Principles of safeguarding and protection Principles of communication in adult social care settings

The main issues of public concern are centred on the abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults - whether they are elderly, people with disabilities, those suffering from dementia or other mental health problems.

3.4 Identify sources of information and advice about own role in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse

Physical abuse is a deliberate use of physical force that results in bodily injury pain or impairments. Sgns of physical abuse can be burns and scalds, marks on the skin consistent with being slapped, scratched, bitten or pinched.Sexual abuse is direct or indirect involvementin sexual activity without valid consent. Signs of sexual abuse could be sexual transmitted disease,unexplained crying and distress or anxiety and fear of physical touch. Emotional/psycholoigical abuse is any action by another that damages an individuals mental wellbeing, signs of this is attention seeking behaviour,depression,low self-esteem and lack of self confidence.

Adult safeguarding was defined as, a range of activity aimed at upholding an adult’s fundamental right to be safe at the same time as respecting people’s rights to make choices. Safeguarding involves empowerment, protection and justice. In practice the term “safeguarding” is used to mean both specialist services where harm or abuse has, or is suspected to have, occurred and other activity designed to promote the wellbeing and safeguard the rights of adults. Following the Civil Service rapid evidence assessment methodology1, having formulated the questions to be addressed by the review and developed a conceptual framework, inclusions and exclusion criteria were agreed. Articles published in 2002 or later, relevant to the review questions were included. Studies were excluded if they were not relevant, for example: health focused, concerned with children rather than adults. A wide range of databases, web-sites and grey literature were searched and screened, using search terms related to adult safeguarding, adult protection and workforce, staff and training. Experts in the field were also asked to identify relevant resources and guidance. Results Overall, much of the evidence on workforce and adult safeguarding is based on a limited number of studies and cases. Much of the work reviewed was of little specific relevance to the social care workforce. Most

Within our society there a many different groups of individuals, although everyone is at risk of abuse and maltreatment, some groups need more safeguarding than others. Vulnerable groups are at higher risk. A vulnerable adult is described as an individual who is aged 18 or over, who is in need of care and support form care services, who is experiencing, or is at risk of significant abuse or neglect and who is unable to protect themselves against harm or exploitation. There are a number of vulnerable groups within society which are: the frail and elderly, the less abled and individuals with mental health problems or learning difficulties, visual or hearing impairments or with some form of disease. It is important that the promotion of

The Home provides services based on the local needs assessment to meet the needs of residents needing safeguarding. There are clear local arrangements between safeguarding services and Home. In this way, staff can work in direct cooperation with specialist, in supporting our residents, going through the process of safeguarding. Working with others, can help me to fulfil better my task, which can be more difficult to do in my own, benefiting of their expertise and experience. Other professionals can help us to understand the implication of harm and abuse. We know that the implication and impact of harm and abuse for residents can be devastating, and can have major long-term effects in all aspects of their wellbeing, health and development. They

Physical abuse involves the use of force by pinching, punching, slapping, scalding, hitting, kicking, burning or misuse of medication, restraint or inappropriate sanctions. It is a form of physical attack on an individual, it can also be a intentional neglect to prevent physical injury.

Physical abuse is the intentional deliberate use of physical force or violence to hurt or injure a child. It may include slapping, punching, pulling hair, hitting, beating with objects, burning with cigarettes/cooker rings, scalding, shaking, biting, squeezing, cutting, throwing, poisoning, attempting to suffocate/drown or giving inappropriate drugs/alcohol.

Safeguarding vulnerable group act 2006 is an Act that protects vulnerable people from abuse. Legislation policies and procedures for safeguarding groups have made health and social care staff much more aware of what is regarded as abuse and how to identify that abuse may have occurred. This rule helps to know what to do and how to do it if you suspect any kind of maltreatment or abuse or if an individual tells you that they are being abused. (Stretch, Whitehouse, health and social care level 3 books 1 P105).

Physical: Physical abuse is deliberate physical force that may result in bodily injury, pain, or impairment. Both old and young people can be physically abused.

In relation to safeguarding adults there will be specific components that must be abided to. A risk assessment is set out to assess the risks to vulnerable people against their rights to make their own decisions on how to live their lives. Vulnerability is a term held with complexity as there are many reasons as to why Vulnerability can occur, and its effects can either be long or short term depending on the social context of the individual’s life. The factors that left Colin open to vulnerability where down to him losing his job through redundancy and in turn losing his home and ending up jobless and homeless these factors can be seen as quite significant in the demise of Colin’s mental state which lead him to becoming more susceptible to risk and abuse. The broad definition of a vulnerable adult is “A person who is or maybe in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself against significant harm or exploitation”(Department Of Health,

Physical abuse – involves causing deliberate physical harm to a child and may include burning, drowning, hitting, poisoning, scalding, shaking, suffocating or throwing. Physical abuse also includes deliberately causing, or fabricating the symptoms of, ill health in a child.

We as social care workers need to safe guard vulnerable people. When it comes to safe guarding there are laws that protect individual people under the Children’s Act 1989 it states It shall be the general duty of every local authority in addition to the other duties imposed on them by this Part to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need; and, so far as is consistent with that duty, to promote the upbringing of such children by their families - by providing a range and level of services appropriate to those children's needs.( www.legislation.gov.uk).

Section 3 is entitled ‘A personalised Adult Social Care System’ and in subsection 3.3 it discusses ‘Systems which act on and minimise the risk of abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults, supported by a network of “champions”, including volunteers and professionals, promoting dignity in local care services.’. This is yet more important policy and guidance which focuses on policy developments in relation to the Safeguarding of vulnerable adults. Although at City Care Partnership we haven’t adopted the system of champions, it’s something that could be given future consideration as we look to improve our own systems. We do have something similar in the form of an organisational Safeguarding lead however, a

Abuse of vulnerable adults may occur at the adult's home, in a supportive accommodation such a hospital, care home or nursing home, independent living accomadtation, health services such as GP surgeries, public settings and local community or other places previously assumed safe. Where the abuse occurs will be determined by the setting in the environment. Nursing care homes, surgeries and hospitals usually have strict regulatory controls to ensure adequate care is being given, however paid care staff in domiciliary homes may work with little or no supervision. Where there is poor management, little assessment and no enforced legislation in place, those receiving support are more likely to receive inadequate care; this is when abuse starts to occur.