via excellent feedback from them regarding how we have dealt with complex safeguarding issues in the department.

We have two wonderful safeguarding link nurses who have created a fantastic presentation about how to accurately complete DASH forms for our staff who lack confidence in doing so.  This presentation was so innovative and informative it has since been made available to all staff across the Trust. Well done girls!

Another innovation is the use of a departmental diary for the recording of any safeguarding task undertaken by any member of staff. This central documenting of activities allows constant monitoring of the quality of safeguarding tasks by the link nurses to maintain high standards and to address any shortfalls in staff education or confidence. It also allows the link nurses to follow up with the Safeguarding team and provide opportunity for debriefing with all departmental staff.

Our safeguarding board showcases the excellent work already embedded in our team’s culture, including proactive communication between patients, their families, the multidisciplinary team, and external agencies.

The champion team has previously developed easy-to-use tipsheets to support staff in completing referrals and their documentation efficiently. These resources reinforce the principle that ‘safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility’ and to remember to ‘Think Pink’.

 We are proud to report that our staff compliance with Safeguarding, Learning Disability, and Autism (LD/A) eLearning exceeds 95%.

Using the SUDA model, we implemented an IQP as a call to action. Following staff participation in the Oliver McGowan Part 2 face-to-face training and discussions with the Learning Disability team, the champion team created a Critical Care information leaflet with visual aids for patients and their carers or relatives.

Admission to Critical Care can be a daunting experience, especially for individuals with learning disabilities or difficulties. Our existing visitor information sheet was found to be too lengthy and text-heavy for many patients and carers. The new leaflet focuses on the environment, equipment, staff, and reasonable adjustments that can support the patient’s journey. It includes simple explanations alongside pictures to help patients understand what to expect during their stay.

This leaflet is intended as a supportive aid and does not replace the essential communication between patients, relatives, and the care team.

Once finalised by the specialist team, we plan to implement the leaflet and will incorporate feedback from patients, carers, LD/A specialist nurses, and focus groups to ensure it meets their needs.

In our CAPD unit, patient, relative, and staff safety is always our priority. We work together to ensure that everyone receives safe and effective care.

If any safeguarding concern arises, it will be discussed within the team and escalated to the senior management team. The safeguarding team will also be informed, and an incident form will be completed.

We ensure that all team members have up-to-date knowledge regarding safeguarding by completing mandatory training in a timely manner.

Any new updates or guidance received from the Trust will be promptly shared with all team members.

Here at the CCRF our professional relationship with patients and their families is of the utmost importance. Families dedicate their time to engage in phase 1 clinical drug trials for various rare genetic conditions, trials take place over many years and nursing staff come to learn a lot about patients and family dynamics.

In addition to providing outstanding clinical care, in line with GCP, we prioritise safeguarding children and supporting families to give children the best start in life.

Our BeeBrilliant Safeguarding board firstly outlines what safeguarding is and highlights that it is a legal requirement as well as our professional duty as nurses under the NMC.

Secondly we discuss what we do on the CCRF to safeguard children and their families. We remain 'professionally curious', asking families questions and not assuming, this helps us understand families needs and how we can best support them. We then information share, refer and signpost where appropriate. To improve team skills in being professionally curious trust training is vital, we have 100% compliance with all mandatory training except Oliver McGowen Training Tier 2 which has been newly released and we are all working towards completing in a timely manner. The board also highlights additional training courses staff can access on Kallidus to assist them in developing their knowledge and skills in safeguarding.

As part of the call to action, we have showcased 2 IQP projects we have had in safeguarding on the CCRF this year.

SUDA 1 (April 2025) shows the process in improving awareness within the team of safeguarding issues within the trust, case reviews/learning and of additional resources. We have done this through a monthly rota in which 2 people are asked to present key themes and learning from the R&I safeguarding newsletter each month. This is followed by some discussion and ideas are generated to how we can improve safeguarding practice on the CCRF.

As part of the Bee Brilliant IQP project we have completed SUDA 2 (August 2025). We discussed the theme of 'hidden figures/men' in existing safeguarding reviews. We felt by improving completion of the Think Family Safeguarding Screening we could more closely monitor those attending with children to their appointments, their relation and their role in the child's life. We have added a list of assessments to rovers to act as reminders for completion at patient visits. Whilst staff are now more aware of this tool and its use, we have found that as a day case unit after discharge the information collected as part of the safeguarding screen is not then shown as future appointments. This means it cannot be used as reference when asking who is attending with the child. We have raised this issue with HIVE and are currently working towards fixing this which will improve the process of safeguarding documentation in the CCRF but also may help other day case admission/outpatient clinics.

Call for action focus : Review Current Practices

The Burns department undertook a review as part of the Q2 Bee Brilliant Call for Action, focusing on safeguarding practices to ensure patient safety and continuous improvement.

Current Safeguarding Measures

·         Robust Systems: Strong safeguarding processes are in place within Burns and BPAC for all admissions, with close collaboration alongside the trust’s safeguarding teams, FST and external community teams when needed.

·         Discharge Coordination: Two Discharge Coordinators oversee social checks for every burns patient, working closely with Health Visitors, schools, and GPs to ensure comprehensive support and identify/act on concerns.

·         We have shared the contact details of Link nurses, safeguarding teams and referral information to support staff awareness and work collaboratively.

Staff Training and Compliance

·         High Training Compliance: Staff maintain high safeguarding training rates (95% for Level 1, 94.8% for Level 2, and 93.3% for Level 3).

·         Onboarding Focus: Safeguarding essentials are included in the induction process for all staff including medical teams inducted to Burns services.

·         Ongoing Tracking: Staff training is closely monitored, with reminders to update training as needed.

Policy and Resource Updates

·         Policy Review: accessibility of safeguarding policies are under review to keep them current and user-friendly, utilising Process maps to guide staff in decision-making when safeguarding issues arise.

Compliance Monitoring

·         Regular Audits: Compliance is checked regularly, with follow-ups on action points to maintain high standards.

·         Information Management: Safeguarding data is kept up to date in Hive and tip sheet shared to support staff.

Core Values and Teamwork

·         Values in Action: Emphasis on the “Everyone Can – Responsibility” approach, aligning with MFT’s values of openness, curiosity, collaboration, compassion, and inclusivity. Quiz has been shared to support staff awareness and gauge knowledge to identify any gaps

·         Collaboration in Complex Cases: Discharge Coordinators participate in MDT meetings and share updates in Hive to ensure coordinated care in challenging cases.

Communication Initiatives

·         “Think Pink”: Ongoing efforts to enhance communication and information sharing between clinics and wards. With a focus on accurate and up to date documentation.

Conclusion

The department is committed to continuously improving safeguarding through regular reviews, ongoing staff training, policy updates, and effective teamwork. Clear communication and strong alignment with core values ensure that patients and families receive safe, high-quality care.

To support this, we developed an informative leaflet for the patient, their families, carers and Next of Kin (NOK). The leaflet offers a clear overview of the unit, the care provided, and the services available during a patient’s stay. This IQP was undertaken as a joint project across Critical care in ORC site.

The leaflet gives information about the environment, equipment, staff looking after where the patient with learning disability/autism and learning difficulty are admitted to.

Staff are encouraged to “Think Pink”—a visual prompt using a pink dot to identify patients and families who may require additional support.

When “thinking of resources” - We emphasize on mandatory safeguarding training and ensure monthly updates are shared by link nurses. We’ve the safeguarding and Learning disability folder with relevant resources in HDU. The resources reinforce the principle that Safeguarding is everyones responsibility.

When “thinking family,” we considered the types of support families, carers, and NOK might need. Involving family/carers in planning the care for the patient, actively listening and using open ended questions.

Our overarching aim is to identify risks early, respond proactively to concerns, and take decisive action to protect individuals from harm. We work collaboratively with external agencies—including social services and law enforcement.

Think documentation – If staff think there is a safeguarding concern, then to notify the team, making the referral. Staff are encouraged to complete incident report, do the assessment and document on the system.

We have received feedback from the team when questioned what safeguarding issues they felt we had on labour ward hat FGM is not always handed over via an SBAR although is documented via safeguarding referrals and the pink dot .We wanted to highlight the importance of recognition of our families that come from the high risk areas for practising FGM and to be alert to checking for both the pink dot being completed and safeguarding assessments- to have that professional curiosity . This is always discussed reasons for pink dots at the huddle and via the MDT huddle so the wider MDT ( including theatres) are also aware.

To support this, we developed an informative leaflet for the patient, their families, carers and Next of Kin (NOK). The leaflet offers a clear overview of the unit, the care provided, and the services available during a patient’s stay. This IQP was undertaken as a joint project across Critical care in ORC site.

The leaflet gives information about the environment, equipment, staff looking after where the patient with learning disability/autism and learning difficulty are admitted to.

Staff are encouraged to “Think Pink”—a visual prompt using a pink dot to identify patients and families who may require additional support.

When “thinking of resources” - We emphasize on mandatory safeguarding training and ensure monthly updates are shared by link nurses. We’ve the safeguarding and Learning disability folder with relevant resources in HDU. The resources reinforce the principle that Safeguarding is everyones responsibility.

When “thinking family,” we considered the types of support families, carers, and NOK might need. Involving family/carers in planning the care for the patient, actively listening and using open ended questions.

Our overarching aim is to identify risks early, respond proactively to concerns, and take decisive action to protect individuals from harm. We work collaboratively with external agencies—including social services and law enforcement.

Think documentation – If staff think there is a safeguarding concern, then to notify the team, making the referral. Staff are encouraged to complete incident report, do the assessment and document on the system.

Safeguarding is one of our highest priorities at the Adult Research Facility. As a team, we are committed to continuously improving our awareness and practices. We regularly circulate a safeguarding newsletter and discuss key updates during core huddles to ensure everyone remains informed and engaged.

 We maintain 100% compliance with safeguarding training requirements and are confident in our ability to identify concerns, complete thorough assessments, and make appropriate referrals when necessary.

Although we have not encountered any safeguarding incidents over the past year, we remain proactive in refreshing our knowledge. The newsletter plays a vital role in keeping us alert to emerging risks and evolving best practices.

In safeguarding practice, several barriers can prevent timely and effective action. Staff may feel unsure about the evidence, fear repercussions, or assume someone else will act. Time pressures and workload can also impact decision-making. A lack of clarity in policies and procedures, limited understanding of safeguarding protocols, and concerns about disrupting families further complicate the process. Additionally, perceived lack of support or follow-up after reporting can discourage future disclosures. At our Adult Research Facility, we actively address these barriers through clear guidance, open dialogue, visual referral pathways, and a supportive team culture that empowers staff to act confidently and compassionately, ensuring safeguarding remains a shared responsibility.

This board reflects our proactive safeguarding culture—where every team member is empowered, informed, and ready to act. It showcases how we address safeguarding across all areas of our work, including child protection, domestic abuse protection orders, and inclusive research practices. We go beyond compliance to create safe, respectful environments that amplify marginalized voices and ensure everyone is protected and heard. Through trauma-informed care, clear referral pathways, and a commitment to continuous learning, we demonstrate why safeguarding matters—not just as a policy, but as a promise.

Our ICU board highlights the importance of effective communication between patients, families, the multidisciplinary team (MDT), and external agencies. Communication is a vital element in safeguarding vulnerable adults, young people, and children from harm, abuse, and neglect. It relies on professionals sharing information, raising concerns, involving relevant individuals, and coordinating care effectively.

Strong communication with families and the MDT fosters understanding and cooperation, builds trust, enables early intervention, improves decision-making, and ensures a holistic approach to care.

We are proud to report that staff compliance with safeguarding and Learning Disability/Autism (LD/A) training exceeds 95%. A monthly safeguarding newsletter is shared with the team to reinforce key messages and updates. We remain committed to maintaining a safe environment and prioritising patient-centred care.

As part of our IQP, we collaborated across the Critical Care Unit to develop a visual information leaflet for patients with LD/A and their relatives. The leaflet focuses on the unit’s environment, available equipment, staff roles, and reasonable adjustments that can support patients and their families. It includes pictures with clear descriptions to help individuals understand what to expect during their stay.

This leaflet is designed as a supportive aid and complements the existing communication between patients, carers, and the care team.

Our call to action is to ensure that safeguarding assessments are done on every patient on admission.

ETC SAL aim to ensure safeguarding training compliance remains above 90%.

The staff are aware of how to spot safeguarding concerns and how to appropriately action them. We encourage our staff to remain curious and if they are ever in doubt its ok to give the safeguarding team a shout.

As well as providing the tools and knowledge to be able to act on those concerns. By escalating and using our electronic records system: HIVE to make the necessary referrals as well as using the system to be able to identify those at increased risk 'Think PINK'

What did we do?

We completed a survey with 20 Radiology department staff, including Radiographers, Nurses and Radiology Dept Assisstants which showed confirmed there was low confidence levels in using the Hive safeguarding documentation.

Following the survey some brief toolbox training sessions throughout September & October have been arranged to support this staff in developing thier confidence using the Hive playground environment to simulate completing the safeguarding documentation.

Once the training sessions are complete, a follow-up survey of staff confidence will be completed to measure the success of the sessions.

We have to ensure that we document clearly any concerns we may have had ensure the pink dot is on patients notes where required.

Staff can use the information our bee brilliant board to gain an understanding of the questions they need to ask patients.

As a department we work closely with the MDT and communicate any concerns to prepare patient for admission.

As a team we are compliant with our safeguarding elearning and know how to raise a safeguarding concern

We looked at the importance of admission information and documentation as the majority of our patients are day case patients.

We focused on good communication and listening to our patients.

As a team undertake a Quality Improvement Project to improve safeguarding outcomes for your patients and their families.

-          In Interventional Radiology Day Unit, we have conducted a questionnaire for the nursing team to complete whereby we ask them their own knowledge and expertise about safeguarding.

-          The questions are as follows:

1.      What does safeguarding mean to you?

2.      Do you know who your safeguarding champion in Radiology department?

3.      Do you know what actions you should take if you identify a patient safeguarding concern?

4.      Do you know how to contact the MFT Safeguarding team?

5.      How do you identify safeguarding concerns in Interventional Radiology?

The purpose of this questionnaire is to know the knowledge and understanding of our team about safeguarding. This will enable us to develop an action plan accordingly to the staff’s needs on how they will need support to improve safeguarding outcomes for our patients and their families.

We are planning to arrange a teaching session regarding safeguarding of our patients and liaise with our safeguarding nurse champion/link nurse.

In our Radiology Day Unit, safeguarding is paramount as we look after a diverse range of patients who have different co-morbidities and different lifestyles, and social economic differences. It is important that we improve these outcomes for our patients

In addition some staff were unsure of the documentation required in when restraint/restrictive practice was needed.

Questionnaires were completed to gain an understanding of nursing staffs knowledge prior to completing the IQP. An audit of documentation was also completed.

We completed bedside teaching sessions, information was also shared through email and huddles. During this we focused on ensuring that the correct documentation was completed, making sure restraint is appropriate and all required actions are taken post restraint.

We emphasised the importance of completing regular assessments to identify patients experiencing ICU delirium, and to consider potential causes of delirium such as medications, pain, constipation and poor sleep hygiene and addressing these to reduce potential need for restraint.

We also discussed de-escalation strategies, the available communication and distraction aids available in our well being trolley.

When "thinking family" we thought of the information and support that family and friends could provide. As not all of our patients are able to they can provide information about likes, dislikes and things that might help calm patients. In addition a familiar face can help, in these instances open visiting can be offered.

We also considered the fact that seeing a loved one experiencing delirium can be distressing therefore good communication and providing regular updates is vitally important.

Repeat questionnaires showed improvement in staff understanding but this remains an ongoing project.

Each referral received from the hospitals are reviewed thoroughly and checked for any safeguarding concerns. Not only for patients and family members but for staff members who are expected to visit the patient in their own homes.

Patient safety is part of the core assessment and any safeguarding concerns are discussed with the duty social worker and senior management.

The board has been put together as a reminder to all of our staff.

There has been multiple safeguarding reports completed over the years by the team. We then complete a robust plan with the duty social worker to immediately safeguard our patients if required.

We have a support worker service who can visit patients multiple times a day until reviewed by social/safeguarding services.

Our patients are the priority.

As part of our "Bee Brilliant" quarterly topic, we aimed to assess and enhance staff awareness about safeguarding. We distributed a 10-question quiz among 10 staff members to gauge their understanding. The results were visualized in a pie chart, highlighting areas for improvement.

To promote ongoing learning and awareness, we will incorporate a daily safeguarding question into our huddle meetings. Each day, we will discuss one question from the quiz, reinforcing key concepts and encouraging staff to seek help and raise concerns about safeguarding.

Our goal is to ensure that all staff members feel confident and empowered to identify and respond to safeguarding concerns. By continuously reviewing and discussing safeguarding principles, we aim to foster a culture of awareness and protection within our team.

This initiative will help us:

1. Enhance staff knowledge and understanding of safeguarding

2. Encourage a culture of openness and reporting

3. Ensure timely identification and response to safeguarding concerns

To support staff in seeking help, we have:

1. Nominated Safeguarding Link Workers: Available in the department to provide guidance and support.

2. Safeguarding Information Board: Displayed in the department, containing:

- Contact details of the safeguarding team

- Names of Safeguarding Link Workers

3. Regular Tea Trolley Trainings: Providing updates on policies, procedures, and best practices, including safeguarding awareness and updates.

The Tea Trolley Trainings will be utilized to:

- Deliver bite-sized training sessions on safeguarding topics

- Discuss updates to policies and procedures

- Encourage staff to ask questions and share concerns

By prioritizing safeguarding awareness and providing accessible support, we can better protect our patients, families, and staff.

The safeguarding champions on the ward have created a step by step guide to completing a safeguarding referral and this is displayed on the board.

They also shared some facts about safeguarding with the team and informed them of the resources available on the board so they feel supported and confident when dealing with safeguarding concerns.

We have included the different types of abuse to look out for, how to complete a safeguarding referral and also the contact details for the safeguarding team and other appropriate contacts.

Staff know to “Think pink!” And we advocate for our patients safety and protection as our priority.

We have implemented a Safeguarding checklist document to use at initial patient contact in order to flag any concerns that may be overlooked until later on in the patients care.

This document can be reviewed as and when required and concerns shared at safety huddle daily amongst the team. We have decided for patient safety, privacy and dignity to upload the document onto EMIS allowing it to be viewed by professionals on a need to know basis.

Mate crime refers to exploitation, abuse or manipulation of vulnerable individuals by people they perceive as friends. There are steps we can take as a team to identify and support these patients. We have highlighted a recent case study to demonstrate this whilst also recognizing the challenges of safeguarding in the community.

Mr K was referred to us following a very poor hospital discharge and required urgent input and coordination of many services to support a challenging situation. Mr K is known to self-neglect, and was also living in his own flat, with a ‘friend’ who was using Mr K’s poor health to invite other people into the property for illicit acts known as ‘cuckooing’ and putting our patient Mr K at risk.

Cuckooing is a form of action, termed by the police, in which the home of a vulnerable person is taken over by a criminal in order to use it to deal, store or take drugs, facilitate sex work, as a place for them to live, or to financially abuse the tenant. The practice is associated with county lines drug trafficking. It is also known to occur as part of mate crime, the act of befriending a person with the intent to exploit them.^[1]

We visited Mr K, referred him to safeguarding and social services for urgent input. We completed CHC paperwork for him to receive funded care. We provided pain and symptom management. We provided urgent equipment, and products for incontinence. We submitted an incident via ullyses. We now continue to support Mr K to the best of our ability.

In order for us to prioritize patient care and safety its imperative for us to be up to date and informed on different safeguarding issues, how we can identify them and how we can support those patients. We continue to make efforts to improve our monthly What Matters To Me figures and this bee brilliant quarter has reminded us on the importance of using systems like this which support our patients and help us identify subtle concerns before they escalate.

We discuss vulnerable patients in our core huddles and assessments are completed as soo as possible to protect the patient. These assessment can included MCA (and DOLs if needed) Hospital passports and safeguarding referrals including DASH.

We ensure all our staff are up- to- date with their safeguarding training levels 1 to 3 and also Oliver Mcgowan training.

At AM2, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do. Our team is dedicated to protecting our patients and supporting their loved ones through a clear, structured admission screening process that helps us identify safeguarding needs early and effectively.

We live by the principle of “Think Family”—ensuring that every patient feels safe, heard, and respected. Our multidisciplinary team builds strong, trusting relationships throughout the hospital stay, giving patients the confidence to share concerns and feel protected.

Our commitment to patient-centered care has helped many individuals maintain a good standard of living, knowing their rights are upheld and their safety is prioritised.

Bee Brilliant: Inspiring Action and Awareness

With the support of the Bee Brilliant programme, our safeguarding efforts are more visible, engaging, and impactful. The vibrant board in our unit serves as a daily reminder of our shared responsibility

• A QR code provides quick access to further resources and support.

•Driven by Compassion and Curiosity

The smiles and gratitude from our patients and their families fuel our passion to do more. We approach every concern with curiosity, compassion, and a commitment to protect.

#AM2 – Policy matters, but people matter more

We have aimed a quick thinking prompting board linking to HIVE!

When it comes to safeguarding, EPRs play a crucial role in identifying, documenting, and sharing safeguarding concerns. EPRs may have limitations as the information has to be inputted! Therefore all clinicians must use the EPR safeguarding features consistently to avoid missed information.

Our MFT "pink dot" is a visual prompt for those with exisiting safeguarding concerns and / or information.

THINK PINK.....working together to keep everyone safe.

We wanted to keep the board simple, to emphasis that safeguarding reporting can be quick and to the point.

On A5 our biggest safeguarding concern is falls - in hospital and prior to admission which our IQP has focused on. We have been reviewing and improving our use and documentation of pressure sensors.

We as a team are committed in promoting the well-being of every person, dignity and rights ensuring safeguarding practices are embedded in everything we do within the surgical journey from admission to discharge or transfer of care.

Through training and collaboration with families, individuals and professionals we aim to support and empower living securely within our community and safeguarding on a need to know basis .

Safeguarding is the prevention and protection against abuse and neglect and supporting anyone at risk of this.

This forms a part of care not just looking at the physical symptoms, the fractures.........

In-addition, We reiterated staff to check with patients if they come across any type of abuses in their family ,workplace or anywhere

we believe its our responsibility to make sure patients are safe not only in hospital but also in the family and society they live

Say 'NO' to any abuses, we are here to support you.