Principles of Safeguarding and Protection in Health Care

This report delves into the crucial principles of safeguarding and protection within health and social care settings. It begins by defining abuse, detailing various types such as physical, sexual, emotional, financial, institutional, self-neglect, and neglect by others, along with their associated symptoms. The report then explores factors that contribute to individual vulnerability, including dependency, mental illness, and family conflicts. It outlines the necessary actions to take when abuse is suspected or alleged, emphasizing the importance of observation, reporting, and preserving evidence. Furthermore, the report examines national policies and local systems related to safeguarding, including the roles of different agencies like local authorities, social service authorities, safeguarding adult boards, local health boards, and the police. It also discusses reports into serious failures to protect individuals, and provides sources of information and advice on fulfilling one's role in safeguarding. Finally, the report addresses strategies to reduce the likelihood of abuse, highlighting the importance of person-centered values and accessible complaints procedures. The report concludes by identifying unsafe practices and outlining actions to be taken when such practices are identified or reported.

Principles of safeguarding
and protection
in
health and social care

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Abuse ....................................................................................................................................3
1.2 Symptoms of abuse ..............................................................................................................3
1.3 Factors that may contribute to an individual being more vulnerable to abuse .....................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Actions to take if there are suspicions that an individual is being abused ...........................5
2.2 Actions to take if an individual alleges that they are being abused......................................6
2.3 Ways to ensure that evidence of abuse is preserved............................................................6
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................7
3.1 National policies and local systems that relate to safeguarding and protection from abuse7
3.2 Roles of different agencies in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse............7
3.3 Reports into serious failures to protect individuals from abuse...........................................8
3.4 Sources of information and advice about own role in safe guarding and protecting
individuals from abuse................................................................................................................8
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
4.1 Likelihood of abuse may be reduced ...................................................................................9
4.2 Importance of an accessible complaints procedure for reducing the likelihood of abuse.....9
TASK 5..........................................................................................................................................10
5.1 Unsafe practices that may affect the well-being of individuals.........................................10
5.2 Actions to take if unsafe practices have been identified ....................................................10
5.3 Action to take if suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has
been done in response...............................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
The principles of safeguarding and protection play important role when an individual is
unable to protect themselves from the danger or harm due to age, disability or illness. In this,
they have rights to keep safe and if they are abused or neglected, appropriate actions will be
taken. This is known as safeguarding. This report helps to recognize symptoms of different
types of abuse as well as analyze national and local context of protection and safeguarding from
the abuse.
TASK 1
1.1 Abuse
When, human and civil rights of a person are violated by other person, then it is known as
Abuse and this can be from single, repeated or sustained actions. Abuse could be in form
of shaking, hitting, scalding, force feeding or biting. The various types of abuses are
discussed below:
 Physical- It includes physical forces which result in bodily pain, injury or impairment.
 Sexual- In this, person is tricked or forced to involve in sexual activity and it’s an abuse
when sexual activity is non-consensual.
 Emotional- One person has control and power over another person through gestures and
words and it can be related to blaming, name-calling, threats, screaming or yelling.
 Financial- It involves defrauding or stealing others goods, money or property through
tricking and threatening (Kono, 2012).
 Institutional- It happens when service user's lifestyle is sacrificed in favor of restrictive
or routine practices and person is not allowed to go outside and privacy of user is not
respect.
 Self-neglect- When a person does not care about their well-being and health due to
depression or illness.
 Neglect by others- Carer fails to care for service users as he or she is also being stressed.
1.2 Symptoms of abuse
Types of abuse Symptoms
Physical Unexplained series of Bruises, injuries, burns

or fractures etc.
Teeth indentation.
Different stages of healing for different bruises
and injuries.
Sexual Changes in behavior.
Difficulty in sitting or walking.
Bruises or infection in genital parts.
Disturbed sleep patterns.
Overt sexual language or behavior patterns.
Emotional Feels anxiety, confused or depressed.
Having significant weight loss.
Lower self-esteem and confidence.
Financial Fearful and anxious.
Basic needs not fulfilled.
Lack of cash (Steiner and et. al., 2014).
Feels embarrassed.
Institutional Lack of personal possessions or clothing.
No time flexibility for bed and food.
Misuse of medication.
Self-neglect Neglect own health conditions.
Poor nutrition, hygiene.
Not being interested in personal look and
medical help.
Living in dirty conditions.
Neglect by others Constantly hungry.
Not in proper dress for hot or cold weather.
Feels withdrawn.
Dirty bed linen.

1.3 Factors that may contribute to an individual being more vulnerable to abuse
There are various factors such as stress, fear, revenge, dependency, addiction, conflicts
and confidentiality that may contribute to individual being vulnerable to abuse. These few factors
are defined below:
 Dependency- If, a person is dependent on another by both the financially and non-
financially aspects, then abuser can take the benefits of this condition. In this situation,
abuser influences or forces them to do some wrong works or practices.
 Mental illness- A person who has lack of mental awareness and care taker has control or
power on them by emotionally or physically. The mentally ill person has lack of capacity
to understand and take decision about what is right or wrong or what is happening with
them.
 Conflicts in family- Rises in conflicts among family members also influences abuser to
target that person who is stressed from conflict situation. The reason of conflicts may be
due to not good support network around person (Sepulveda, Nyst and Hautala, 2012).
TASK 2
2.1 Actions to take if there are suspicions that an individual is being abused
If, it is suspected that an individual is abused then it is very important to take an action
against that abuser and in this situation following things could be done:
 Observation of person's activities and changes in behavior.
 Can ask the reasons for the behavior changes which are noticed.
 Record the activities of abuser and take a stand against it.
 Inform others and report about abuse situation.
 In case of danger or physical harm, immediate call to emergency services.
 If, in some case, individual is not aware of being abused by someone then they can be
informed and aware about the noticed activities (Richards, 2014).
 This type of situation should be always deal with sensitively.
 Preserve all evidence about the whole situation.
 Facing situation at workplace than follow company's policy of reporting abuse and report.

2.2 Actions to take if an individual alleges that they are being abused
In some case, if individuals allege that they are being abused, then following actions
could be followed:
 Give support and reassure the individual for faith and believe in them.
 Must reassure them it was not their fault.
 Carefully listen that exactly what happened with them.
 Do not ask many leading questions and do not make any judgment what being told.
 Immediately report about the allegations (McDonald, 2015).
 Without and delay record time, date and place where that abuse situation happened and
this record should be factual, clear and accurate. In this, do not record any opinions and
assumptions related to situation or abuser and in last, this record should be signed.
 Hand over the whole situation to senior person who dealt this case sensitively.
2.3 Ways to ensure that evidence of abuse is preserved
It is very important to preserve all the evidence of abuse and for this, there are few ways
to ensure that evidence of abuse situation is preserved and protected. These ways are as follows:
 The place where abuse is happened, do not touch anything and leave them as it is.
 Do not clean, wash or remove the clothes which are wear by individual.
 Do not allow anyone to enter into the area for keeping the area safe.
 Record all the signs of physical abuse such as bruises or burns etc.
 If, any first aid item is used that will be also reserved (Task and et. al., 2013).
 Report and record the situation with confidentiality and carefully.
 Easily do not trust on anyone because they may try to destroy the evidence.
 Hand over all the record evidence to senior authority, so, they can protect all evidences at
safe place.
 Provide protection to person from the further abuse or harm.
Task 3
3.1 National policies and local systems that relate to safeguarding and protection from abuse
There are various types of policies and systems context to both local and national which
are related to safeguarding and protection from the abuse. The list of national policies and local
systems are described below:

The national policies which are related to safeguarding:
 Safeguarding vulnerable groups act 2006
 Independent safe guarding authority (ISA)- runs vetting and barring schemes
 Criminal record bureau
 Human right acts 1998
 National public health service
The local systems which are included in safeguarding and protection from abuse:
 Safeguarding adult boards
 Safe guarding procedures and policies
 The police
 Care quality commission (CQC)
 Local authority policy (McDonald, 2015)
3.2 Roles of different agencies in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse
◦ Local authority- Each and every local authority has the corporate responsibility for
the welfare and protection of vulnerable adults or individuals.
 Social service authorities- They have developed the local policy guidance for the
protection of adults from the abuse or risk. This guidance is issued by Local authority
social services act 1970 under section 7. They have big responsibility to provide various
range of care and support for the adults. For this purpose, they also work with other
public agencies for the effective result.
 Safeguarding adult boards- It is an inter-agency forum and it promotes the protection of
adults from the abusive practice and behaviour.
 Local health boards- They have statutory duty to work in partnership with other local
organizations and systems to develop strategies for improving social care, health and
wellbeing for individual.
 Police- They have responsibility to protect individual from harm and they also investigate
reports related to abuse and provide protection to adults (Task and et. al., 2013).
3.3 Reports into serious failures to protect individuals from abuse
Few reports are described below which face into serious failure to protect individuals
from abuse, these are:

Castlebeck care ltd.- In Winterbourne View, a patient is being slapped, pinned down, doused in
cold water as well as continuously teased and taunted by staff members (CQC publishes critical
report of Castlebeck abuse failings, 2011).
A report about murder of young man, Steven Hoskin who was facing difficulties in learning was
abused and murdered in 2006. It was found that he had taken tablets of paracetamol, drunk
alcohol and burned from smoking (Nanda and et. al., 2015).
Mae Campbell, Alzheimer patient who was sexually abused two times as a resident of Hazard
nursing home and abused from two former employees of nursing home. The supervisor of
nursing home told her that not to tell anyone as no harm or danger was occured in Campbell (A
failure to protect: Sexual abuse in nursing homes, 2010).
3.4 Sources of information and advice about own role in safe guarding and protecting individuals
from abuse
There are various sources to get information and advice, the list of sources are stated below:
 Internet
 Company's procedure and policies on safe guarding and protection
 Company's manager
 Local authority
 Care quality commission
 Independent safe guarding authority
 Training programs
 Books
The procedures and policies of my company will outline work role related to protect and safe
guarding of service users from the risk of abuse. Training about safe guarding of vulnerable
adults will aware me about legislations which are dedicated to abuse and my responsibilities to
protect adults from any harm (Principles of safeguarding and protection, 2011).
TASK 4
4.1 Likelihood of abuse may be reduced
Likelihood of abuse may be reduced by few ways which are as follows: Working with person-centred values

The person-centred values involves individuality, rights, choice, privacy and independence
of person and it also involves dignity of individuals and based on the term that they are being
respected. If, this is taken into consideration to provide support to individual then there is less
chances to be abuse because all staff will work in a same way. In case if, staff abuses someone
then they will feel shamed due to the way they are being taught to work.
 Encouraging active participation
Active participation is a process of working which recognizes the rights of individual to
participate in activities of daily routine life as independently. In this way, risk of abuse will be
low because individual participates actively in their everyday life practices.
 Promoting choice and rights
In this, individuals are supported to form their own personal choice. No one will choose
what will harm him, so, abuse is reduced (Nanda and et. al., 2015).
4.2 Importance of an accessible complaints procedure for reducing the likelihood of abuse
For reducing the likelihood of abuse, it is important to access procedure of complaints
because this procedure gives rights to the complainant to be heard and supported to form their
own views. This procedure is easy to use as well as understandable and it clearly sets out that
how to make a complaint. The procedure includes steps which will be followed at the time when
complaint is looked into and it also gives flexibility in target response time (Richards, 2014).
The procedure solves the complaints in a quick manner and this sets an open culture to
make sure that in any form, abuse will not be tolerated. The complaint procedure also encourages
complainant to not accept any type of abuse in any form.
TASK 5
5.1 Unsafe practices that may affect the well-being of individuals
Unsanitary conditions can widely spread infection which can affect the wellbeing of
individual and other persons. Dirty kitchen equipment, surfaces, improper hand washing and no
cover on hairs at time of cooking can spread infections and pose risk because individuals are of
reporting faulty equipment while working in kitchen and uncleansed materials are also unsafe
for the individual’s wellbeing.

In relation to health and safety, staff members are not checking when patient is ill or not
able to stand on their feet and staff is not recording and monitoring the care plans of patients
wellbeing. The other unsafe practices such as not listening or ignoring a service user can occur
abuse. If the marks and bruises are not taken seriously can put service users in more danger or
complaints are not seriously can increase risk of abuse (Principles of safeguarding and
protection, 2011). This also involves that carer get too tired to carry out responsibilities correctly
or they are not been properly trained to use equipment.
5.2 Actions to take if unsafe practices have been identified
If, unsafe practices and activities are identified then individual can follow whistle
blowing activity or also report to safeguard person because they will immediately take
appropriate actions for that. It is also important to monitor all unsafe practices to gather all
evidences which are important at the time of report. Unsafe activities are very dangerous because
they can cause harm or danger to the individuals.
For example, an employee aware his manager that few things are left on stairs at third
floor which may hurt and increase the chances of fall over (Nanda and et. al., 2015). After this
general report, things have been removed. Unsafe practices can include resource difficulties,
poor working practices and operational difficulties.
5.3 Action to take if suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has been
done in response
The suspected unsafe practices and abuse have been reported but in response nothing has
been done than in this case, innocent party needs to complain report to the senior authority or
next higher level. In an organization, if department manager do not give any response then
individual can report to management or social workers about the abuse situation. Service user
can also report to safeguard & protection team or care quality commission or even to police
depending on the severity of response result. Service user or complainant can also take a stand
against that abuse situation with the help of various mediums (Richards, 2014). These mediums
such as social media, television, radio or newspaper will help to aware and attract the attention of
large number of people. In case of no response situation, individual can contact to local authority
to take an action against unsafe practices.

CONCLUSION
With the help of this report, it is easy to understand the importance of safeguarding and
protection principles in health and social care. With the help of this study, types and symptoms
of abuse are identified which will aware individual for their well-being. This research study also
helps to understand the importance of appropriate actions which are taken against the abuse and
unsafe practices.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Kono, T., 2012. The basic principles of the Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage:
A comparative analysis with the Convention for Protection of World Natural and Cultural
Heritage and Japanese Law. Available at SSRN 1988870.
McDonald, R., 2015. Safeguarding vulnerable. Fundamentals of Paramedic Practice: A Systems
Approach.
Nanda, M.M. and et. al., 2015. Childhood Maltreatment and Symptoms of Social Anxiety:
Exploring the Role of Emotional Abuse, Neglect, and Cumulative Trauma. Journal of Child &
Adolescent Trauma. pp.1-7.
Northway, R. and Jenkins, R., 2013. Safeguarding adults in nursing practice. Learning Matters.
Richards, C., 2014. Safeguarding and Protecting Children. Foundations of Early Childhood:
Principles and Practice. London: Sage Publications, pp.265-282.
Sepulveda, M., Nyst, C. and Hautala, H., 2012. The human rights approach to social protection.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.
Steiner, J.L. and et. al., 2014. Preventive health care for mentally III women. Psychiatric
services.
Task, S. and et. al., 2013. Guidance for safeguarding children & vulnerable adults in community
pharmacy practice.
Online and PDF
A failure to protect: Sexual abuse in nursing homes, 2010. [ONLINE]. Available through:
<http://www.kentucky.com/news/special-reports/article44041665.html>. [Accessed on 4th
January, 2016].
CQC publishes critical report of Castlebeck abuse failings, 2011. [ONLINE]. Available through:
<http://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-subjects/public-health/cqc-publishes-critical-report-of-
castlebeck-abuse-failings/5032741.fullarticle>. [Accessed on 4th January, 2016].
Principles of safeguarding and protection, 2011. [PDF]. Available through:
<http://www.diasporacp.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Safeguarding-ppt.pdf>. [Accessed on
4th January, 2016].
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