What is Adult Safeguarding?

Safeguarding duties apply to 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.

These adults for example may be:

• Frail due to age, ill health, physical disability or cognitive impairment, or a combination of these.
• Have a learning disability
• Have a physical disability and/or a sensory impairment
• Have mental health needs including dementia or a personality disorder
• Have a long-term illness/condition
• Users of substances or alcohol
• Be unable to demonstrate the capacity to make a decision and is in need of care and support.

This list is not exhaustive.

For those who do not meet the criteria as an adult at risk of harm but who nevertheless appear to be at high risk there are alternative sources of referral and support.

Find your local GP.

B&NES Community Services on 01225 39 60 00

This includes:

• assault
• hitting
• slapping
• pushing
• misuse of medication
• restraint or inappropriate physical sanctions

Possible indicators of physical abuse are:

• No explanation for injuries or inconsistency with the account of what happened.
• Injuries are inconsistent with the person’s lifestyle.
• Bruising, cuts, welts, burns and/or marks on the body or loss of hair in clumps.
• Frequent injuries.
• Unexplained falls.
• Subdued or changed behaviour in the presence of a particular person.
• Signs of malnutrition.
• Failure to seek medical treatment or frequent changes of GP.

This includes:

• rape
• indecent exposure
• sexual harassment
• inappropriate looking or touching
• sexual teasing or innuendo
• sexual photography
• subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts
• indecent exposure, sexual assault, or sexual acts to which the adult has not consented, or was pressured into consenting.

Possible indicators of sexual abuse are:

• Bruising, particularly to the thighs, buttocks and upper arms and marks on the neck.
• Torn, stained or bloody underclothing.
• Bleeding, pain or itching in the genital area.
• Unusual difficulty in walking or sitting.
• Foreign bodies in genital or rectal openings.
• Infections, unexplained genital discharge, or sexually transmitted diseases.
• Pregnancy in a woman who is unable to consent to sexual intercourse.
• The uncharacteristic use of explicit sexual language or significant changes in sexual behaviour or attitude.
• Incontinence not related to any medical diagnosis.
• Self-harming.
• Poor concentration, withdrawal, sleep disturbance.
• Excessive fear/apprehension of, or withdrawal from, relationships.
• Fear of receiving help with personal care.
• Reluctance to be alone with a particular person.

This is when people talk to you in unkind ways. Emotional abuse can be when people say bad things to hurt your feelings, shout at you or threaten you.

Some examples of emotional abuse are:

• Calling you horrible names.
• Blaming you for things when it’s not your fault.
• Treating you like a child.
• Ignoring you.

This is when someone takes your money or things that belong to you without asking. It can also be when someone controls your money or things that belong to you without asking.

You may have a legal guardian or someone has the power of attorney for you. This is someone who would help you look after your money and things that belong to you.

If you have help to look after your money someone should always go to these people if they are supposed to.

Some examples of financial abuse are:

• Someone stealing your money.
• Someone making you pay for other people’s things.
• When you don’t have a say in how your money is spent.

Neglect is when people who are supposed to look after you don’t look after you properly.

Some examples of neglect are:

• Being hungry.
• Being cold a lot of the time.
• Having only dirty clothes to wear.
• Being put in danger.

This is when people say or do bad things to you. It can also be when people treat you unfairly or differently.

Examples of discriminatory abuse are someone being treated differently because:

• of the colour of their skin.
• they are disabled.
• of their religion.
• they are lesbian or gay.
• they speak a different language.

Domestic violence and abuse is when your current or previous partner or a member of your family hurt you or try and control what you do. Some examples of domestic abuse are:

• forcing you to have sex.
• being forced to marry someone when you do not want to.
• being held against your will or taken somewhere you don’t want to be.
• physical violence against you.

Modern slavery is being forced to work illegally against your will. Some examples of modern slavery are:

• being forced to work in prostitution or pornography.
• carrying out housework or domestic chores with little or no pay.

Organisational abuse happens in care homes, hospitals and can even happen in your own home. It can happen once or all the time. Some examples of organisational abuse are:

• care staff calling you names or hitting you.
• care staff not helping you with washing and dressing.
• being left alone in your room all day and care staff ignoring you.

Self neglect is when you do not look after yourself properly. Some examples of self neglect

• wearing dirty clothes all the time.
• not washing or looking after yourself properly.
• missing doctors appointments.

Assessment of both the carer and the adult they care for must include consideration of both their wellbeing. Section 1 of the Care Act includes protection from abuse and neglect as part of the definition of wellbeing. As such, a needs or carer’s assessment is an important opportunity to explore the individuals’ circumstances and consider whether it would be possible to provide information, or support that prevents abuse or neglect from occurring, for example, by providing training to the carer about the condition that the adult they care for has or to support them to care more safely. Where that is necessary the local authority should make arrangements for providing it.

You can find more information HERE.

If a carer speaks up about abuse or neglect, it is essential that they are listened to and that where appropriate a safeguarding enquiry is undertaken and other agencies are involved as appropriate.

If a carer experiences intentional or unintentional harm from the adult they are supporting, or if a carer unintentionally or intentionally harms or neglects the adult they support, consideration should be given to:

• whether, as part of the assessment and support planning process for the carer and, or, the adult they care for, support can be provided that removes or mitigates the risk of abuse. For example, the provision of training or information or other support that minimises the stress experienced by the carer. In some circumstances the carer may need to have independent representation or advocacy; in others, a carer may benefit from having such support if they are under great stress or similar; and
• whether other agencies should be involved; in some circumstances where a criminal offence is suspected this will include alerting the police, or in others the primary healthcare services may need to be involved in monitoring.

Other key considerations in relation to carers should include:

• involving carers in safeguarding enquiries relating to the adult they care for, as appropriate;
• whether or not joint assessment is appropriate in each individual circumstance;
• the risk factors that may increase the likelihood of abuse or neglect occurring; and
• whether a change in circumstance changes the risk of abuse or neglect occurring. A change in circumstance should also trigger the review of the care and/or support plan.