Vulnerable person's policy
We will treat you with additional consideration. We will be sympathetic and sensitive to any issues you may have, and we will ensure that you are treated with dignity, kindness and respect at all times.
If English is not your first language, or if you have difficulty hearing or with your eyesight, then an appropriate independent interpreter may be asked to assist you.
You can have a trusted person present at any meetings or during any telephone calls to help you to understand what is being discussed.
We will ensure that you feel at ease and comfortable if you are alone with us. We will always make sure that you understand the advice we give you and what your options are. We will help you to make good choices which we think are in your best interests.
We will support you so that you find it easy to communicate with us and feel comfortable when you are speaking to us.
We will provide advice in a non-technical way. If legal words have to be used, we will use plain English. We will ensure that you understand our advice, and we will not proceed until we are sure that you do.
We are aware that some people are not computer literate and may not feel comfortable communicating by email. In such cases, we will never insist on this form of communication. We can send letters by post if this is preferred. We will also send duplicate correspondence to a family member or trusted person if asked to do so.
If we have concerns about vulnerability, capacity, coercion or undue influence, we will take steps to ensure that we are acting in your best interests.