Safeguarding & Abuse Allegation Insurance

Specialist abuse allegation and safeguarding liability cover for domiciliary and home care providers across the UK.

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Helping you respond properly to allegations, protect service users and support your care organisation.

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We compare quotes from leading UK care sector insurers

  • Allianz
  • Aviva
  • QBE
  • RSA
  • Zurich
  • NIG

ABUSE ALLEGATION & SAFEGUARDING SUPPORT FOR HOME CARE PROVIDERS

Why Safeguarding & Abuse Allegation Insurance Matters

Even with strong safeguarding, training and recruitment, domiciliary care providers can still face allegations of abuse, neglect or poor treatment. Some allegations are substantiated; others are not – but all need to be taken seriously, reported properly and managed with care for the people involved.

Safeguarding & abuse allegation insurance is designed to sit alongside your core liability cover and support you with the financial and legal impact of allegations, investigations and claims, so you can focus on doing the right thing for service users while meeting your regulatory duties.

What Is Safeguarding & Abuse Allegation Insurance for Home Care?

It’s an extension or specialist cover that helps protect your organisation if there are allegations of physical, emotional, sexual or financial abuse, neglect or inappropriate treatment by staff, carers or others acting on your behalf. It is not a substitute for safeguarding – but it can support you when things go wrong despite robust systems.

  • Cover for certain civil claims alleging abuse, neglect or mistreatment by staff (subject to policy terms & conditions).
  • Legal defence costs in relation to covered civil proceedings and some regulatory investigations.
  • Support for allegations involving vulnerable adults, older people and children under your care.
  • Protection for the organisation (and often individual employees) where they are defending covered claims.
  • Help with responding to complex, sensitive situations where reputational risk is high.
  • Integration with your public liability, professional indemnity and medical malpractice cover.
  • Options for higher limits where commissioners or frameworks require enhanced protection (subject to insurer appetite).
  • Support in understanding what incidents must be notified to the insurer, regulator and safeguarding bodies.
  • Guidance on policy wording, exclusions and safeguarding-related conditions attached to the cover.
  • Clear documentation you can show to commissioners, case managers and families as part of your assurance framework.

Exact cover depends on the insurer and policy wording. We will explain what is and isn’t included, and how it links to your safeguarding responsibilities.

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Who Is Safeguarding & Abuse Allegation Insurance For?

Suitable for a wide range of community-based care and support services where safeguarding is central to daily practice.

Domiciliary & Home Care Agencies

  • Providers delivering personal care in service users’ own homes.
  • Home help and reablement services with personal care elements.
  • Mixed caseloads including older people, adults with disabilities and long-term conditions.
  • Services commissioned by local authorities, ICBs/NHS and direct payment clients.

Complex Needs & High-Risk Services

  • Providers supporting people with complex needs, behaviours that challenge and high-dependency care.
  • Services for adults and children with learning disabilities and autism.
  • Providers working in multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and high-profile cases.
  • Organisations where allegations can escalate quickly into regulatory or legal proceedings.

Live-In Care & 24/7 Packages at Home

  • Live-in care providers with single or multiple carers in situ.
  • 24/7 rotational teams supporting individuals at home.
  • Services where carers build very close day-to-day relationships with service users.
  • Packages involving intimate care, complex clinical tasks and heightened vulnerability.

Case-Managed & Legally Complex Cases

  • Providers instructed by case managers, deputies or solicitors for complex packages.
  • Services involved in Court of Protection, best interest or other legal processes.
  • Care arrangements under close scrutiny from families and professional networks.
  • Providers where allegations can quickly become formal complaints or claims.
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Why Use Insure24 for Safeguarding & Abuse Allegation Cover?

Care Sector Focus & Sensitive Support

  • We work specifically with health & social care providers across the UK.
  • We understand safeguarding frameworks and regulatory expectations for agencies.
  • We know how allegations affect service users, staff, families and providers.
  • We help you find insurers with a realistic, informed view of care sector risk.
  • We support you in presenting your safeguarding arrangements to underwriters.

Policies Aligned to Governance & Contracts

  • We review contract insurance clauses from local authorities and NHS bodies.
  • We help ensure your cover aligns with CQC “safe” and “well-led” expectations.
  • We explain wording around abuse, neglect and safeguarding-related exclusions.
  • We look at your incident history and help you show learning and improvement.
  • We remain available at renewal and mid-term as your caseload evolves.
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How to Arrange Safeguarding & Abuse Allegation Insurance

Information We Usually Need

  • Overview of your services, client groups and typical support you provide.
  • CQC registration details and latest inspection outcomes.
  • Safeguarding policies and how they are implemented in practice.
  • Recruitment, DBS and training processes for staff and volunteers.
  • Details of any previous safeguarding incidents, complaints or claims.
  • Current insurance arrangements and any contract requirements for cover limits.

Our Process with Care Providers

  • We listen to how your service works and what level of risk you manage.
  • We help you collate the key safeguarding and governance information insurers need.
  • We approach appropriate insurers with appetite for care sector safeguarding risks.
  • We present quotes and explain the abuse-related wording in plain language.
  • Once you’re happy, we arrange cover and issue documents for regulators and commissioners.
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Safeguarding & Risk Management That Supports Your Insurance

Good safeguarding is about preventing harm, responding well to concerns and learning from incidents. It also helps you secure and maintain appropriate insurance cover.

Core Safeguarding Arrangements Insurers Look For

  • Clear safeguarding policies and procedures, updated regularly.
  • Named safeguarding lead with appropriate training and authority.
  • Robust DBS and pre-employment checks for staff and volunteers.
  • Regular safeguarding training and refreshers for all staff.
  • Clear reporting routes for concerns, including whistleblowing.
  • Evidence that concerns are escalated to local safeguarding partners where required.

Governance, Culture & Learning from Incidents

  • Open culture that encourages raising concerns and learning from mistakes.
  • Documented incident/complaint investigations and action plans.
  • Board/leadership oversight of safeguarding and risk trends.
  • Strong supervision and support for frontline staff in challenging situations.
  • Regular review of safeguarding data and patterns, feeding into improvement work.
  • Alignment between what policies say and what happens day-to-day in people’s homes.
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“We take safeguarding extremely seriously. Insure24 helped us understand how abuse allegation cover fits alongside our duties to report and respond – and gave us confidence that our insurance supports, rather than replaces, good practice.”

Registered Manager, Domiciliary Care Provider

UNIQUE INSURANCE
TAILORED FOR YOUR SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

PROTECTING PEOPLE, SUPPORTING YOUR ORGANISATION

  • Demonstrate to regulators and commissioners that you take safeguarding seriously.
  • Ensure your organisation has support if serious allegations or claims are made.
  • Back up strong safeguarding practice with appropriate financial protection.
  • Give staff reassurance that there are clear processes and support in place.
  • Help protect your reputation so you can continue providing high-quality care.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Does safeguarding & abuse allegation insurance replace our safeguarding duties?

No. Insurance cannot replace your legal and ethical duties to prevent harm, respond to concerns and report to the appropriate safeguarding bodies. The cover is there to help with the financial and legal impact of certain allegations and claims – not to reduce the importance of robust safeguarding practice.

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What types of abuse allegations might be considered under this cover?

Policies can respond to certain civil claims alleging physical, emotional, financial or sexual abuse, neglect or mistreatment by staff or others acting on your behalf, subject to the policy wording, exclusions and conditions. Criminal matters, intentional harm and non-insurable penalties are handled by the justice system and regulators, not by insurance.

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Will having this cover affect how we report safeguarding concerns?

It should not change your duty to report concerns promptly and transparently. You must still follow local safeguarding procedures and regulatory requirements. Insurance conditions will usually require prompt notification to the insurer as well as appropriate safeguarding reporting – not instead of it.

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Does every domiciliary care provider automatically have abuse cover?

Not necessarily. Some standard liability policies have limited or no cover for abuse allegations, or only cover vicarious liability and certain scenarios. It’s important to read the wording carefully. We can review your existing policy and explain what is and isn’t covered, then look at options to improve protection where possible.

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Does this cover staff who are found to have deliberately harmed someone?

Intentional criminal acts by an individual cannot be insured. However, there may still be potential claims against the employer for alleged failures in recruitment, supervision or safeguarding systems. Abuse allegation cover focuses on the organisation’s liability and defence, not on excusing deliberate wrongdoing by individuals.

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Will insurers want to see our safeguarding policies and training records?

Often, yes – particularly where extended abuse allegation cover is requested or where risk is considered higher. Clear, documented policies, training, supervision and reporting arrangements can help you access a better range of options and demonstrate that you take safeguarding seriously.

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What happens if we already have a historic safeguarding incident or claim?

Previous incidents don’t automatically prevent you from obtaining cover, but insurers will want to understand what occurred and what has changed since. We’ll work with you to explain the context, action plans and learning so underwriters can make an informed decision rather than reacting only to headlines.

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Are cover limits for abuse allegations the same as our main liability limits?

Sometimes they are the same; sometimes abuse-related claims sit within a sub-limit or separate limit. This is highly policy-specific. We’ll highlight the relevant limits and discuss whether they are realistic for your service and contract requirements.

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How quickly should we notify the insurer if we receive an allegation?

As early as possible. In practice, that usually means when a serious complaint, allegation or safeguarding concern is raised – not only once a claim is formally made. Early notification helps the insurer support you, and failure to notify promptly can cause problems later. We’ll explain how to build insurer notification into your safeguarding and incident processes.

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How do we get started with a safeguarding & abuse allegation insurance review?

You can call us, complete our online enquiry form or send us your current policy and a short overview of your safeguarding arrangements. We’ll then discuss your service in more detail, gather any additional information needed and go to market to explore suitable options. From there, we’ll come back with clear recommendations and next steps.

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