1.0. Details of the concepts of: • safeguarding • Protection
Safeguarding is the term that is used to describe the measures taken to ensure the rights, health and wellbeing of vulnerable individuals is protected against potential harm, abuse or neglect (Gibson et al., 2016). Vulnerable individuals are always at risks of being harm, abused or neglected. As such, the Care Act 2014, establish the concept of safeguarding. According to the Act, everyone working in health and social care setting has a responsibility of keeping the people for whom they provide care away from abuse, harm or neglect. The care Act 2014 says that safeguarding should be provided to individuals that, 1) have need for care and support, 2) are experiencing risks of abuse of neglect and 3) are unable to protect themselves from the abuse and neglect.
Protection on the other hand is central part of safeguard. Protection involves ensuring that vulnerable individuals suffering from harm or neglect or at high risk of suffering from harm or neglect is shielded from just harm or neglect and their welfare is generally promoted (Boland et al., 2014). The key difference between safeguarding and protection is that while safeguarding is proactive measures taken to ensure vulnerable individuals’ wellbeing is protected against potential harm, abuse or neglect. On the other hand, some vulnerable individuals may already be experiencing or at a risks of suffering from harm, abuse and neglect. Such people need to be protected from such harm, abuse or neglect.
2.0 Information about the legislative framework for safeguarding vulnerable individuals in health and social care
In UK, there is strong legal frameworks for safeguarding vulnerable individuals. This means that those who are working or managing health and social care setting must have good knowledge and comply with all the legal requirement regarding safeguarding vulnerable individual. One of the legislation that provide legal framework is the care Act 2014. The care Act 2014 outline the legal responsibilities when protecting and safeguarding adult. It places the onus on local authorities and require them to work in partnership with health and social care. It also outlines key principles for safeguarding adults which are empowerment, prevention, proportionality, protection, partnership and accountability.
The second legislation is the safeguarding vulnerable group Act 2006. The safeguarding vulnerable Group Act 2006 ensure that vulnerable people are safeguarded against people who are likely to be abusers or perpetrator. The Act ensure that people who are most likely to abuse, neglect or cause any harm to vulnerable individuals are not allowed to work with vulnerable people. Such people include those with criminal history of abuse and exploitation. The Act place such people on a list that is checked when anyone applies for a job to work with the vulnerable adults.
The health and social care Act 2012 also have some provision which provide legal framework involve safeguarding individuals within health and social care setting. Specifically, regulation 13 as contained in the Act provide protection to vulnerable individuals against potential harm. There are some provisions of the Act that also ensure restraining is not used incorrectly and individuals’ liberty is not removed improperly. In other word, it ensures that during the provision of health and social care services, vulnerable individuals are protected against questionable practices that may amount to abuse, neglect or even cause harm.
Mental capacity Act 2005 also provide some principles that ensure individuals with mental health problem are safeguarded. These principles include presumption of capacity, support to make decisions, ability to make unwise decision, best interest and least restrictive. All these principles ensure that the rights, health and wellbeing of those with mental health problem is promoted at all time.
The human right Act 1998 provide 13 articles outlining everyone’s human rights. However, there are four articles which are critical to the safeguarding vulnerable adults. These four articles are; article 2; protect the right to life, article 3; afford freedom from degrading and inhuman treatment, article 4; guarantee the rights to private life, family life and a home life.
3.0 an analysis of how serious case reviews have influenced safeguarding and protection
The purpose of serious case reviews is to protect vulnerable individuals by drawing upon lessons learned from previous serious cases of abuse, neglect or harm (Manthorpe & Martineau, 2010). The serious case reviews have influence safeguarding and protections by providing recommendations from analysis of previous serious cases to prevent similar tragedy from happening. The recommendations provided helps in strengthen practices within health and social care setting, improve and strengthens multi-agency procedures and collaboration.
The serious case reviews also help promote better safety for vulnerable individuals by providing professionals within health and social setting with information that allow them to learn from previous mistake, serious incidents and near misses that has led to either abuse, neglects or abuse of vulnerable people (Manthorpe & Martineau, 2010).
Action to be taken in the event of a suspected or actual abuse.
All professionals working in health and social cares setting has a legal responsibility for safeguarding and protecting the vulnerable individuals in their care against any abuse, harm or neglect (Gibson et al., 2016). As such, when an individual’s suspect that abuse has taken place or is about to take place, there are a numbers of action that he or she needs to take. First, the professional who suspect or have identified that an individual is abused or at risk of being abuse, should act to protect the individuals from the risks or abuse. They should deal with the immediate needs and ensure that the vulnerable individuals involved is as safe (Gibson et al., 2016). Secondly, when a suspected or actual abused has been identified, it is critical that the case is reported to the relevant person mostly likely the immediate manager or supervisor. If a crime has been committed, the case also need to be reported to the police for further investigation and action (Mantell & Scragg, 2011). Thirdly, if a professional learn about the abuse from victim, he or should listen to them carefully and assure them they are being taken serious. This would encourage them to open about the abuse and provide as much detail as possible. If one hears about an event of abuse from a third party, one should encourage and help such individuals to report the incidents to the relevant person within the organization or to the police of a crime is involved (Mantell & Scragg, 2011).
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5.0 information on signs and symptom of abuse
Abuse is a wider term that describe different form of abuses that vulnerable individuals can fall victim to. These abuses include, sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic abuse, financial abuse, emotional/ psychological abuse, institutional or organizational abuse and discrimination. Each of these abuses have different symptoms and signs. The table bellows provide the sign and symptom that is associated with each of these form of abuses.
| Form of abuse | Sign and symptoms |
| Physical abuse | Cuts, bruises, fractures, burns or any other unexplained or untreated injuries, hitting, slapping, starvation and biting (Northumbria University, 2017). |
| Sexual abuses | Injuries around and on genitals, anus and thighs Pregnancy Genital infections and sexually transmitted diseases of unknown origin Pain and discomfort when sitting or walking Torn or Bloodstained underwear Change in behaviors (Northumbria University, 2017)
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| Financial and material abuse | Assets disappearing, Unpaid bills, Low standard of living, Not having enough money for food and clothes, Excessive worries about money, Missing personal possessions or bank books Unexplained withdrawal of funds, Recent change in deeds or title of property, Unnecessary property repairs (Northumbria University, 2017)
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| Emotional / psychological abuse | Anxiety, low self- esteem, low confidence, depression, poor sleeping habit, fear, isolation, feeling helpless, frequent crying, withdrawing from friends and usually activities, reduced mental alertness, deterioration in mental health or physical conditions (e.g. loss of appetite), controlling or manipulative behaviors (Northumbria University, 2017) |
| Domestic abuse | Any sign or symptom of any other form of abuses can be an indication of domestic abuses. For instance, bruises, cuts which are signs of physical abuses can also be a sign of domestic abuse (Northumbria University, 2017) |
| Discrimination | Sign and symptoms includes verbal abuse, derogatory terms, disrespect, exclusion, needs not being met, not being treated fairly and equally (Northumbria University, 2017) |
6.0 measures to be taken to avoid abuse from taking placing.
Prevention is better that cure. As such, health and social care professionals should do everything that is within their powers and ability to prevent abuses from taking places. There are several measures that can be taken to ensure abuse never take place. These measures include.
Person-centered care- the person-centered care is an approach that help individual health or social care professional to see value and treat people as individuals who require dignity and respect who have lived or still living their own unique life. The person –centered approach help health and social care professionals sees beyond the conditions of individual they care for. It helps them see the vulnerable service users as persons, which help them improve the way the relate and treat them (SCIE, 2019a). Therefore, engaging in practice that emphasis on person-centered values help health and social care professionals prevent potential abuses especially those that are committed within practice e.g., use of restrictive practice incorrectly. For instance, the person-centered values that should always inform the practices include treating the vulnerable individuals with respect and dignity, independence, choices, rights and fulfilment.
Monitoring- one of the most effective ways of preventing abuse from taking place is through monitoring. Once an individual has been identified to be at risks of abuse, close monitoring must take place. Close monitoring would not only help scare away potential abusers but would also help mitigate the risks of abuse significantly (Mantell & Scragg, 2011).
Promoting the choice and rights- health and social care professionals can help prevent abuse from taking place by promoting choice and rights. By empowering individuals to make their own choices may help reduce abuses. For instance, an individual who make own choices is most unlikely to be financial exploited unlike the one who trust others to make choices for him or her. In other words, promoting the choices and rights of individual helps decrease their vulnerability by promoting empowerment, independent and importance of informed consent (SCIE, 2019b).
Encouraging active participation- vulnerable individuals being taken care of should be encouraged to take a more active role in their care by participating and making decision for themselves or with together with the health care professional looking after him or her. By encouraging active participation, the health or social care professional would not only be empowering the vulnerable persons to make decision for themselves but would also be established a good relationship with the client that would make communication more effectives and hence being able to identify any risks of abuse and the taking action before it occurs. In addition, by encouraging active participation, the health and social professional would be discouraging abuse by decreasing the vulnerability of individuals by improving self-confidence, self-esteem and self-awareness (SCIE, 2019b).
Accessible complaints procedures- another way in which abuse may be prevented is by having an accessible complaints procedure. A complaints procedure that has transparent policies and procedures, clear system for reporting and recording complaints as well as robust procedures for following up on any complaints not only discourage potential abusers from commit abuse since they know well that they will be reported and action taken against them but also give vulnerable individuals a platform where they can raise issues before they become serious abuse cases.
7.0 Practice that maintain the safety and protection of vulnerable individuals.
Self –awareness – professional in the health and social care should look at the way they behave toward vulnerable individuals and others to ensure that their practice and relationship with others reduces risks of abuse and neglect (Pritchard, 2018). It is critical to ensure that as a health or social care professional observe the person-centered care values including treating people with respect and dignity, maintaining their privacy and dignity, empowering or promoting their rights, choices, and independences. open and honest communication is also critical as it help others including the vulnerable individuals trust and be able to communicate about potential dangers or risks of abuse, harm or neglect (SCIE, 2019a).
Improving owns skills and knowledge- The ability of health and social care professionals to identify and prevent potential abuse from taking place is largely dependent on their knowledge of legal requirements, self-awareness as well as their ability to observes and monitors (Pritchard, 2018). This help ensures that health and social care professionals are not only self-aware of their own practices and hence prevent themselves from committed abuse or harm e.g., use of restrictive practice incorrectly, as well as improving their ability to identify and respond to potential risks of abuse posed by others. The health and social care professionals also need to ensure that there are familiars with legislation and policies requirements, be well informed about issues that could lead to abuse within own setting, be aware of sign and symptoms of abuses and be able to spot them and finally speak up if they feel practices does not adhere to safeguarding vulnerable individuals’ requirements (Pritchard, 2018).
Policy and procedures- having policies and procedures on safeguarding vulnerable individuals is a necessity in health and social care setting. They clearly dictate the duties and responsivities of individuals in regard to safeguarding vulnerable individuals as well as how to respond case of suspected or actual abuse. As a result, they help contribute to maintaining a safe environment for the vulnerable individuals.