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Safeguarding adults guidance for health and housing colleagues

This safeguarding vulnerable adults guidance (pdf, 21kb) is a brief information sheet for health and housing workers. The guide includes:

Who are vulnerable adults?

Many adults, because of illness or disability, are unable to protect themselves from abuse. This may be, for example, because they have a learning or physical disability, mental health need, short or long term illness, or needs related to ageing.

The Department of Health states any adult (aged 18 or over) who needs or who may need social care, healthcare or other services to maintain their independence, and who needs support to care for themselves or to protect themselves from significant harm or exploitation should be considered to be a vulnerable adult. (No Secrets: DoH, 2000)

What is abuse?

Here are some examples of abuse:

  • Physical abuse - such as hitting, pushing, shaking, over-medicating or otherwise causing physical harm.
  • Sexual abuse - any sexual activity where a vulnerable adult cannot or does not give their consent.
  • Financial or material abuse - such as fraud or theft, or taking and using a person’s property without their permission.
  • Emotional or psychological abuse - such as bullying, shouting or swearing at or ignoring someone; denying their rights whether or not it causes actual distress; the use of discriminatory language in relation to their age, ethnicity, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or disability.
  • Neglect - is where a person suffers because someone does not fulfil his or her responsibility of care.
  • Institutional abuse - repeated poor care of individuals or groups of individuals through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.

What should I do if I think someone is being abused?

Protect

If the abuse is going on at the moment and the adult is at risk of immediate harm, is there any way you can step in to stop it without risking harm to yourself? If so, do so. If not, get help from a senior member of staff if possible, or if necessary, the police. If the person needs urgent medical attention, get immediate help from a doctor, or call an ambulance.

Report

If you think that someone is being abused or neglected, tell your manager on the same day as you are alerted to the abuse. Your manager will talk to Adult Social Care (previously called Social Services), who may talk with other agencies like the Police or the Care Quality Commission. These agencies will decide what steps need to be taken to protect the person.

If you can’t go to your manager/s because they are involved in the abuse or are unavailable, go straight to Adult Social Care or the Police.

Telephone Numbers for Adult Social Care and Warwickshire Police:

Adult Social Care: 01926 41 20 80

Warwickshire Police Telephone: 01926 415834 or in emergencies: 01926 415000 (or 999)

Other language versions can be found in the downloads and documents section.