Safeguarding children, young people & adults at risk
Our Safeguarding teams work across the Trust providing a ‘whole of life’ service, ensuring all staff and volunteers receive appropriate support, advice, guidance, and training for all matters relating to:
- Safeguarding across the whole life cycle
- Child protection and multiagency planning
- Early Help
- Domestic abuse and sexual violence
- Harmful Practice
- Mental Capacity Act
- Deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS)
- Homelessness
- SEND
- Learning disability and autism
Safeguarding means protecting people's health, wellbeing, and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. It's fundamental to high-quality health and social care.
Safeguarding is the responsibility of every member of staff and every volunteer who works for Liverpool Women’s University Hospital.
More information
Although Liverpool Women’s University Hospital (LWH) is generally seen as an ‘adult hospital’ we do have lots of patients under the age of 18 who use our services.
Here at LWH we understand that coming to an ‘adult hospital’ for your health care can be a big change and may make you feel worried. It is especially hard if your care has previously been provided in a children’s setting. We want to try and improve your experience by offering you:
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Desensitisation/familiarisation visit (tour around the hospital to familiarise yourself with some of the areas you might receive your care and meet some of the staff)
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‘Get to know me’ conversation (we can arrange a telephone call/email conversation in advance of your visit which gives you the opportunity to tell me a bit more about yourself so we can plan your visit in advance and ensure your experience is personalised).
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Discuss hospital passports/sensory preferences (so we can ensure any reasonable adjustments are in place for you in advance of your visit).
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Signposting to other services.
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Escalating/resolving any concerns you may have in relation to your care.
The named Nurse for Safeguarding Children leads on these activities but is supported by a team of professionals. Although we are not part of your clinical care team, we will support your team in ensuring they understand you and respond appropriately to your unique needs.
If you would like to arrange to access support from the named Nurse for Safeguarding Children or a member of the team, you can contact us via email lwft.safeguard@
Domestic abuse is defined as: Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.
It can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse:
- psychological
- physical
- sexual
- financial
- emotional
- stalking or harassment
Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.
Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim survivor.
The definition of domestic abuse also includes so called ‘honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage.
1 in 5 adults experience Domestic Abuse during their lifetime. This equates to 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6-7 men. 1 in 5 children in the UK are exposed to domestic abuse each year. Being exposed to domestic abuse has serious consequences for both victims and children who witness including physical, emotional and mental. Domestic abuse during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, infection, premature birth, low birth rate, fetal injury and fetal death. If you are pregnant and are being abused, there is help available.
Our staff will ask you about your relationship, if you are being subjected to domestic abuse and if you feel safe at home at every visit. If you are experiencing domestic abuse you can talk openly to our staff about what you are going through. Staff will complete a risk assessment with you and will help signpost you to services that can help keep you safe.
Early help is support for children of all ages that improves a family’s resilience and outcomes or reduces the chance of a problem getting worse.
It is not an individual service, but a system of support delivered by local authorities and their partners working together and taking collective responsibility to provide the right provision in their area.
Where a child and family would benefit from co-ordinated support from more than one organisation or agency (for example, education, health, housing) there should be a multi-agency assessment. We call this the Early Help Assessment Tool (EHAT). Each Local Authority will have their own unique offer which is based on population need. Further information on offers within the LWH footprint can be found below:
Access early help support - Liverpool City Council
Knowsley Early Help | Knowsley Family Information Service
If you want to know more about Early Help or think your family would benefit from this you can discuss this with your midwife/nurse/health professional.
In England, your council must help if you’re legally homeless or will become homeless within the next 8 weeks.
You may be legally homeless if:
- you’ve no legal right to live in accommodation anywhere in the world
- you cannot get into your home, for example your landlord has locked you out
- it’s not reasonable to stay in your home, for example you’re at risk of violence or abuse
- you’re forced to live apart from your family or people you normally live with because there’s no suitable accommodation for you
There are different types of support your council could offer you. For example, they may offer you advice, emergency housing, support to find longer-term housing or help so you can stay in your home.
The type of help you can get depends on:
- your eligibility for assistance
- if you’re in priority need
- what caused you to become homeless
It is important that if you are homeless (including sofa surfing) or at risk of becoming homeless that you share this with our staff we may be able to help you through referrals to housing options or the Whitechapel Centre.
Further local information is available from the following:
Homeless? - Liverpool City Council
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Liverpool Women’s University Hospital
Address: Liverpool Women’s University Hospital
Crown Street
Liverpool
L8 7SS
Helpful organisations
Liverpool Domestic Abuse Service
South Liverpool Domestic Abuse Service
Knowsley Domestic Abuse The First Step
Wirral Women and Children's Aid
National 24 Hour Domestic Abuse helpline - call free on 0808 2000 247
Galop – LGBT+ Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence, hate crime, conversion therapy, forced marriage and honour-based abuse
Savera – Savera is a leading charity working to end ‘honor’- based abuse (HBA) and other culturally specific abuse and harmful practices in the UK
Early help
Access early help support - Liverpool City Council
Knowsley Early Help Knowsley Family Information Service
Homelessness
Contact Us - The Whitechapel Centre.
Further local support
Homeless? - Liverpool City Council
Homeless or at risk of homelessness
Help if you are homeless or might lose your home