In a medical emergency call 999. Urgent advice: NHS 111.

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Legal

Safeguarding Policy

ThanksDoc is committed to protecting children, young people, and adults at risk. This policy explains how.

Last updated: [DATE TO BE SET]

Our commitment

ThanksDoc is committed to safeguarding children, young people, and adults at risk. We take seriously our responsibility to protect anyone in contact with our service from abuse, neglect, exploitation, or harm.

This policy applies to every clinician, staff member, and partner working with ThanksDoc.

Our framework

Our approach is guided by:

  • Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 (statutory guidance)
  • The Care Act 2014 for adults at risk
  • The CQC Fundamental Standards, in particular Regulation 13 (safeguarding service users from abuse)
  • The GMC's Protecting Children and Young People guidance

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Dr Linda Odogwu, who is responsible for:

  • Overseeing the safeguarding policy and its implementation
  • Receiving and acting on safeguarding concerns raised by staff or patients
  • Liaising with statutory authorities (local authority safeguarding teams, police, NHS trusts)
  • Maintaining staff training records

Linda can be reached at safeguarding@thanksdoc.co.uk.

Training

All clinicians on the platform complete safeguarding training appropriate to their role, in line with the Intercollegiate Document standards:

  • Adult safeguarding: Level 2 minimum, refreshed every three years
  • Children safeguarding: Level 3 minimum, refreshed every three years
  • Prevent (radicalisation awareness): completed at induction, refreshed every three years

Training records are maintained as part of our clinical governance system.

How we handle concerns

Any safeguarding concern raised during a consultation, by a patient, by a partner, or by a member of the public, is escalated to the Designated Safeguarding Lead the same working day.

Where there is risk of immediate harm, clinicians are instructed to:

  • Call 999 if a person is in immediate danger
  • Refer to the relevant local authority safeguarding team
  • Make a referral to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) or other appropriate body where relevant

Information sharing

We share information about safeguarding concerns where it is necessary and proportionate to protect a child or adult at risk. This may include sharing without consent in line with the Caldicott Principles and the seven golden rules for information sharing published by the Department for Education.

Reporting a concern

If you have a safeguarding concern about anyone in contact with our service, please contact:

In an emergency, call 999. For urgent advice contact NHS 111 or your local authority safeguarding team directly.

Questions about this policy? Get in touch or email info@thanksdoc.co.uk.