SAFEGUARDING: PART 1

Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of vulnerable persons and protect them from harm, abuse, exploitation.
Principles of safeguarding.
• Empowerment: Supporting and encouraging individuals to make their own decisions and informed consent.
• Prevention: It is better to take action before harm occurs.
• Proportionality: The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented.
• Protection: Support and representation for those in greatest need.
• Partnership: Providing local solutions through services working with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse.
Accountability: Accountability and transparency in safeguarding practice

Types of abuse
• Discriminatory abuse: This includes:
• Racist, ageist, homophobic or sexist abuse
• Abuse based on a person’s disability.
• Harassment or slurs
• Not making provision for disability or sensory impairment
• Denying someone the opportunity to attend a place of worship.
Indicators of discriminatory abuse include:
• Non-provision of appropriate food, clothing etc.
• Denial of religious/cultural needs
• Acceptance of racist language or language which denigrates someone’s disability
• Lack of respect
• Loss of interest, emotional withdrawal and symptoms of depression
• Self-harm
• Defensiveness
• Aggression or challenging behaviour.

• Institutional abuse: This is any type of abuse resulting from routines and regimes within care settings which deny people’s rights, choices, and opportunities. Institutional abuse can be caused by:
• weak or oppressive management
• inadequate staffing (numbers, competence
• Inadequate supervision or support,
• “Closed communication”,
• lack of knowledge of Whistle-blowing policies,
• lack of training
Indicators to institutional abuse may be:
• Denial of rights
• Threats of punishment, loss of personal possessions or eviction in order to gain compliant behaviour.
• Denial of food, drink, adequate clothing and/or suitable living environment
• Denial of access to friends, Family, Solicitor, Doctor, Care Manager etc.
• Denial of access to money, access to information about self, information about rights and responsibilities of the management of the home/service
• A culture which does not respect personal dignity.
FACTORS ASSOIATED WITH ABUSE
Common underlying reasons for abuse of vulnerable adults include:
• Stress
• Psychological or mental health problems
• Lack of support
• Alcohol or substance misuse
• Revenge/anger
• Poor understanding/lack of awareness
• Premeditated self-interest and self-gratification