1. Islamic Ethos and Commitment

Al-Sunnah Mosque (the charity) recognises its moral, legal, and religious duty to protect adults who come into contact with the mosque from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Upholding the dignity, rights and safety of every person reflects the Islamic values of mercy, justice, and accountability. This policy sits alongside the Child Safeguarding Policy, which covers anyone under 18.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All adults (aged 18 and over) who attend or take part in the mosque’s services, classes, events and activities, including worshippers, parents, nikah applicants, visitors, and people seeking advice or help from the imams.
• All trustees, imams, teachers, staff, volunteers, and committee members.
• Third-party organisations and hirers using the mosque’s premises.

3. Adults at Risk

Under the Care Act 2014, an “adult at risk” is an adult who:

• has needs for care and support (whether or not those needs are being met);
• is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect; and
• as a result of those needs, is unable to protect themselves from the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.

The mosque will also respond to concerns about any adult who is at risk of serious harm, including forced marriage, honour-based abuse, domestic abuse, and exploitation, whether or not they have care and support needs.

4. Legal and Regulatory Framework

This policy aligns with:

• Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support Statutory Guidance
• Mental Capacity Act 2005
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
• Domestic Abuse Act 2021
• Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (forced marriage)
• Modern Slavery Act 2015
• Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (Prevent)
• Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR
• Charity Commission safeguarding guidance for trustees
• Manchester Safeguarding Partnership procedures

5. Safeguarding Principles

The mosque follows the six safeguarding principles set out in the Care Act 2014 statutory guidance:

• Empowerment – adults are supported to make their own decisions, and their consent is sought.
• Prevention – it is better to act before harm occurs.
• Proportionality – the least intrusive response appropriate to the risk.
• Protection – support and representation for those in greatest need.
• Partnership – working with communities and statutory services to prevent, detect and report abuse.
• Accountability – everyone involved in safeguarding is accountable and acts transparently.

The mosque also follows the approach known as “Making Safeguarding Personal”: wherever it is safe, the adult is asked what they want to happen, and their wishes are central to any response.

6. Types of Abuse

Abuse may take the form of:

• Physical abuse
• Domestic abuse, including coercive and controlling behaviour
• Sexual abuse
• Psychological or emotional abuse
• Financial or material abuse (for example, misuse of an older person’s money or property)
• Modern slavery and human trafficking
• Discriminatory abuse
• Organisational abuse
• Neglect and acts of omission
• Self-neglect
• Forced marriage and honour-based abuse
• Radicalisation
• Abuse linked to faith or belief, including harmful practices carried out in the name of spiritual healing or ruqyah (see section 10)

7. Roles and Responsibilities

Trustees

• Hold ultimate accountability for safeguarding adults and must ensure this policy is implemented.
• Ensure that a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Deputy are appointed. The DSL appointed under the Child Safeguarding Policy will also act as lead for adult safeguarding, unless the trustees appoint a separate lead.
• Receive and review a safeguarding report from the DSL at least annually.
• Ensure that serious incidents are considered and, where reportable, reported to the Charity Commission in line with the Serious Incident Reporting Policy.

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

• Acts as the primary contact for adult safeguarding concerns.
• Receives, records and assesses all concerns, and decides whether to refer to adult social care, the police, or other agencies.
• Makes referrals within 24 hours where required, or immediately where there is serious risk.
• Maintains secure safeguarding records and reports regularly to the trustees.

Imams, Teachers, Staff, and Volunteers

• Must complete safeguarding induction training, covering both children and adults, before starting their role.
• Must report concerns immediately to the DSL.
• Must not investigate concerns themselves, but record and pass information on.

8. Responding to Concerns

8.1 Procedure

• Any concern that an adult may be at risk of abuse or neglect must be reported to the DSL (or Deputy) on the same day.
• In an emergency, or where a crime is in progress, anyone may call 999 without waiting for the DSL.
• The DSL will record the concern and decide whether to refer to adult social care (for a Care Act safeguarding enquiry), the police, or another agency.

8.2 Handling Disclosures

If an adult discloses abuse, the person receiving it must:

• Listen calmly, without interruption or judgement.
• Reassure the adult that they were right to speak up.
• Avoid leading questions.
• Explain that the information may need to be shared with the DSL and, if necessary, other agencies. They must not promise complete confidentiality.
• Ask the adult what they would like to happen.
• Record the disclosure in writing, using the adult’s own words, signed and dated, and pass it to the DSL immediately.

9. Consent, Mental Capacity, and Information Sharing

• Adults are presumed to have mental capacity unless it is established otherwise. An adult with capacity has the right to make their own decisions, including decisions others consider unwise.
• Wherever it is safe to do so, the adult’s consent will be sought before information is shared or a referral is made.
• Information may be shared without consent where:
  • the adult lacks the mental capacity to decide, and sharing is in their best interests;
  • other people, including children, are or may be at risk;
  • a crime has been or may be committed;
  • there is a risk to life or of serious harm;
  • the adult is being coerced or controlled; or
  • the concern involves forced marriage or honour-based abuse, where seeking consent could increase the risk.
• Any decision to share information without consent will be made by the DSL, recorded with reasons, and limited to what is necessary.

10. Specific Issues for the Mosque

10.1 Forced Marriage and Honour-Based Abuse

A person at risk may only have one chance to ask for help. Staff and volunteers must:

• See the person on their own, in a private and safe place.
• Never contact the person’s family or community to tell them that help has been sought.
• Never attempt mediation, reconciliation or a family meeting.
• Never use family or community members as interpreters.

Concerns relating to nikah must also be handled under the Nikah Policy and Procedures.

10.2 Domestic Abuse

• Where a person tells an imam or member of staff that they are experiencing domestic abuse, the person’s safety comes first. They must not be advised to return to, or remain in, an abusive situation for religious or family reasons.
• Marriage counselling, reconciliation meetings, or family mediation must not be offered where domestic abuse is disclosed or suspected. The concern must be passed to the DSL, and the person given information about specialist support.

10.3 Spiritual Healing and Ruqyah

• Any ruqyah carried out on the mosque’s premises, or by anyone acting on behalf of the mosque, must be limited to recitation and permissible supplication.
• Physical force, restraint, beating, or deprivation of food, water or sleep is prohibited. It must be reported to the DSL, and may be a criminal offence.
• Where a person asking for ruqyah may have a physical or mental health need, they should be encouraged to seek medical help as well.

10.4 Financial Abuse

• Staff and volunteers must be alert to signs that an older or vulnerable adult is being pressured into giving money, including donations to the mosque, or is having their money or property controlled by others.
• The mosque will not accept a donation where there is reason to believe the donor is being pressured, lacks capacity, or is being exploited (see the Fundraising and Donations Policy).

11. Allegations Against Staff, Volunteers, or Trustees

• Any allegation that a trustee, imam, member of staff or volunteer has harmed an adult, or behaved in a way that indicates a risk to adults, must be reported immediately to the DSL.
• If the allegation concerns the DSL, it must be reported to the Chair of Trustees. If it concerns the Chair, it must be reported to another trustee.
• The DSL (or the person who received the allegation, where it concerns the DSL or the Chair) will seek advice from adult social care and, where a crime may have been committed, the police.
• The person concerned may be suspended or removed from duties while the matter is looked into, in line with the Disciplinary, Capability and Grievance Procedures.
• Where the law requires it, the charity will make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
• Trustees will consider whether the matter is a reportable serious incident.

12. Safer Recruitment and Training

• Safer recruitment will be applied in line with the Recruitment and Selection Policy. DBS eligibility for each role will be assessed individually, and only the level of check the law allows will be requested.
• All trustees, imams, staff and volunteers will receive safeguarding induction training covering adults as well as children, with refresher training every three years.
• Imams who conduct nikah, offer advice, or deliver ruqyah will receive training on forced marriage, domestic abuse, and mental capacity.

13. Record Keeping and Confidentiality

• All adult safeguarding concerns must be logged in the charity’s safeguarding register.
• Records must be factual, signed, dated, and stored securely in line with UK GDPR.
• Access is limited to the DSL, Deputy DSL, and Chair of Trustees, and information is shared on a need-to-know basis only.

14. Related Policies

• Child Safeguarding Policy
• Nikah Policy and Procedures
• Serious Incident Reporting Policy
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Recruitment and Selection Policy
• Fundraising and Donations Policy
• Disciplinary, Capability and Grievance Procedures
• GDPR and Privacy Policy

15. Monitoring and Review

Trustees will receive an annual safeguarding report from the DSL covering both children and adults. This policy will be reviewed annually or earlier if required by law or circumstances.

16. Key Contacts

• DSL: [Insert name/contact]
• Deputy DSL: [Insert name/contact]
• Adult Social Care (safeguarding referrals): [Insert number]
• Manchester Safeguarding Partnership: [Insert number]
• Police (emergency): 999
• Police (non-emergency): 101
• Forced Marriage Unit: 020 7008 0151
• National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247
• Karma Nirvana (honour-based abuse and forced marriage): 0800 5999 247

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