Safeguarding Adults and Promoting Independence

This assignment discusses the core principles of care, including dignity, equality, respect, fairness, and privacy. It emphasizes the need for effective relationships within organizations to promote independence and reduce the risk of abuse and neglect. The assignment also highlights the importance of skills development to recognize signs and symptoms of abuse and suggests strategies such as needs assessment, care planning cycle, active communication methods, anti-oppressive practices, and anti-discriminatory services.

Safeguarding Adults and
Promoting Independence

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................3
P1. Forms of abuses experienced by adults............................................................................3
P2. Indications of abuses that may be happening to adults....................................................4
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................4
P3. Factors that may lead to abusive situations......................................................................4
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................5
P4. Key legislations and regulations which govern safeguarding adult work........................5
LO 4.................................................................................................................................................6
P5. Working strategies and procedures used in health and social care..................................6
LO 5.................................................................................................................................................6
P6. Role of supporting relationship in reducing the risk of abuse and neglect......................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
It is the right of every individual to live freely and without any fear. Thus, it is essential
for the society to make such laws with which the individuals do not have fear of everything.
Safeguarding adults is the responsibility of every individual because if they will be abused then
the whole society will get disturbed (Daniel, Wassell and Gilligan, 2011). This report will
discuss about different types of harms and abuses faced by the individuals. Factors that lead to
abusive situations and various strategies that can be used by companies to reduce these kinds of
abuses will be highlighted here as well.
LO 1
P1. Forms of abuses experienced by adults
Various kinds of abuses experienced by adults are as follows:
 Physical Abuse - It is a type of abuse in which an individual is traumatized via actual
body contact. There are several times in an organisation that out of aggression, the boss
raises hands on its employees which is unacceptable. No one has the right to beat anyone
or hurt physically.
 Sexual Abuse – It is an abuse which is done by an individual to another sexually. It is
also termed as molestation. It is a very shameful activity which is mainly faced by the
female workers of an organisation (Safeguarding adults and promoting independence,
2017).
 Psychological abuse – It is a type of abuse which is conducted on the minds of an
individual. It can be in the form of emotional or mental abuse. It is as devastating as the
physical abuse. In this, the individuals feel unsafe in their own home and would not have
any control over their life.
 Neglect – In this, an individual is ignored continuously along with his basic needs like
medical, dietary and nutrition as well as hygienic.
 Discriminatory abuse – Here, the individuals are abused based on their race and
religion. They have to face unfair treatment in the society (Gerhardt and Lainer, 2011).
These types of abuses include activities like unfavourable treatment because of gender,
sexuality, etc.
3

P2. Indications of abuses that may be happening to adults
There are many times when an individual is going through abuse but they do not reveal it
to someone. It is very important to have a check that how much an individual have got hurt
because of the abuse they are facing (Hollomotz, 2011). Various types of indicators which show
that some abuse is happening with the individuals are:
 Disclosures – In this case, people come and tell voluntarily that they have witnessed the
abuse happened or person who has faced abuse comes and informs about the things
he/she faced as they have trust on the concerned person . All these information are
released to professionals but is kept confidential as it can destroy the image of an
individual.
 Unexplained injuries – There are many times when a person is having various types of
injuries but person is kept under medical supervision so as to ensure that injuries are
because of the abuse or some other reason. It can be in various forms like scars, burns,
fractures, breaks, etc.
 Irrational changes in behaviour – If the person has faced any kind of abuse then their
behaviour will not be same like earlier. They will behave little differently. The people
around them should notice these changes and report it to a professional.
 Health problems – If the person has suffered with an abuse then their daily routine will
also get affected as they will not feel like eating anything or feel sleep deprived. They
don't react much also. So, if all these factors are seen in a person then it can be assumed
that the person is under trauma.
LO 2
P3. Factors that may lead to abusive situations
Various factors that may lead to abusive situations are:-
 Adults most at risk – Sometimes, there are certain types of people who are more at risk
of abuse than others. It can be any person who is suffering from mental or physical
abilities. These people are first targeted as they cannot respond at the moment or no one
will believe them (Horner, 2012). People who suffer from dementia are mostly targeted
as they forget after some time what has happened to them.
4

 Environmental Factors – The environment is also considered as a major factor for
abuse as there are several times when a person is abused even in their own home. Abuse
can take place in various sectors of environment like:
◦ Hospitals
◦ Residential care
◦ People who live alone like in PG’s or hostels
◦ Abuse can also happen at the time of GP surgeries, dental surgeries, physiotherapy
services, etc.
 Context – Sometimes, there are various situations in which abuse takes place like:
◦ A person is dependent on other people for their daily care and activities (Johns,
2017). This gives a chance to the other person to take advantage of such situations.
◦ Sometimes, the person is not having such mental capacity to judge that what is
happening to them and they suffer the abuse.
◦ Many a times, the individuals have lack of social awareness so, they do not realise
that what is happening to them.
LO 3
P4. Key legislations and regulations which govern safeguarding adult work
Various laws and regulations associated with abuses are:
 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act – It is an act of parliament of UK. It was
established to protect the workers and their children who are being forced to work under
extreme circumstances.
 Care Standards Act – It is also an act of parliament which provides protection to
various care institutions like children's home, independent hospitals, nursing homes and
residential care homes, etc.
 The Disability Discrimination Act – It is an act which is now replaced by the Equality
act 2010. It fights against the people who discriminate withpeople on the basis of their
caste, race and religion or colour (Reeder and et al., 2013).
The roles of legislation are as follows:
 It helps in providing the rights to individuals who are facing difficulty in organisation.
5

 It gives a safe environment to people as they know that the person who is doing abuse
will be punished.
LO 4
P5. Working strategies and procedures used in health and social care
Various strategies and procedures used in health and social care are:
 Recruitment and staff – In this, if company will have a good recruiting staff then they
will be able to implement the correct procedures (Stevens and et al., 2011). The various
acts that help organisations in this case are like protection of vulnerable adult scheme,
vetting and barring scheme, independent safeguarding authority, etc.
 Sector guidance – There are various acts available for guidance where one of them is the
protection for vulnerable adult scheme in England and Wales. Its main aim is to protect
the adults and ensure that they do not work at any such place where they have been
abused.
 Strategies- Various strategies that can be applied by an organisation at this particular
situation are like working in partnership with the adults using services, good decision
making processes and forums, role of staff training, etc.
LO 5
P6. Role of supporting relationship in reducing the risk of abuse and neglect
The core principles of care are as follows:-
 Dignity - Every person has his/her own dignity and they try to maintain it also at the
workplace.
 Equality – All the workers should be treated equally so that no one can have a feeling of
discrimination (Daniel, Wassell and Gilligan, 2011).
 Respect – All the workers should be respected and it is their right also.
 Fairness – The leaders should be fair with all the people and does not neglect anyone as
it will result into abuse then since they will feel neglected.
 Privacy – Everyone is having their own privacy which they require to maintain. It is
suggested that organisation should not enter into the personal space of employees.
It is very important for companies to build an effective relationship inside the
organisation. Employees should be told to use the health and social care services. The care
6

providers should also listen to the needs of workers and also maintain effective communication
with them. This will definitely help them in understanding the person better.
The working practices that can be applied here are the need assessment, care planning
cycle, active methods of communication, anti-oppressive practices and anti-discriminatory
services.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that it is very important to safeguard and
protect adults as they are considered as the future of company and if they will only live in fear
then nothing will be good. Every person has the right to live with freedom and no one can take
this right from them. The individuals are therefore advised to develop skills so that they can
recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse happening around them.
7

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Daniel, B., Wassell, S. and Gilligan, R., 2011. Child development for child care and protection
workers. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.'
Gerhardt, P. F. and Lainer, I., 2011. Addressing the needs of adolescents and adults with autism:
A crisis on the horizon. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. 41(1). pp.37-45.
Hollomotz, A., 2011. Learning difficulties and sexual vulnerability: A social approach. Jessica
Kingsley Publishers.
Horner, N., 2012. What is social work?. Learning matters.
Johns, R., 2017. Using the law in social work. Learning Matters.
Reeder, B. and et al., 2013. Framing the evidence for health smart homes and home-based
consumer health technologies as a public health intervention for independent aging: A
systematic review. International journal of medical informatics. 82(7). pp.565-579.
Stevens, M. and et al., 2011. Assessing the role of increasing choice in English social care
services. Journal of Social Policy. 40(2). pp.257-274.
Online
Safeguarding adults and promoting independence. 2017. [Online].Available through:
<https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/BTEC-Nationals/Health-and-Social-
Care/2010/Specification/Unit-11-Safeguarding-Adults-and-Promoting-Independence.pdf
>.
8