Safeguarding Adults Briefing
31st March 2014
Kate Spreadbury
Service Manager
What is safeguarding adults?
• Anyone who works or lives with an adult who
cannot protect themselves does this everyday
– preventing harm
• If significant harm occurs to an adult who
cannot protect themselves then reactive
measures can be used: Safeguarding Adults
procedures
Brief Background
• Safeguarding adults policies and protocols date
from No Secrets 2000, the national policy
guidance which created multi agency frameworks
for the protection of vulnerable adults from
abuse
• All safeguarding is multi agency, but the local
authority is the lead for operational and strategic
safeguarding
• Safeguarding adults is currently not supported by
legislation, but this is changing, Care Act 2014
Who do Safeguarding Adults
procedures apply to
A vulnerable adult or adult at risk is
over 18 years old and is, or may, be 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,
OR
unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or
exploitation
What is abuse?
“Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human
and civil rights by any other person or
persons”
No Secrets 2000
Types of abuse
Includes harm which is :
• Physical
• Sexual
• Emotional
• Financial
Or results from
• Discriminatory Abuse ( inc. hate crime)
• Institutional Abuse
• Neglect
Domestic abuse
If any of the above are perpetrated by someone who is or has been an intimate
partner or family member of the vulnerable person the abuse can also be
seen as Domestic Abuse.
Family members are defined as –
• mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister and grandparents, whether
directly related, in-laws or step-family.
• Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, in any relationship.
• Domestic abuse can happen at any point of a relationship; in a new
relationship or after many years, whilst the couple are still in a relationship,
during separation, or even after separation. Separation is sometimes the
most dangerous time in a relationship.
• A person who is an adult at risk or vulnerable adult as defined in No
Secrets in Bristol and who is subject to Domestic abuse comes under
the safeguarding adults procedures
Significant harm
• If an alert meets the criteria, “is this person an adult at risk” and
“is abuse/neglect by a third party alleged” a referral is accepted. In
order to assess whether a referral crosses the threshold for use of
the safeguarding adults procedures, the decision needs to be made
as to whether “significant harm” is likely to have occurred or not.
This decision should be made by a manager or senior practitioner in
the social work team.
• Not all breaches of human rights need a safeguarding adults
response, only those that cross the threshold of “significant harm
• “ ‘harm’ should be taken to include not only ill treatment
(including sexual abuse and forms of ill treatment which are not
physical), but also the impairment of, or an avoidable
deterioration in, physical or mental health; and the impairment of
physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural
development’.” ”. Law Commission (Who Decides? 1997)
Assessing significant harm – some
principles
Whether abuse is intentional or not is
irrelevant, what is important is the harm
done and whether the harm might be
repeated.
Government Principles April 2011
• Empowerment - Presumption of person led decisions
and consent
• Protection -Support and representation for those in
greatest need
• Prevention- Prevention of harm and abuse is a primary
objective
• Proportionality – Proportionality and least intrusive
response appropriate to the risk presented
• Partnerships - Local solutions through services working
with communities
• Accountability - Accountability and transparency
in delivering safeguarding
Operational principles
• Once safeguarding procedures have been initiated an adult at risk
should be assured:
• That their views, needs and well being are held to be central in any
investigation, protection planning, or other process.
• That their human and civil rights, including the right to self
determination, will be upheld throughout the process.
• That they will be supported to access the same services and have
the same rights as all other citizens, or those rights and services will
be accessed on their behalf if they are unable to do this with
support.
Stages in safeguarding adults
procedures
Safeguarding Adults procedures are multi agency in nature,
governed by safeguarding adults information sharing
protocols, and have the following stages:
• Alert
• Referral
• Decision (or threshold decision)
• Safeguarding Assessment Strategy (meeting or discussion)
• Safeguarding Assessment (or “Investigation”)
• Safeguarding Plan (or “Protection plan”)
• Safeguarding Plan Review
All actions within the procedure should be recorded and
monitored.
Case study
• Mrs Douglas has been admitted to hospital after
a fall at home. She has dementia and is even
more confused by being in hospital. You visit and
are concerned that she is not eating or drinking.
Ward staff seem very busy. Other patients on the
ward are calling for help but no one is answering.
The patient in the next bed is naked and needs
some help to clean up.
You have complained to the ward manager but
nothing seems to change
Case study
• You are working with John, a young man who
lives alone in a flat with support. He is diagnosed
with “mild learning difficulties”. Normally John is
chatty but over the last few days has been
subdued. He says that friends are coming to his
flat and keeping him up late.
You notice cigarette burns on his arm, he says he
did these himself but he does not smoke. His
hygiene has gone down, he doesn’t have any
money for lunch and says he is currently “broke”.
Whats happening in Bristol?
•
•
•
•
Safeguarding Adults Board
Partnerships
Targeting help to the most at risk
Policy and more information out on line:
www.bristol.gov.uk
Safeguarding Adults
What are your responsibilities?
• If you are concerned that someone who
cannot protect themselves is being harmed
call :
• Bristol Care Direct
0117 922 2700
adult.care@bristol.gov.uk