Safeguarding is protecting vulnerable adults or children from abuse or neglect. It means making sure people are supported to get good access to health care and stay well. It is wrong if vulnerable people are not treated by professionals with the same respect as other patients. It is making sure that people are supported to have full and happy lives.
It is making sure that people get safe and empowering care. Safeguarding should make sure that people get the support they need to make the most of their lives and get their full equal rights.
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act was passed in 2006. It came after 2 young girls were murdered by their school caretaker. The Independent Safeguarding Authority was set up to make sure that bad people were not employed to care for vulnerable adults and children.
Is there a definition for a vulnerable adult?
Not necessarily, as the definition can vary in different settings and nations.
For example, the Care Act 2014, which covers England, defines the person who should be subject of a safeguarding enquiry as an adult who:
has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs) and;
is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect; and;
as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect.
In Wales, the Social Services and Wellbeing Act 2014, describes an “adult at risk” an adult who
is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect,
has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs), and
as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
While in Scotland, the Adult Support and Protection Act 2007, describes “Adults at risk” as adults who
are unable to safeguard their own well-being, property, rights or other interests,
are at risk of harm, and
because they are affected by disability, mental disorder, illness or physical or mental infirmity, are more vulnerable to being harmed than adults who are not so affected.
Northern Ireland has no specific legislation, but in policies describe an ‘adult in need of protection’ as a person aged 18 or over, whose exposure to harm through abuse, exploitation or neglect may be increased by their:
Personal Circumstances AND/OR Life Circumstances AND Who is unable to protect their own well-being, property, assets, rights or other interests; AND Where the action or inaction of another person or persons is causing, or is likely to cause him/her to be harmed
However, a person is defined, if you have concerns you should always raise them. It is important to remember that the person does NOT have to be receiving statutory care support to be considered vulnerable. They could be purchasing their own support or may not have yet been assessed for care needs.
What is safeguarding adults and why it matters:
Safeguarding adults means protecting a person’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. The Care Act requires that each Local Authority must:
Make enquiry or ensure others do so, if it believes an adult is experiencing or is at risk of, abuse or neglect
An enquiry should establish whether any action needs to be taken to stop abuse or neglect, and if so, by whom
Set up a Safeguarding Adults Board
Arrange, where appropriate, for an independent advocate to represent and support an adult who is the subject of a safeguarding enquiry
Or Safeguarding Adult Review where the adult has ‘substantial difficulty’ in being involved in the process and where there is no other appropriate adult to help them
Cooperate with each of its relevant partners to protect adults experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect.
An adult at risk is any person who is aged 18 years or over and at risk of abuse or neglect because of their needs for care and or support. Where someone is over 18 but still receiving children’s services and a safeguarding issue is raised, the matter should be dealt with as a matter of course by the adult safeguarding team.
All staff within health services have a responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of patients and colleagues. Living a life that is free from harm and abuse is a fundamental human right and an essential requirement for health and well-being. Safeguarding adults is about the safety and well-being of all patients but providing additional measures for those least able to protect themselves from harm or abuse. Safeguarding adults is a fundamental part of patient safety and wellbeing. Safeguarding adults is also integral to complying with legislation, regulations and delivering cost effective care.
About vulnerable adults
The definition of a vulnerable adult is taken from the Department of Health guidance ‘No Secrets’ issued in 2000.
A vulnerable adult is any person aged 18 or above:
‘Who is or may be in need of Community Care Services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself from significant harm or exploitation.’
An abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons. Abuse includes physical, sexual, psychological and financial abuse, material neglect and acts of omission, and institutional and discriminatory abuse.
Good communication between all professional staff is essential for the protection of vulnerable adults. All the agencies involved in working with vulnerable people in Dudley work within the policy and guidelines set out in the document called Safeguard and Protect.
All employers and employees are required to act in accordance with Safeguard and Protect and act on any information that comes to their attention which gives reasonable grounds to suspect that a vulnerable adult had been, is being or could be abused.
Safeguarding Principles:
The six safeguarding principles were originally produced for the safeguarding of adults but can also be applied to the safeguarding of children.
Safeguarding both adults and children is about preventing the risk of harm from abuse or exploitation or having the ability to reduce it through supporting people and awareness in making informed decisions.
The UK Government created these six safeguarding principles especially for the health and social care sector to help better protect adults.
The principles are an aid to understanding actions that need to be taken to protect people and are agreed within the Care Act 2014.
Empowerment: Ensuring people are supported and confident in making their own decisions and give informed consent
Protection: Providing support and representation for those in greatest need
Prevention: It is crucial to try and take the action before harm occurs. Preventing neglect, harm or abuse is the primary objective
Proportionality: We must take a proportionate and least intrusive response to the issue presented
Partnership: Creating partnerships with the local communities can create solutions as they can assist in preventing and detecting abuse
Accountability: Being able to take accountability and have complete transparency in delivering safeguarding practice.
Serious case reviews and inquiries have highlighted the need to ensure safeguarding plays an important role within care. We are all aware of the effects that safeguarding failures can have on services through prosecutions and high costs.
It is crucial that the six safeguarding principles are communicated amongst teams to ensure safeguarding is at the forefront of both employees and community’s minds.
Safeguarding Adults Reviews
The Care Act 2014 introduces statutory Safeguarding Adults Reviews (previously known as Serious Case Reviews), mandates when they must be arranged and gives Safeguarding Adult Boards flexibility to choose a proportionate methodology.
A protocol has been developed in the light of the Care Act 2014 and the guidance contained within Chapter 14. This is available on the Multi Agency Policy & Procedure web page Multi Agency Safeguarding Policy and Procedures & supporting guidance.
Safeguarding Adult Review’s (SARs) should seek to determine what the relevant agencies and individuals involved in the case might have done differently that could have prevented harm or death. This is so that lessons can be learned from the case and those lessons applied in practice to prevent similar harm occurring again.
The purpose of the reviews is not to hold any individual or organisation to account. Other processes exist for that, including criminal proceedings, disciplinary procedures, employment law and systems of service and professional regulation, such as CQC and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Health and Care Professions Council, and the General Medical Council.
It is vital, if individuals and organisations are to be able to learn lessons from the past, that reviews are trusted and safe experiences that encourage honesty, transparency and sharing of information to obtain maximum benefit from them. If individuals and their organisations are fearful of SARs, their response will be defensive and their participation guarded and partial.
Safeguarding is protecting vulnerable adults or children from abuse or neglect. It means making sure people are supported to get good access to health care and stay well. It is wrong if vulnerable people are not treated by professionals with the same respect as other patients. It is making sure that people are supported to have full and happy lives.
It is making sure that people get safe and empowering care. Safeguarding should make sure that people get the support they need to make the most of their lives and get their full equal rights.
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act was passed in 2006. It came after 2 young girls were murdered by their school caretaker. The Independent Safeguarding Authority was set up to make sure that bad people were not employed to care for vulnerable adults and children.
Is there a definition for a vulnerable adult?
Not necessarily, as the definition can vary in different settings and nations.
For example, the Care Act 2014, which covers England, defines the person who should be subject of a safeguarding enquiry as an adult who:
In Wales, the Social Services and Wellbeing Act 2014, describes an “adult at risk” an adult who
While in Scotland, the Adult Support and Protection Act 2007, describes “Adults at risk” as adults who
Northern Ireland has no specific legislation, but in policies describe an ‘adult in need of protection’ as a person aged 18 or over, whose exposure to harm through abuse, exploitation or neglect may be increased by their:
However, a person is defined, if you have concerns you should always raise them. It is important to remember that the person does NOT have to be receiving statutory care support to be considered vulnerable. They could be purchasing their own support or may not have yet been assessed for care needs.
What is safeguarding adults and why it matters:
Safeguarding adults means protecting a person’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. The Care Act requires that each Local Authority must:
An adult at risk is any person who is aged 18 years or over and at risk of abuse or neglect because of their needs for care and or support. Where someone is over 18 but still receiving children’s services and a safeguarding issue is raised, the matter should be dealt with as a matter of course by the adult safeguarding team.
All staff within health services have a responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of patients and colleagues. Living a life that is free from harm and abuse is a fundamental human right and an essential requirement for health and well-being. Safeguarding adults is about the safety and well-being of all patients but providing additional measures for those least able to protect themselves from harm or abuse. Safeguarding adults is a fundamental part of patient safety and wellbeing. Safeguarding adults is also integral to complying with legislation, regulations and delivering cost effective care.
About vulnerable adults
The definition of a vulnerable adult is taken from the Department of Health guidance ‘No Secrets’ issued in 2000.
A vulnerable adult is any person aged 18 or above:
‘Who is or may be in need of Community Care Services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself from significant harm or exploitation.’
An abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons. Abuse includes physical, sexual, psychological and financial abuse, material neglect and acts of omission, and institutional and discriminatory abuse.
Good communication between all professional staff is essential for the protection of vulnerable adults. All the agencies involved in working with vulnerable people in Dudley work within the policy and guidelines set out in the document called Safeguard and Protect.
All employers and employees are required to act in accordance with Safeguard and Protect and act on any information that comes to their attention which gives reasonable grounds to suspect that a vulnerable adult had been, is being or could be abused.
Safeguarding Principles:
The six safeguarding principles were originally produced for the safeguarding of adults but can also be applied to the safeguarding of children.
Safeguarding both adults and children is about preventing the risk of harm from abuse or exploitation or having the ability to reduce it through supporting people and awareness in making informed decisions.
The UK Government created these six safeguarding principles especially for the health and social care sector to help better protect adults.
The principles are an aid to understanding actions that need to be taken to protect people and are agreed within the Care Act 2014.
Serious case reviews and inquiries have highlighted the need to ensure safeguarding plays an important role within care. We are all aware of the effects that safeguarding failures can have on services through prosecutions and high costs.
It is crucial that the six safeguarding principles are communicated amongst teams to ensure safeguarding is at the forefront of both employees and community’s minds.
Safeguarding Adults Reviews
The Care Act 2014 introduces statutory Safeguarding Adults Reviews (previously known as Serious Case Reviews), mandates when they must be arranged and gives Safeguarding Adult Boards flexibility to choose a proportionate methodology.
A protocol has been developed in the light of the Care Act 2014 and the guidance contained within Chapter 14. This is available on the Multi Agency Policy & Procedure web page Multi Agency Safeguarding Policy and Procedures & supporting guidance.
Safeguarding Adult Review’s (SARs) should seek to determine what the relevant agencies and individuals involved in the case might have done differently that could have prevented harm or death. This is so that lessons can be learned from the case and those lessons applied in practice to prevent similar harm occurring again.
The purpose of the reviews is not to hold any individual or organisation to account. Other processes exist for that, including criminal proceedings, disciplinary procedures, employment law and systems of service and professional regulation, such as CQC and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Health and Care Professions Council, and the General Medical Council.
It is vital, if individuals and organisations are to be able to learn lessons from the past, that reviews are trusted and safe experiences that encourage honesty, transparency and sharing of information to obtain maximum benefit from them. If individuals and their organisations are fearful of SARs, their response will be defensive and their participation guarded and partial.
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