Understanding Adult Abuse and Legal Frameworks in Social Care

The report highlights how adults can be subjected to different types of abuse such as physical, emotional, and psychological within social care environments. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and implementing laws like The Care Act: Safeguarding Adults (2014) which offer legal protection to these vulnerable groups. Furthermore, it discusses the significance of supportive relationships maintained by social workers and healthcare professionals in reducing negligence and abuse incidents. These relationships promote dignity, fairness, and privacy, thus empowering adults and enhancing their awareness about existing rights and risks. The report concludes that comprehensive knowledge of abuse mechanisms and related laws is crucial for effectively safeguarding vulnerable adults.

Safeguarding Adults and Promoting
Independence

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................1
P1. Different forms of abuses.................................................................................................1
P2. Indicators for checking abuse experienced by adults.......................................................1
LO2..................................................................................................................................................2
P3. Factors leading to abusive situations................................................................................2
LO3..................................................................................................................................................3
P4 Legislation and regulations relating to safeguarding adult work......................................3
LO4..................................................................................................................................................3
P5 Strategies and procedures used for reducing risks of abuse..............................................3
LO5..................................................................................................................................................4
P6 Role of Supportive relationship in reducing risk of negligence and abuse.......................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Number of incidents relating to abusing adults have increased in the recent era. It is the
responsibility of every health and social care employee to spread awareness about different
harms and promote regulations regarding this issue (Horner, 2012). This assignment will discuss
about various forms of abuses. Indicators which provide information about these incidents will
also become a part of this report. There are different factors leading to situation of abusing that
will be discussed in this file. Further, legislation and strategies relating to risk of abuse will be
explained here along with stating the role of supportive relationships.
LO 1
P1. Different forms of abuses
The age of adolescence is very sensitive. Many adults have to face various problems
regarding abuse because they did not know how to cope up with a difficult situation. Physical is
one of the main types of abuses. An individual can be slapped or kicked by the other person. This
ultimately results in injury or severe pain. Confidence of an adult goes down when someone
physically abuse them on continuous basis. Another type of mistreatment is related to sexual
maltreat. Touching someone inappropriately and insulting them because of their gender is a
crucial part of this type. One can become vulnerable or scared if he/she has faced these kinds of
issues especially in the long run. Emotional is a psychological form of abuse. It can happen
because of the breaking or having poor relation with someone close like parents and friends. If
an individual have faced or still facing this problem then they will fail to make eye contact with
others and their self-belief will also decrease (Windle, Francis and Coomber, 2011).
Discrimination, bullying, etc. are some of its examples. Some types of abuse can come in more
than one section, like domestic maltreat and self- harm can be considered in physical as well as
psychological abuse also. People who generally abuse adults are health and social care
professionals, relatives, friends and carers.
P2. Indicators for checking abuse experienced by adults
Some people like to speak about problems which they are facing but normally an adult do
not speak to others when they are abused by someone. This can happen because of various
reasons. In this case, role of health and social care professionals is important because they have
to identify indicators that assist in finding that an individual is going through problems in
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relation to abusing. If it is physical, then marks or bruises can be found on the body. These
people have trouble relating to self-esteem and they do not have much confidence in their
personality. Almost same kind of problems are faced by someone who have experienced sexual
or psychological abuse (Barnes, 2011). Trust of adults on other people decreases because of
insults or mistreatment. Healthcare practitioners should concentrate on these common symptoms
in order to identify the current state of mind and troubles of an individual. Failing to make eye
contact is one of the evidence which can easily be found in an adult. Low self-esteem and trust
issues need good attention from health and social care work.
LO 2
P3. Factors leading to abusive situations
If someone wants to decrease incidents of abuse then they have to find the factors which
are leading to this kind of situation. Some of them are mentioned as below:
Disability and health – Adults with learning or physical disability are vulnerable. They
are not able to stop an abuser because of their disablement (Gantman and et. al., 2012). They
know that something wrong is happening with them but poor mental or physical condition stop
them from raising voice. Abusers know that disable adult cannot complain and they are
vulnerable so they find them soft target. Their thinking leads to a situation where abusing
someone can easily be done.
Environment – In most of the cases, an individual is abused by own people like carer,
physiotherapist, family members, etc. Adults always trust their relatives and professionals who
are working in health and social care sector (The Care Act: safeguarding adults, 2014). Abusers
take advantage of this faith and manipulate adults for doing something in order to harm them. It
can be done by either convincing them by offering something they want or intimidating.
Unawareness and dependence – Adults are not aware about various physical and mental
changes which are happening in their body. ''Not having proper information'' is one of the prime
factors that lead to abusive situation. Many youngsters lack in social awareness. They are
dependent on others because of unawareness. This scenario gives a change to people for abusing
others. Adults generally feel ashamed in sharing their experience and this fear results in giving
encouragement to abusers.
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LO 3
P4. Legislation and regulations relating to safeguarding adult work
Safeguarding Vulnerable group act – This law is made for preventing various people
who may do harm to children especially vulnerable one. It mainly focuses on stopping someone
who have access to these child because of their work. If an individual fail to follow these rules
then he/she may have to face serious legal consequences.
Care Standard Act – This law was introduced in 2000 and it is known for promoting
improvement in health and social care sector. Every healthcare organisation needs to maintain
minimum level of standards which are present in this act. If rules mentioned in it are followed
then work of safeguarding adults can be done in an effective way (Salwen and et.al., 2014).
Disability, Discrimination and Equality Act – According to this provision, a person
cannot discriminate on the basis of colour, gender or age. Rights for disabled people are also
mentioned in this act and it assists in safeguarding the interest of adults who normally face issues
relating to discrimination and equality.
LO 4
P5. Strategies and procedures used for reducing risks of abuse
Health and social care organisations can minimise risks of abuse by hiring right people in
their enterprise. Sector guidance will also assist them in doing this work in an effective manner.
One of the key strategies for reducing risks associated to abusing is partnering with adults. This
can be done by making formal or informal relations (Appel and et.al., 2011). Proper training
should be provided to staff members so that they can make sure that no one harm these adults.
All the services which an individual needs, can be provided under one roof in order to minimise
different kind of risks. If sound procedures are made by these organisations then risk of abuse
can be decreased in short period of time. Alertness is very important, a suspected abuser should
not allowed to enter in health and social care organisation. Monitoring of every person relating to
adult should be continuously done and privacy of Whistle Blower should be maintained at any
cost.
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LO5
P6. Role of supportive relationship in reducing the risk of negligence and abuse
Social workers and healthcare professionals should maintain a dignity, fairness and
privacy in their work. They should try to gain trust of adults by communicating them whether
verbally or non-verbally. They should have flexible personality and their connection with family
members and carer of adults should also be good (Levine, 2014). Supportive relationship plays a
significant role in empowering individuals. They are responsible for promoting the right which is
present to adults like Safeguarding Vulnerable Group Act. If individuals will know about the
regulations and aware about different risks regarding adults, then they will not allow anyone to
do any harm to them. Incident of negligence from the side of social workers will also decrease if
they will know that emotional condition and special needs of an individual is met.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that adults can be abused in physical,
emotional or psychological way. There are various laws which can assist them in getting the
legal assistance.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Appel, K. and et. al., 2011. Moderation of adult depression by a polymorphism in the FKBP5
gene and childhood physical abuse in the general
population. Neuropsychopharmacology. 36(10). pp.1982-1991.
Barnes, M., 2011. Abandoning care? A critical perspective on personalisation from an ethic of
care. Ethics and Social Welfare. 5(2). pp.153-167.
Gantman, A. and et. al., 2012. Social skills training for young adults with high-functioning
autism spectrum disorders: A randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of autism and
developmental disorders. 42(6). pp.1094-1103.
Horner, N., 2012. What is social work?. Learning matters.
Levine, H.B., 2014. Adult analysis and childhood sexual abuse. Routledge.
Salwen, J.K. and et .al., 2014. Childhood abuse, adult interpersonal abuse, and depression in
individuals with extreme obesity. Child abuse & neglect. 38(3). pp.425-433.
Windle, K., Francis, J. and Coomber, C., 2011. Preventing loneliness and social isolation:
interventions and outcomes (pp. 1-16). London: Social Care Institute for Excellence.
Online
The Care Act: safeguarding adults. 2014. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.scie.org.uk/care-act-2014/safeguarding-adults/>.
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