Protecting Vulnerable Groups in Healthcare

This assignment delves into the critical topic of protecting vulnerable individuals within the healthcare setting. It analyzes the diverse roles played by key professionals such as managers, doctors, and nurses in safeguarding these vulnerable populations. The document emphasizes the importance of shared responsibility, risk assessment, and effective strategies to minimize abuse and ensure the well-being of those who require extra care.

Safeguarding in
Health and Social
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TABLE OF CONTENT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Provide explanation for the vulnerable groups for the abuse to themselves and others...3
1.2 Review the risk factors.....................................................................................................3
1.3 Mention and analysis of the impact of social -and-cultural factors..................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................8
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................10
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Safeguarding the vulnerable groups is very necessary as they are unable to raise their
voice towards the abuse. This assignment will focus on these various methods and for this
Winterbourne Care Home Scandal is studied here. Various strategies and methods are shown and
their effectiveness is shown in the report. Further, possible improvement is providing in it.
TASK 1
1.1 Provide explanation for the vulnerable groups for the abuse to themselves and others
Based on the case study provided of Winterbourne Care Home Scandal, weak or
vulnerable-groups are more targeted as they are unable to raise their voice, issues to others (BBC
News, 2012). Abusers target them so that they enjoy hurting them and taking their vantage.
Mentally and physically challenged person are unable to protect themselves as they are
powerless and dependent on other for their physical work. It is inhuman and unacceptable in
society. As they cannot protect themselves from the ill-treatment/harassment so they try to kill or
self-harm to get protected. As per the case, abuse started as people were finding it way easy and
amuse and vulnerable-groups can easily have targeted for this purpose.
Department of health defined it as people that cannot take self-care and required
community care services due to their physical and mental disability or illness. They are unable to
take-care themselves against the abuse or harm. They can be victim of domestic-harassment or
violence, homeless or drug addicts. Besides this, they are vulnerable to many other abuses due to
various other factors such as physical and mental disabilities, illness, other mental diseases, age,
disabilities and frailty. They can be easily targeted by the abusers in physically, sexually and
verbally that too in different situations. As per the Winterbourne Care Home Scandal 11 people
were maltreating to more than 50 patients (Chorley, 2013).
1.2 Review the risk factors.
There are chances where victim feels afraid, guilty and weak due to type of abuse they
received. Mistreatment can be emotionally, financially, physically, sexually, verbal, even it can
be completely neglecting them or any other emotional abuse. In the provided case-study, abusers
targeted mentally and physically challenged people who were unable to take self-care and were
dependent on others. They were physically tortured, mentally harassed and assaulted. It was the
inhumane and horrifying acts that were performed by the staff members. Moreover, it was
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mentioned that they were slapped, trapped under-chairs, eyes-poked, hairs-pulled, sworn, soaked
in waters and many more (Phelvin, 2014). It is represented by diagrams:
Illustration 1: Power and control wheel
(Sources: Robinson, 2013)
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These were the factors which can put an individual to worse. Here, it was led as they
were disable and mentally challenged and cannot take care by themselves. Factors that are
associated with the incidence are abuse, self-harm and include disability, disorder, behaviour
change and defects. Moreover, it included violence, conflicts, stress, corporal punishment and
socio-economic disadvantages. Another reason is that they are more dependent for their physical
work and care due to illness and disability (Van Eijk and Steen, 2014, Voorberg, Bekkers and
Tummers, 2015). Due to this, they accept the abuse and feel powerless, trapped and frustrated. In
the case-study as shown, the main reason was patients were unable to raise their voice and were
disabled. It resulted in abuse and self-harm to the patients.
1.3 Mention and analysis of the impact of social -and-cultural factors
Social factors are one of the reason for the rise of abuse for different individual. Some of
the factors are health, housing, poverty, social-exclusion and lack-of-support (McDonnell and et.
al., 2014). Poverty as these people are unable to generate their income, health is another issue as
they are physically and mentally weak. Social-exclusion is among the most complex and
multidimensional process. It denotes the physical demands of the person. It affects the living
style, equity and cohesion as society. Cultural abuse includes discrimination, ethnicity and
religion (Plomin, 2013). It can be analysed that due to these reasons they were unable to get
developed and were facing more physical and mental consequences. Physiological issues are
another reason as these people are weaker due to which they can be abused. Further, these
problems need to sorted or their physical condition will remain same and their disorder will keep
on increasing.
Societal Risk factors can be due to lack of awareness and resources which has affected
the life of these people. Cultural aspects show that these activities are totally inhumane and such
activities should never be performed to the physical and mentally challenged people. There can
be also issues due to the individual and family as they have not gathered strength and
communicated with other so that such cases can be reduced. Even NGO and other authorities
should have taken steps to prevent such incidence of abuse.
There are various risk factors that can affect the victims such as their previous suicide
attempt, psychiatric disorder, ethnicity, physical and mental health issues which may impact the
person. If at starting of the abuse these people have stated it to someone other than staff members
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then these incidence (risk) can be prevented. Moreover, it would have prevented the chances that
situation like suicide.
CONCLUSION
Safeguarding vulnerable groups in the health care through devolved matter. For this
effective strategies and methods are mentioned in the report. Further, how these methods can be
implemented and applied are mentioned.
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REFERENCES
BBC News, 2012. Winterbourne View: Care workers jailed for abuse. [Online]. Available
through<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-20092894>. [Accessed on 22nd
September 2017].
Chorley, M., 2013. Winterbourne View care home abuse reveals the 'criminal acts' nurses and
carers are capable of, Health Minister warn. [Online]. Available
through<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2224600/Winterbourne-View-care-
home-abuse-reveals-criminal-acts-nurses-carers-capable-Health-Minister-Norman-Lamb-
warns.html>. [Accessed on 22nd September 2017].
McDonnell, A. and et. al., 2014. How nurses and carers can avoid the slippery slope to abuse:
Andrew McDonnell and colleagues outline ways to prevent multiple mistreatment of
people with learning disabilities in residential accommodation. Learning Disability
Practice. 17(5). 36-39.
Phelvin, A., 2014. Winterbourne View hospital and the social psychology of abuse: Andrew
Phelvin analyses accounts of the mistreatment of people with learning disabilities in light
of findings from the Stanford prison experiment and events at Abu Ghraib prison, in Iraq.
Learning Disability Practice. 17(10). 25-29.
Plomin, J., 2013. The abuse of vulnerable adults at Winterbourne View Hospital: the lessons to
be learned. The Journal of Adult Protection. 15(4). 182-191.
Robinson, K., 2013. Taking a Spin Around the Power and Control Wheel. [Online]. Available
through<http://www.thehotline.org/2013/08/taking-a-spin-around-the-power-and-control-
wheel/>. [Accessed on 22nd September 2017].
Vaidya, A., 2013. 10 Best Strategies for Infection Prevention and Control. [Online]. Available
through: <http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/10-best-strategies-for-infection-
prevention-and-control.html>. [Accessed on 2nd August 2017].
Van Eijk, C. J. and Steen, T. P., 2014. Why people co-produce: Analysing citizens’ perceptions
on co-planning engagement in health care services. Public Management Review. 16(3).
pp.358-382.
Voorberg, W. H., Bekkers, V. J. and Tummers, L. G., 2015. A systematic review of co-creation
and co-production: Embarking on the social innovation journey. Public Management
Review. 17(9). pp.1333-1357.
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TASK 2
A very good noon to everyone present.
Distinguished ladies and gentleman!
It is my honour to be with you all on this auspicious day at Mencap, Austin.
It is a great pleasure that you all gathered for the development and betterment of the society.
Not taking much of your time let me come on the topic. As you all are aware about the case of
the Winterbourne Care Home Scandal where vulnerable groups were mistreated and there was
no person to understand their problems and issues. The activities are totally insane and inhuman.
It should never have had happened. There was lack in the role of the society, legislation and
members of the health and social-care due to which these issues have raised to such level. This
gathering is to reconsider the previous made acts, their strengths and weakness so that those
people can be conserved and they too can equally live in the society. Moreover, it is about the
new legislation or improvements that must be implemented so that such inhumane people can be
identified and can be punished.
Being the member of the Age UK, NSPCC, Mencap we all are aware about the Mental
capacity act, 2005 that started in order to ensure the safety and well-beingness of person that are
having the less physical and mental capacity, such as mental disorder, anxiety and disabilities.
As they have weak mind performance so they are neglected by the other normal people, further
consider as society load. However, due to health and social care by NGOs and governmental
organization the act provides strength as it offers special care, facilities, respect and offer them
better opportunity to develop. Along with this, they provide the education, protective
environment, things for amusement and transportation which helps them to get better. I am
honoured to thank all organizations and private persons, who care for such people and contribute
for the noble cause. However, the legislation lacks or weakens in the safeguarding the vulnerable
parties as seen in the case-study. Due to this there is severe impact on these groups and can
increase their disability. depression or mental disorder. So, weakness lies in the management part
and care of the vulnerable groups. Earlier to this there was, Sexual offences Act 2003 established
so that sexual-safety can be provided to all the people in the society. However, weakness lies in
the adoption by the legislation as member of health and care are harming and abusing these
vulnerable groups.
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We all know that Safeguarding vulnerable groups Act, 2006, where protection to such
people are provided related to the health issues. For this, the legislation took an important
decision and made Independent Safeguarding Authority due to which betterment can be seen in
the health of these people. It can be considered as the strength as necessary first-aid or
emergency services are provided at faster rate. However, they the weakness lies as it is not
implemented at the wider areas and people associated with them are the causing trouble to these
vulnerable groups. In 2014, to improve the health, mental-care and well-beingness, new
strategies were developed in order to ensure, improve and promote good and enduring health
services. The Health Care Act, 2014 is the part of the legislation where vulnerable groups are
protected and risk assessment is provided to them. These people are provided proper care so that
no other can abuse or harass them. Society needs to have proper knowledge about such
conditions and issues. By regularly visiting them or ensuring their safety they can be protected.
All these above stated acts were made for the betterment of the society but they all lack
and are not performed by the people which results in the Winterbourne Care Home Scandal. If
legislation and the society have created the risk assessments and generated better healthcare
services at the domestic-place such issues would not have happened. As there was no
improvement so these gathering is made so that role of the key professionals can be detailed and
protection of individuals and groups vulnerable to abuse. Key professional can safeguard in more
reliable and better ways in any circumstances and situations that lies in the healthcare
environment. Moreover, the responsibilities can be shared among different professionals so that
issues can be solved in more earlier and easier manner. For illustration, managers can be
assigned for handing, monitoring and operating of the situations. They can develop or make
better strategies in the legislation areas and are capable to run them. Managers can ensure and
manage their part in more an effective, reliable and smoother way. Besides this, there will be less
issues to the vulnerable groups and there will be minimum risk of abuse. By preparing the risk
assessment and they can efficaciously manage the operational risk that can happen to vulnerable
groups.
Other than them, doctors can assist in the protection of the vulnerable groups as they have
professional experience and are trained for that purpose. Through diagnosis they can provide the
medical treatment to those people and can better take care them. Moreover, they can better
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control their mental, physical and socio-logical issues through proper medication. Under their
consultancy they will feel safer and can easily receive the support for any issues or problems.
In health and social-care there is important part played by the Nurses. Their role is assist
these people and minimize the risk that can evolve or develop among these people. They can
easily deal with such cases and aid to doctors in their work. Further, being a nurse, they can take
better care for their health, can ensure their safety and can provide teach the ways they can
protect themselves from such abuses. Additionally, under the healthcare guidelines made by the
government they are the one that must focus on the protection and well-being of the vulnerable
groups. They can act as the strength to them and can help them in getting cure.
These all the issues and solution that are provided by me, if support from you, other
communities and society is there, such abuse cases will no longer be there. Every person has
rights to live their life happily and it is our role to make those people life as peaceful, joyous and
enjoyable. If every person associated here chose to perform their role perfectly then their life
journey will be comfortable and it is service to the humanity which we must focus. Such services
provide faith, privilege and potential for real happiness. They too are the part of the society and
we all should fulfil our duty in cherishing way. The collective efforts and support to these people
will provide them better and equal life.
In closing, I would like to thank you all for being patience and moving towards the goodness
area. Thank you all for being with us, and please do support in all possible ways to uplift the
society and vulnerable people from abuse. Thank you all! Have a wonderful day ahead!
TASK 3
Covered in safety manual template.
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