A-Safeguarding

• Safeguarding


  Protection of health, wellbeing and protection of individual. Enabling them to live free from harm and neglect.
• Groups most at risk

  • Children and young people
  • Adults at risk; those receiving care in own home, people with physical, sensory, motor impairments, and those with learning disabilities
• Forms of abuse


  • Physical
  • Intellectual
  • Emotional
  • Financial
  • Neglect
• Key principles of Safeguarding

  • Empowerment
  • Prevention
  • Protection
  • Partnership
  • Proportionality
  • Accountability
• Empowerment


  Supporting of individuals to make informed decisions in their own life
• Prevention


  Providing proactive measures to anticipate, identify and minimise risks to individuals
• Proportionality


  Applying the most appropriate level of intervention to the situation as circumstances dictate
• Protection


  Acting swiftly to protect vulnerable individuals when they are at risk
• Partnership


  Building robust relationships with organisations, services and agencies involved
• Accountability


  Taking responsibility for all actions taken on behalf of those individuals in our care
• Safeguarding in relation to mental capacity act 2005 applies to all involved in care, treatment and support of people aged 16 and over living in England and Wales who are unable to make all or some decisions themselves. The MCA is designed to protect and restore power to those vulnerable people who lack capacity.
• Safeguarding in relation to care act 2014 sets out legal framework for safeguarding adults at risk of abuse or neglect. It sets out the responsibility of local authorities to ensure adults at risk are promoting wellbeing.
• Health and social care act 2012 establishes procedure and duties on health of the public in England. Aims to improve patient care and outcomes by promoting integration between health and social care services.
• Physical abuse


  Intentional act of causing injury and trauma to another person or animal by way of bodily contact
• Signs of physical abuse

  • Bruises, welts, bumps, lacerations, bite marks or other injuries with no explanation or pattern
  • Poisoning, drowning, suffocation, overdose, broken objects, restriction of movement
• Emotional abuse

  Behaviour of undermining an individual's self worth by manipulation
• Signs of emotional abuse

  • Humiliation (name-calling, insults)
  • Control (possessive, monitoring victims actions)
  • Accusation (blame)
• Modern day slavery


  Exploitation of individuals by others for personal or commercial gain
• Forms of modern day slavery

  • Human trafficking
  • Forced labour
  • Child slavery
  • Forced and early marriage
• Organisational abuse


  Mistreatment of somebody through an institution where policies and practice contribute to harm of object or person
• Signs of organisational abuse

  • Lack of supervision
  • Limited access to resources
  • Unexplained injury
• How to prevent abuse

  • Safeguarding
  • Training and educating staff
  • Raising awareness
  • Support
  • Policies and procedures
  • Community links
  • Legislation and regulations
• Physical neglect

  • Caregiver failing to provide proper meals for individuals in their care
• Educational neglect


  • Failure to enrol children into correct education or to provide homeschooling
• Emotional neglect


  • Constantly exposing, humiliating and isolating somebody
• Medical neglect


  • Refusing to take a child to proper healthcare and refusing their needs medically
• Step-by-step process when a patient discloses abuse

  1. Listen and believe

  2. Assess safety

  3. Provide support

  4. Document

  5. Medical examination (if necessary)

  6. Discuss options

  7. Reporting (if required)

  8. Follow-up and referral
• Importance of staff training includes helping employees recognise abuse, know how to respond to safeguarding concerns, and have the knowledge and skill to maintain a safe environment, which provides comfort for service users.