Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Quiz

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults

Safeguarding refers to measures taken to protect individuals who may be subjected to abuse, neglect, exploitation, or domestic violence. This includes individuals with disabilities, older people, and other adults whose circumstances make them vulnerable. In the United Kingdom, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has oversight responsibility for ensuring safeguarding arrangements work effectively.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Care Act 2014 outlines roles and responsibilities related to safeguarding:

• Councils must have, maintain and publicly register cases where they identify local services are needed to meet the needs of individual adults and children
• The police force area must consider whether it would be appropriate to involve the local authority in supporting persons aged over 18 where they reasonably believe there is risk of significant harm
• Health commissioning bodies must ensure that health services available under section 27 of the NHS Act 2006 engage in relevant activities, which can include providing advice to all adults concerned regarding contacting their social care service if they think they might need support
• NHS trusts and primary care trusts must offer information to adults on how to access health services which enable them to prepare a written statement indicating their wishes concerning day-to-day matters relating to their personal welfare when unable to make decisions for themselves

Policies and Procedures

The government's 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' document provides guidance on safeguarding for professionals working in adult services. This includes a requirement for:

• Clear policies and procedures for staff notifying authorities of any concerns about an individual's safety or wellbeing
• A designated senior manager within each organisation responsible for chairing the multiagency strategy meeting
• Regular monitoring of safeguarding enquiries and interventions
• Training for all staff about dealing with safeguarding issues

Reporting Procedures

Reporting procedures for safeguarding depend on the severity and nature of the situation. For less serious situations, employees should follow their organisation's internal policy for reporting incidents:

• Immediate action: If the individual is at imminent risk of harm due to physical injury, abandonment, sabotage, insanitary conditions affecting a person's physical state, or sexual exploitation, report to the police immediately by calling 999. Other situations, such as financial abuse, require reporting to the police via 101 or the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

For more severe situations where harm has been caused or is currently ongoing, such as wilful neglect, assault, ill treatment or other forms of abuse, this requires immediate reporting to the police using either 999 or the non-emergency number 101. In some cases, the LADO will also need to be informed, and:

• Where an act of abuse is witnessed as it occurs, the incident can be reported directly to the police
• Reporting incidents of concern to the LADO following the organisation's own procedure

When making reports, remember to provide as much detail as possible about the incident, including names, dates, times, locations, and any relevant supporting documentation. Always ensure that the incident is recorded accurately and contemporaneously to prevent future disputes about what was said, done or agreed.