Comprehensive Report: Safeguarding in Health and Social Care Practices

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of safeguarding practices within health and social care contexts. It begins by identifying factors that make individuals and groups vulnerable to harm, including health, social, and cultural influences. The report examines current legislation, highlighting strengths and weaknesses, and explains the roles of key professionals in protecting vulnerable individuals. It further explores working practices and strategies designed to minimize abuse, assessing their effectiveness. The case of Winterbourne View Hospital is referenced to illustrate the practical application of safeguarding principles and the consequences of their failure. The report concludes with a summary of key findings and recommendations based on the reviewed literature.

Safeguarding in Health and
Social care
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Explanation why particular individuals and groups may be vulnerable to harm to self and
others............................................................................................................................................1
1.2 Review on risk factors...........................................................................................................1
1.3 Impact of social and cultural factors on different types of harm to self and others..............1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................1

2.1 Strengths and weaknesses in current legislations..................................................................1
2.2 Explain how key professionals are involved in the protection of individuals and groups
vulnerable to abuse......................................................................................................................1
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................1
3.1 Working practices and strategies designed to minimise abuse in health and social care
contexts........................................................................................................................................1
3.2 Effectiveness of working practices and strategies.................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................1
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION
TASK 1
1.1 Explanation why particular individuals and groups may be vulnerable to harm to self and
others
1.2 Review on risk factors
1.3 Impact of social and cultural factors on different types of harm to self and others
It is been analysed that there are ample number of elements that can make a person vulnerable
which may allow other to abuse. But it is been found that mainly there are two factors like social
and cultural which may impacts upon whole situation which is being faced by the patient. In
present context, baby was going through both physical and mental abuse. factors like physical or
mental health, education, employment, access to resources, social exclusion and disadvantage
and cultural factors like ethnicity, beliefs and religion of a person can majorly impact his
vulnerability to get abused and also the way he manages abuse. First and foremost, health of a
patient majorly determines his risk to abuse as poor mental or physical health make him
dependent over others, compromises his state to act against abuse or stand for himself and thus,
make him prone to get physically, sexually, emotionally or financially abused. Like in the given
case scenario, where baby Peter was being physically and mentally abused by Mr hand others
which led him to death . Thus, this case makes it evident that social factor like compromised
health state makes a person vulnerable to abuse. Additionally if a person is mentally ill, he can
be easily abused physically or sexually and his abuse remains unnoticed many times as he cannot
stand for himself.
Apart from this, social factors like poverty also make a person vulnerable to abuse. Poor people
usually face discrimination or neglect at public care services and are not treated with equality
and respect. Poverty also makes a person irritated and increases his stress level provoking him to
physically abuse his family members like wife or children or do self harm. Therefore, these are
some of the impacts which created number of issues.
1

TASK 2
2.1 Strengths and weaknesses in current legislations
In day to day life abuse activities are growing rapidly and the measures to prevent them are also
getting more specific .The exercise of power by the state on this sector is the most important
thing to solve this problem. The government bodies are making different plans, policies to
prevent abuse and create a healthier society and the nation. It has been analysed that, government
of United Kingdom has already made ample number of legislation and policies which are
ultimately designed to protect individual, groups, and vulnerable adults from abuse. In the case
of Winterbourne View Hospital, where Council did not kept its focus on providing best level of
services two patients but they have they have kept their focus on and making money where a
Week charge of a patient was 3700 pounds.
Legislations which every single Hospital, home care, other Healthcare providers are following
and their strengths and weaknesses are, The Care Standard Act 2000 - this is an act which is
being followed by every single organisation main who is providing Healthcare services to
vulnerable in present case of Winterbourne View Hospital, where Healthcare providers and
staff members like nurses radically punishing patience like hair pulling at the time of not having
their food or for taking medicines.
This act was not followed by this hospital which took organisation main to face number of
problems like decrease in reputation and so on. Major strength of this act of vulnerable to abuse
is that it gives an opportunity to patients where they can raise their voice and can ask for better
services if not provided by the hospital. On the other hand, weakness of this act is that it do not
show proper services which a patient can ask for while getting treated as an inpatient at the
hospital.Confidentiality policy - this is being considered as a policy which is followed by most
of hospitals and organisations that are providing Healthcare related services. In the case of
winterbourne hospital, Council of this organisation was following this policy in a befitting
manner. Its strength can be seen when a patient is having chronic disease and he or she is not
willing to tell about the disease because it might it harm him or her in any case. Weakness can
be seen in this policy see through data which is being stored by computers of hospitals and et
cetera can be hacked by ethical hackers for wrong purposes. Physical Intervention Policy -
Restrictive physical intervention is when a member of staff uses force intentionally to restrict a
patient’s movement against his or her will. All staff within this setting aim to help him or her
2

take responsibility for their own behaviour. In present case, Staff member of Winterbourne
View Hospital they were following the same policy but at another way which lead this hospital
to reduce its image and impacted on there reputation as well. Major strength of this policy
related to vulnerable to abuse is that it can help patience who are dealing with Autism and other
mental diseases how to stay motivated as staff members mainly helps them in becoming
independent. On the other hand, weakness which can be seen in this type of policy is that staff
members of Winterbourne View Hospital my take advantages as well while providing services
to patients.
Confidently and disclosure - Respecting patient confidentiality is an essential part of good care;
this applies when the patient is a child or young person as well as when the patient is an adult.
Without the trust that confidentiality brings, children and young people might not seek medical
care and advice, or they might not tell you all the facts needed to provide good care. Its
measures trances it helps the patients in staying tension free without facing any sort of problem
or anything related to their confidentiality t of a disease for anything else. On the other hand,
slight mistake or weakness which can be seen under this type of policy is that sometimes staff
members who have been collecting the data related to patient can also misuse the information
against the patient with wrong intentions.
Henceforth, these are some of current legislations which carries different strengths and
weaknesses that needs to be we analyse properly by hospitals so that they may easily start
performing task ok in much effective and efficient manner.
2.2 Explain how key professionals are involved in the protection of individuals and groups
vulnerable to abuse
To protect vulnerable people from getting abused at care services, various professionals and
agencies play essential role such as social services, health services, community services, general
practitioners, hospital administration, education services, day care centers, mental health
services, pediatricians, police ,local councils, etc. It has been analysed that these both
government and non government agencies and professionals help in one or the other way in
identifying, reporting and controlling abuse cases and protect people from getting harmed. In
present context, Winterbourne View Hospital which was having many beds for the patients but
it kept its focus on making profits rather than focusing on patient conditions. Here, Healthcare
3

providers had ample number of responsibilities which were not being effectively provided to
patient who was suffering from Autism and other mental related conditions.
Health Professionals like GP, pediatrician, nurses, midwives, mental health service providers, etc
are supposed to deliver their services in a way to do no harm to the users and provide maximum
possible benefit to them. They are supposed to deliver high quality services with a patient
centred approach and give equal respect each patient irrespective of his social, economic or
cultural factors. They are also specialized in identifying abuse or harm symptoms, help in early
identification of abusive activities and thus protect people by reporting it immediately and taking
action against the offender.
Local healthcare Programmes help with protective by recognizing the necessities and
prerequisites of individuals and after that structuring techniques and setting rules toward a path
so that problem can be resolved easily. In present context that has been analysed that Healthcare
providers and council of Winterbourne View Hospital mainly prescribed strategies, enactments
and rules that are needed to be followed by staff administrators.
Care quality commission act to ensure that each individual's rights are ensured and individuals
are getting amazing administrations in a protected situation. They work with local and national
offices to frequently review social insurance focuses and check whether individuals are getting
administrations according to prescribed medicines or not.
On the other hand, social administrative and other offices cooperate to guarantee that helpless or
disabled individuals are getting care and different administrations on time. They additionally
assume basic job in distinguishing individuals who are confronting misuse, give them required
help and shield them from further misguided by making a move against the wrongdoer.
Care standards inspectorate: CSIW significantly encourage mishandled individuals and secure
them by ordinary reviews of consideration focuses to guarantee quality consideration
administrations are conveyed, taking criticisms, overseeing grumblings and handle enrollments
of administration fixates dependent on rules and guidelines.
Injured individual help association: the association work with the point of giving required help
and help to mental patients, witnesses and their relatives. It is being considered as a single
association that gives fundamental data on the best way to report or get help in the event of being
physically challenged,
4

TASK 3
3.1 Working practices and strategies designed to minimise abuse in health and social care
contexts
3.2 Effectiveness of working practices and strategies
CONCLUSION
5

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Karanikolos, M. and et. al., 2013. Financial crisis, austerity, and health in Europe. The Lancet. 381(9874).
pp.1323-1331.
Munro, E., Taylor, J. S. and Bradbury‐Jones, C., 2014. Understanding the causal pathways to child
maltreatment: Implications for health and social care policy and practice. Child Abuse Review. 23(1).
pp.61-74.
Sheldon, B., 2011. Cognitive-behavioural therapy: Research and practice in health and social care.
Routledge.
Williams, V. and et. al., 2014. Best interests decisions: professional practices in health and social
care. Health & social care in the community. 22(1). pp.78-86.
Peckover, S., 2013. From ‘public health’to ‘safeguarding children’: British health visiting in policy, practice
and research. Children & Society. 27(2). pp.116-126.
Lymbery, M., 2012. Social work and personalisation. British Journal of Social Work. 42(4). pp.783-792.
Grant, L. and Kinman, G., 2012. Enhancing wellbeing in social work students: Building resilience in the
next generation. Social Work Education. 31(5). pp.605-621.
Stevens, E., 2013. Safeguarding vulnerable adults: exploring the challenges to best practice across multi-
agency settings. The Journal of Adult Protection. 15(2). pp.85-95.
Braye, S., Orr, D. and Preston-Shoot, M., 2012. The governance of adult safeguarding: findings from
research. The Journal of Adult Protection. 14(2). pp.55-72.
Badzek, L. and et. al., 2013. Ethical, legal, and social issues in the translation of genomics into health
care. Journal of Nursing Scholarship. 45(1). pp.15-24.
Vis, S. A., Holtan, A. and Thomas, N., 2012. Obstacles for child participation in care and protection cases
—why Norwegian social workers find it difficult. Child Abuse Review. 21(1). pp.7-23.
Pugh, G. and Duffy, B. eds., 2013. Contemporary issues in the early years. Sage.
Powell, C. and Appleton, J. V., 2012. Children and young people’s missed health care appointments:
reconceptualising ‘Did Not Attend’to ‘Was Not Brought’–a review of the evidence for practice. Journal of
Research in Nursing. 17(2). pp.181-192.
Dizon, D. S. and et. al., 2012. Practical guidance: the use of social media in oncology practice. Journal of
oncology practice. 8(5). pp.e114-e124.
Edwards, N., 2013. Implementation of the health and social care act.
Gagnon, K. and Sabus, C., 2015. Professionalism in a digital age: opportunities and considerations for
using social media in health care. Physical therapy. 95(3). pp.406-414.
(Karanikolos and et. al., 2013)
(Munro, Taylor and Bradbury‐Jones, 2014)
6

(Sheldon, 2011)
(Williams and et. al., 2014)
(Peckover, 2013)
(Lymbery, 2012)
(Grant and Kinman, 2012)
(Stevens, 2013)
(Braye, Orr and Preston-Shoot, 2012)
(Badzek and et. al., 2013)
(Vis, Holtan and Thomas, 2012)
(Powell and Appleton, 2012)
(Pugh and Duffy, 2013)
(Dizon and et. al., 2012)
(Edwards, 2013)
(Gagnon, K. and Sabus, 2015)
7