SERVICE DELIVERY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
SUBJECT:
ABUSE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION AND REPORTING
DOCUMENT#
SDP - 005
ORIGIN DATE: 08/99
REVISION: I
RE-ISSUE DATE: 11/09/16
PAGE 1 OF 4
1.
POLICY STATEMENT
1.1
Community Living Elgin will not tolerate abuse of any kind. By nature abuse is demeaning,
harmful, infringes on the personal rights and/or dignity of others and can place another
person’s safety and health at risk.
1.2
It is Community Living Elgin’s requirement that incidents of abuse be reported immediately
to the police, investigated promptly and perpetrators of abuse held accountable for their
actions.
1.3
Community Living Elgin is committed to providing a safe, nurturing and respectful
environment for the people we support. Therefore we will provide mandatory annual training
to all staff and volunteers that have direct contact with the people we support on abuse
prevention, identification and reporting. Also we will review this Abuse Prevention,
Intervention and Reporting Policy with Board Members annually. Lastly, we will provide
education to the people that we support on an annual basis on abuse prevention and
reporting.
2.
DEFINITIONS
2.1
Abuse refers to any act or threat of physical, verbal, psychological, sexual and/or financial
maltreatment or neglect of another person with the intent of controlling, exploiting or
harming that person or infringing on their personal rights. Spanking, shaking, swearing or
demeaning the person in any way at any time is not permitted.
3.
PROCEDURES
3.1
You may become aware of suspected abuse by witnessing it; through physical evidence;
through behavioural indicators; through a third party report or through a disclosure by the
alleged victim.
3.2
All abuse must be reported to the police so they can determine if the abuse constitutes a
criminal offence. No direct support or management staff is allowed to investigate an allegation
of abuse prior to contacting the police.
3.3
If the person supported does not wish to have staff call the police, support staff will discuss
the fact that under our ministry rules we must report to protect them.
3.4
These Ministry regulations and our process of following them is shared with the people we
support during the review of the “How Can We Help You?” booklet upon entering services at
Community Living Elgin and annually thereafter. Staff and the person sign a form indicating
this has been completed and this is filed at the Administration Office for compliance.
3.5
Intervene to ensure the person’s health, safety and well-being wherever possible.
 Upon seeing abuse the staff member will intervene immediately to stop the abuse. Support
and attention needs to be given to the victim.
 If the abuse was not seen directly but is being reported, the staff must offer support to the
victim. Attention must be made to the victim’s care, welfare and safety needs. This may
include medical attention, emotional support and/or immediate separation from the
suspected abuser.
3.6
In the case of a sexual assault, care should be taken to preserve physical evidence. The person
should be instructed not to bathe, shower, wash, brush teeth, drink liquids or remove clothing
SERVICE DELIVERY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
SUBJECT:
ABUSE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION AND REPORTING
DOCUMENT#
SDP - 005
ORIGIN DATE: 08/99
3.7
3.8
3.9
3.10
3.11
3.12
3.13
3.14
3.15
3.16
3.17
3.18
REVISION: I
RE-ISSUE DATE: 11/09/16
PAGE 2 OF 4
prior to seeing a physician. Wherever the alleged offence occurred, the employee should
protect and secure the area until otherwise notified by a supervisor or the police.
All allegations of abuse against an adult supported by Community Living Elgin will be reported
to the police immediately. If an adult supported by Community Living Elgin has a legal
guardian, that guardian will be notified of any alleged, suspected or witnessed incident of
abuse, with the consent of the person, if capable.
Consent from the person in service or their guardian will need to be given before anyone
outside of the agency (except police and MCSS) is notified of any alleged, suspected or
witnessed incident of abuse.
Staff should provide a supportive atmosphere to the person and refrain from questioning the
person or “investigating” the allegations.
People knowledgeable about the incident will remain on-site to be available to the Police as a
resource and/or be a support or interpreter (if required) to the person.
The Executive Director, or designate must be notified immediately after the police have been
unless they are implicated in the abuse. In this case, the President of Community Living Elgin’s
Board of Directors is to be contacted.
An Incident/Occurrence Report-Support (SDP-004) will be completed by any staff that
witnessed the alleged abuse or were informed about an allegation by a person supported.
The Ministry of Community and Social Services is to be notified following their guidelines for
reporting Serious Occurrences by the Supervisor and/or the Director of Support Services.
Alternate accommodation or emergency shelter will be accessed if the alleged abuser is the
primary caregiver in an Associate Family or Family Home.
Staff will provide the person and their parent, guardian, or advocate with information
regarding resources available within the community if needed or requested. (See 5.1 for list of
possible resources).
If the alleged abuser is an employee, the employee will be put on leave with pay until the
investigation is completed.
Depending on the outcome, Community Living Elgin will take appropriate measures, which
may include termination of the employee.
If the alleged abuser is a person supported and cohabitates with the abused person and/or
other supported people, the Police may lay charges and take the alleged abuser into custody.
If the Police do not apprehend the alleged abuser, consideration may have to be given to
finding emergency shelter for the abused person (with consent) or with removal of the abuser
to another environment.
Further Considerations
 Everyone is innocent until proven guilty;
 Ensure the rights and dignity of alleged abuser and abused are safeguarded (i.e.
confidentiality);
 Assist all parties in managing their own anger or vulnerabilities by arranging for group or
individual counselling, if required. (after police investigation)
SERVICE DELIVERY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
SUBJECT:
ABUSE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION AND REPORTING
DOCUMENT#
SDP - 005
ORIGIN DATE: 08/99
3.19
REVISION: I
RE-ISSUE DATE: 11/09/16
PAGE 3 OF 4
Prohibited Practices – The following are prohibited practices and are not permitted by staff,
volunteers, students or community placements of the agency. Anyone using prohibited
practices will be subject to immediate disciplinary action and/or dismissal or, in the case of a
volunteer, termination of his or her assignment.
 Sexual Abuse – any unwanted touching of a person’s sexual body parts without consent. In
a staff/support environment there is no possibility of consent between a person with a
developmental disability and their care provider. Sexual abuse is also the denial of a
person’s right to engage in consenting sexual behaviour.
 Physical Abuse – an act of assault and a threat of an assault, such as hitting, kicking,
punching, pinching, slapping and burning that cause or could cause actual physical injury or
fear of physical injury.
 Verbal Abuse – any use of demeaning language or name calling or negative verbal
depictions of disability or attractiveness. Any swearing, yelling or screaming at or in the
presence of people we support is prohibited.
 Psychological Abuse – constant criticism, insulting, threatening, degrading, humiliating, or
intimidating behaviour towards a person is psychological abuse and will not be tolerated.
Also, confining a person in a locked or dark area is psychologically abusive and is a
prohibited practice. Horse play is also prohibited as humour can get out of hand and be
hurtful and demeaning.
 Emotional Abuse – is the misuse of power in any way that causes a person to lose respect
for themselves. This can include demeaning one’s faith/beliefs or the imposition of
another’s faith/beliefs onto the person.
 Financial Abuse – constitutes the misuse, misappropriation or restriction of someone’s
financial assets for personal gain.
 Neglect – is the failure to provide the necessities of life such as food, clothing, shelter, care
and/or supervision. It is not permissible to deprive a person of any of these necessities.
 Exploitation – is taking advantage of a person’s disability to trick or manipulate for
personal benefit. This can include the projection of one’s personal views onto those in our
care.
 Harassment – the use of any comment, conduct, or gestures that are insulting, intimidating,
humiliating, malicious, degrading, offensive, or discriminatory, directed towards an
individual or a group.
 Sexual Harassment – the use of any comment or conduct of a sexual nature with the intent
of causing offence or humiliation.
3.20 Summary
 If you witness abuse, stop it
 Ensure the safety of the alleged victim
 Seek medical attention (if required)
 Report Abuse
SERVICE DELIVERY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
SUBJECT:
DOCUMENT#
ABUSE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION AND REPORTING
SDP - 005
ORIGIN DATE: 08/99
REVISION: I
RE-ISSUE DATE: 11/09/16
PAGE 4 OF 4
4.
PROCEDURES
4.1
Media Contact - The Executive Director and/or Community Living Elgin’s Board President
will be designated media contact. No information is to be given “off the record’ prior to any
media news release. Information given to the media will be agreed upon by the Police, Crown
Attorney, MCSS and the Executive Director/Board President.
5.
CONTACT INFORMATION
5.1
Community Resources
Community Integration Program (Adult Protective Services)
(Advocacy and referrals)
Canadian Mental Health Association, Elgin Branch
519-633-1781
Regional Support Associates
(Assessment, treatment and counselling for persons with a
developmental disability)
1-800-640-4108
Violence Against Women, Services Elgin County
24-Hour Abused Women’s Helpline
Emergency Shelter
Counselling Services for Survivors of
Woman Abuse and Sexual Abuse/Assault
6.
519-433-0184 ext. 8501
519-633-0155 or 1-800-265-4305
Family and Children’s Services (child protection)
519-631-1492
St. Joseph’s Regional Sexual Assault
Treatment Centre (Forensic Evidence Collection)
519-646-6100 ext 0
Elgin St Thomas Public Health Unit
(STD testing, sexuality counselling)
519-631-9900 Press 3
Victim Services
519-631-3182
CROSS REFERENCE
MCSS Quality Assurance Measures Regulation 299/10
SDP – 004 Incident Occurrences Serious Occurrence Reporting
How Can We Help You? Booklet