All health agencies providing services for children and adults should have a named doctor, nurse and/or midwife for safeguarding. Named professionals have a key role in promoting good professional practice within their organisation, providing expertise for fellow practitioners and ensuring safeguarding training is in place.

NHS North Cumbria CCG has designated leads for safeguarding children, adults and looked after children. These provide a vital source of advice to the CCG, the Local Authority and the Local Adult and Children Safeguarding Boards. They are also available to provide advice and support for all health professionals.

  • Nicola Cleghorn: Designated Doctor for Children
  • Louise Mason-Lodge: Designated Nurse Safeguarding (Adults, Children and Children Looked After)
  • Simon Parker: Deputy Designated Nurse Safeguarding (Adults, Children and Children Looked After)
  • Anne Cooke: Safeguarding Business Manager

Named GP Lead for Safeguarding Children and Adults: Dr Amanda Boardman

If anyone wants to contact the team please call Anne Cooke on 07825823256.

Each GP Practice is required to have a Safeguarding Practice Lead. The purpose of the Safeguarding Practice Lead (SPL) is to:

  • Act as a focus for external contacts on safeguarding/ child protection matters
  • Be responsible for dissemination of safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Take a lead role in planning and delivering regular staff training

Please scroll down to access policies, strategies and other useful Safeguarding documents.

The Cumbria Adult Safeguarding Board raises awareness and promotes the welfare of vulnerable adults by the development of an effective co-operative.

Our society is redefining how we enable adults to be safe from harm and abuse. Health services, including NHS North Cumbria CCG, have a key role in preventing and responding to harm, neglect and abuse.

Multi-agency policies and procedures for Safeguarding Adults are available on Cumbria County Council website.

The Government has defined the term 'safeguarding children' as: 'The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully.' (Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006).

Safeguarding children is everybody's responsibility. As a member of the public, if you have concerns regarding the safety and welfare of a child, then you should make a referral to your nearest social care department. Failure to act in an appropriate and timely manner can have serious implications for a child.

NHS North Cumbria CCG's Safeguarding Children Team is here to advise, supervise and support health practitioners in their work. The needs of the child and their family can be substantial and all staff must have the skill and knowledge to act appropriately to protect children.

See information box below for more information on the Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership (CSCP).

Cumbria Safeguarding Adults Board: 2019-2021 Plan on a page

Visit www.cumbriasab.org.uk/ to find out more information and view the Strategic Plan 2019-2021

Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership has provided expertise and leadership across the County. This has been facilitated by strong partnership working; scrutiny of practice through a variety of methods including audit and case reviews, sharing knowledge, developing our workforce, and providing a Cumbria ‘view’ on key issues.

This plan of arrangements sets out how we, as the safeguarding partners will work together and with other agencies to identify and respond to the needs of children in Cumbria. Their ambition is to build on the strengths of our existing and robust partnership and the plan outlines new ways of working.

Their approach is proactive and responsive to the needs of children, young people and families in Cumbria and our plan drives opportunities to shape and influence policy development leading to improved practice and outcomes.

Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership is fully committed to keeping children and young people at the heart of all they do. All our work will be underpinned by a consideration of the views and lived experiences of Cumbria’s children and young people. This includes their independent scrutiny arrangements in which children and young people’s experiences will be fundamental in quality assurance.


Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership Plan - June 2019 - Image.PNG​​​​​​​

Victim Support is delighted to announce that it has been commissioned by the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner to support victims of crimes for the next three years.

A new integrated service commenced on 1st May 2019 and will support ALL victims of crime (whether they have reported to the police or not). This includes domestic and sexual violence, hate crime, children and young people and anti-social behaviour. 

Victim support will receive an automatic referral from Cumbria Constabulary for all reported crimes and will contact victims to offer support. Victims can also self-refer or be referred into the service by another agency, with their consent. They will provide emotional and practical support that will be tailored to the individual needs. This may range from brief information and advice to longer term support for those who are really struggling to cope with the impact of crime and those at most serious risk of harm.

Victims should get the right support, from the right person at the right time.

Multidisciplinary teams are based in local area hubs in North (Carlisle, Eden), West (Allerdale, Copeland) and South Cumbria (Barrow, South Lakeland).

Victims can access the service on a single number - 0300 303 0157 which will be routed to their local area hub.

Out of Hours Support is available 24/7 through Supportline - 0808 16 89 111.

A new Live Chat facility will be available through the website for those who may find it difficult to speak in person: www.victimsupport.org.uk

The service is delivered by trained staff with the support of volunteers.

Independent Victim Advocates (IVA’s) – provide emotional and practical support to any victim of crime (including standard and medium risk domestic abuse) to enable them to keep safe, cope and recover.

Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA’s) – support victims of domestic abuse who are at high risk of serious harm or homicide. They will help to address the safety of victims by representing their views and liaising with other agencies. They will act as a single point of contact for victims/survivors, providing emotional and practical support.

Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA’s) – work as part of The Bridgeway and will support victims/survivors of rape or serious sexual assault (including children aged 5+). ISVA will provide support regardless of whether they have reported the incident/s to the police or not and support non recent and recent cases. Some staff carry out a dual role as Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence Advisors.

All of our team will ensure that a victim knows their rights under the Victims’ Code, and will help them to understand and navigate the criminal justice system, from report to court.

Referrals

Referrals can be made via:

Police and Safeguarding Hub staff can continue to use their existing referral routes.

information sharing.png

NHS North Cumbria CCG adopted the policies of NHS Cumbria CCG. Any differences will be marked accordingly.

View Information Sharing Agreement
This sharing agreement has been created between organisations providing:

Health, Social Care, Education, Offender information (Prison), Support and Intervention for Youth Offenders and Home Fire Assessments across Cumbria

When you make a selection to navigate the files below please note that the page will refresh and you may need to scroll back to this area.

Search files

Local Sources of Support

Victim Support – Cumbria

Victim Support gives emotional and practical help to people who have been affected by crime in Cumbria. We’re an independent charity and you can contact them for support regardless of whether you’ve contacted the police, and no matter how long ago the crime took place. Get help from your local team:

Freedom Project West Cumbria

If you live in the West of Cumbria, select here to learn more about the Freedom Project West Cumbria. 'Hope for victims, survivors, perpetrators, their families and friends involved in domestic abuse.' 

National Help Lines and Support

National Domestic Violence Helpline

The 24hr freephone National Domestic Violence Helpline (run in partnership between Women’s Aid and Refuge) is available on 0808 2000 247 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The helpline is answered by fully trained female support workers and volunteers, who will answer your call in confidence. All calls to the domestic violence helpline are free from mobiles and landlines. We can support survivors of domestic abuse, friends and families, and professionals who are in contact with domestic violence survivors.

National - Victim Support  

If you’ve been affected by crime and you need confidential support or information, call our Supportline for free on 08 08 16 89 111.

You can dial 141 to hide your number, but please check with your network provider as this doesn’t work on some mobile networks.

Our Supportline operates 24/7, every day of the year, including Christmas.

We're independent of the police and anyone can contact us for support, regardless of whether the crime has been reported or how long ago it took place. Please note that we can only offer support to people in England and Wales.

Other Useful resources

Report Domestic Violence online

You can report domestic violence safety and anonymously online at www.notinmyhome.co.uk

National helplines

Women’s Aid 24 hour helpline:
The Men’s Advice Line
Childline
OutREACH Cumbria

OutREACH Cumbria is the main service provider for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans* support, advise and engagement in Cumbria. They have a range of different services, groups, projects and opportunities to offer.

Churches Together in Cumbria

Christian communities working in partnership to tackle domestic abuse in Cumbria

Legal Support

You can seek advice from a solicitor or the Citizens Advice Bureau about your legal rights. Telephone: 0300 3300 650

Offenders

If you are an offender and want support to change your behaviour call 0808 802 4040.

Coercive and Controlling Behaviour

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a procedure where the female genitals are deliberately cut, injured or changed, but where there's no medical reason for this to be done.

Find out more and view a film that explores the severe long-term health impacts FGM has on women and girls, and considers why it still happens and what communities can do to end the practice for good.

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Genograms can help:

- Combine biomedical and psychosocial information and are an excellent database for future reference
- Emphasise the clinician's interest in the context of their patient's lives
- Produce unexpected stories
- Find trans-generational patterns of disease and problem behaviours
- and more...
    
Please see below a video training resources hosted by Dr Venetia Young & Jane Hazel HV which explain how you can create/use Genograms and highlights some case study examples. A link to a Powerpoint presentation 'The use of Genograms to work safely with child focused cases' is also available by Selecting Here.

Introduction

                  

Case Study 1

                  

Case Study 2

                  

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