AQW 35409/11-15
Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry
Tabled Date: 03/09/2014
Answered On Date: 16/09/2014
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister for Social Development for his assessment of the resources available to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to ensure the safeguarding of vulnerable adults as Housing Executive customers.
Answer:
The Housing Executive has advised that safeguarding vulnerable adults who use their offices and services is a matter of priority. The Housing Executive has a zero-tolerance of abuse wherever it occurs and has in place a robust and effective policy to address abuse of vulnerable adults. This policy is supported by resources to ensure effective and efficient responses to allegations of abuse, concerns that abuse may have taken place or disclosures of abuse from vulnerable adults. The Housing Executive’s Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy is intended to cover all functions and services of the Housing Executive where there is the potential for direct or indirect contact with vulnerable adults. The safeguarding policy applies to everyone involved with the organisation, including members of the Housing Executive Board, senior and all managers, staff, vulnerable adults and their carers, advocates and visitors. The Housing Executive also requires all contractors, groups, and organisations that use its premises or services, or organisations that are funded by the Housing Executive to provide services, to have an acceptable Vulnerable Adults Safeguarding Policy in place. The Housing Executive’s Director of Corporate Services has ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with this policy. Day to day responsibility for implementation is delegated through the management structure to the Equality Unit Manager. Managers have a responsibility to ensure this policy is complied with by staff and any other persons associated with their functional responsibility.
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