What is Adult Safeguarding?
Every day, abuse of adults at risk goes unreported. Safeguarding adults means protecting an adult's right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. We aim to make safeguarding personal by trying to achieve the wishes and goals of the person at risk.
The Care Act 2014 is the statutory framework for protecting adults from abuse and neglect, and aims to:
- Promote people's wellbeing;
- Enable people to prevent and postpone the need for care and support; and
- Put people in control of their lives so they can pursue opportunities to realise their potential.
The Act includes a requirement for all areas to establish a Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) to bring together local authority; NHS Integrated Care Boards; and the Police (these agencies are statutory partners) to coordinate activity to protect adults from abuse and neglect; and places a duty for a local authority to carry out enquiries (or cause others to) if it believes an adult is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect.
The Act requires the SAB to seek to protect any person aged 18 years or over 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 needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
Find out more about Blackpool Safeguarding Adult Board (BSAB).
What is abuse and neglect?
The care and support statutory guidance identifies ten types of abuse as set out below. You can find out more about each, including what signs and indicators to look out for, on the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) website.
Physical abuse
– including assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, restraint, female genital mutilation (FGM), or inappropriate physical sanctions.
Domestic abuse
– including psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse, forced marriage and so called ‘honour’ based violence.
Sexual abuse
– including rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, indecent images, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting.
Psychological abuse
– including emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, cyber bullying, isolation or unreasonable and unjustified withdrawal of services or supportive networks.
Financial or material abuse
– including theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits.
Modern slavery
– encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude. Traffickers and slave masters use whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce, deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment.
Discriminatory abuse
– including forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment; because of race, gender and gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
Organisational abuse
– (previously known as institutional abuse), including neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home, for example, or in relation to care provided in one’s own home. This may range from one off incidents to on-going ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.
Neglect and acts of omission
– including ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.
Self-neglect
– this covers a wide range of behaviour neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding.