A campaign to help victims of abuse and neglect speak up to NHS staff has been highly commended at a recent awards event.
NCIC was awarded Highly Commended in the LEARN Category at the CLIC awards for the ‘how safe do you feel?’ initiative.
This initiative has been led by Kelly Marsden, safeguarding adults lead for the Trust. It asks all NHS professionals to ask as part of their routine enquiries with patients: “How safe do you feel?”
The campaign has been supported by NHS England, NENC ICB, Victim Support, and Cumbria Police. The team have also adopted a system-wide training and awareness raising project in respect of domestic abuse, ensuring that all health contacts count and that patients are routinely asked how safe they feel.
In the video summarising the campaign, Kelly explains the importance of asking the right questions and making every contact count.
Kelly said:
“We want people to know that we will listen, we will believe and we will do something. Hence why we’ve been working so closely within the organisation to make sure our routine enquiry questions form part of our health assessments. We are committed to be part of the long term plan in terms of tackling domestic abuse and we’re really proud of our partnerships with the police, health and social care colleagues and third sector services.
“We’re asking practitioners to ask those who access our services 4 standard questions:
- How safe do you feel?
- Who cares for you on a regular basis?
- What caring responsibilities do you have?
- What services are you open to?
“That allows us as practitioners to have a really rounded understanding of what that home and family dynamic looks like.”
Detective Superintendent Sally Blalklock from Cumbria Police said: “We think this initiative is fantastic. It gives people the opportunity to speak to NHS professionals in a safe environment. Nobody should have to suffer from abuse or neglect and people should be able to feel safe in their own homes and their everyday lives. This is another way in which we can help people feel safe together. Safeguarding vulnerable people is a key priority for Cumbria Police and we will always work with and support our partners to all that we can do to keep people safe.”
Kelly finished by saying:
“We all have a part to play in raising awareness and making improvements across our health system. We’re absolutely committed to making every contact count here at NCIC. We will support victims of abuse and provide a safe space for people to speak up.”
Well done to the safeguarding team and everybody who is making a difference by asking ‘How safe do you feel?’