University Safeguarding in Health and Social Care Report Analysis

This report on safeguarding in health and social care provides a detailed analysis of the topic, exploring the vulnerability of different groups, risk factors leading to abuse and harm, and the impact of social and cultural factors. The report examines the strengths and weaknesses of current legislati...Read More

Safeguarding in Health and
Social Care

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Safeguarding in health and social care is one of the important topic in nature because this
will have direct connection with the protection of the human rights of the people belongs from
different age groups Children, young people and vulnerable adults. Recently there are many
cases are noticed which includes abuse of children's and person's suffering some kind of learning
disabilities. In despite of the many regulations and legislations, health and social care units are
indulged in unfair practices and abuse patients. Also, noticed that not only care units are
involved in such practices but the social workers and even families members have their
contribution in abusing activities. So, the nature of safeguarding is important in nature due to
emergence of abusive cases in all over the world.
The level of the problem regrading abuse of vulnerable people is high in all over the
world. This issue not only impacts locally and nationally but also have their presence at global
level. The number of abusive cases in 2017 and 2018 increases by 394655. This means in
comparison to previous year the hike noticed in the number of person's is 8.2% who are impacted
due to course of different type of abuses. While talking globally, every 1 person from 6 has faced
some kind of abuse in community. The rate of abuse from healthcare units and social works is
more in nature in comparison to the family members.

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Consideration of the individuals and groups that are vulnerable to abuse and harm to self
and others....................................................................................................................................4
1.2 Review of the risk factors which lead to abuse and harm to self and others........................6
1.3 Analysis of the impact of different social and cultural factors on different type of abuses
and harm to self and others.........................................................................................................7
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
2.1 Analysis of the strength and weaknesses in current legislation and policy in respect to
those whom are vulnerable to abuse...........................................................................................7
2.2 Role of key professionals in protection of the individuals and groups whom are vulnerable
to abuse........................................................................................................................................9
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Analysis of the existing working practices and strategies which are designed to minimise
abuse in health and social care..................................................................................................10
3.2 Evaluation of the effectiveness of the working practices and strategies which are used to
minimise abuse in health and social care..................................................................................11
3.3 Discussion of the possible improvements to the working strategies and practices to
minimise abuse in health and social care..................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13
.......................................................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Safeguarding is the process in which different different measures are used to protect the
health, well-being and human rights of the different people of society. The main aim behind
adoption of those measures is to provide abuse, harm and neglect free life specially to children,
young people and vulnerable adults. There is huge role of health and social care institutions in
safeguarding the right of patients because due to their negligence abuse can happen with
different type of patients belongs from different age groups (Burrows, 2016). The main aim of
this report is to study about the different type of abuses to different people and adoption of safety
measures to mitigate the same. Also, focus on the role of government and legislature in respect
of the betterment of the health and social care services.
This report comprises three different task. Task 1 is based on the case study of Baby P
who is died due to failure of doctor to spot child's sever injuries. The aspects covered under this
includes intellection of individuals and groups may be assailable to abuse and/or harm to self and
others, Review of risk factors that may lead to abuse or harm to self & others and impact of
social and cultural factors on different types of abuse or harm to self & others. Task 2 has the
scenario about abuse of patients suffering from learning disabilities and autism Winterbourne
view hospital. This task comprises analysis of the strength and weaknesses of current legislation
and the role of key professionals in protection of vulnerable. Task 3 comprises existing practical
practices and scheme designed to understate abuse and possible improvements to practical
practices and plan of action to minimise abuse.
TASK 1
1.1 Consideration of the individuals and groups that are vulnerable to abuse and harm to self and
others
Safeguarding: It is the term which is used in respect of denoting the measures which are
taken for protection of the rights of the people suffering from the various kind of abuses like
mental, physical, sexual, financial etc. The main aim behind the adoption of these different
measures of safeguarding is to not only to protect the rights of the people but also help them to
live their further life free from any kind of abuse, harm and neglect. In this respect, many
regulations and legislations are provided by government which bound the health care units and
social workers to work with the proper fulfilment of such norms and values which enables the

different person's of society to live healthy life with comfort without any discrepancies
(Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults. 2018).
There is huge importance of safeguarding to bring improvements in health and social care
aspects because through analysis of the data provided by WHO noticed that large number of
abusive cases are persist in healthcare units (Dehaghani, 2019). The staff working in such units
highly indulge in the activities of abuse with the person's suffering from any kind of learning
disabilities. Safeguarding policy is first published in 2017 which governs that all the care units
are required to follow and adhere sic different principles of safeguarding set out by UK Care Act
2014. These principles are named as Empowerment, prevention, proportionality, protection,
partnership and accountability. These will brings restriction over unauthorised practices of care
units.
Different type of abuses
There are many kind of abuses faced by the vulnerable people (Abuse and neglect of
vulnerable adults. 2018). These abuses are of different types which are defined below:
Mental abuse: This is also knows as emotional abuse. This will includes expulsion of
one person by another which has direct negative impact over their behaviour that may result in
psychological trauma which includes anxiety, chronic depression etc.
Physical abuse: This will includes any intentional act which cause injury to some
another person. This will happen through make body contact which also includes domestic
violence or workplace aggression.
Sexual abuse: This will includes the sexual behaviour attempted towards the women,
child and man without their consent. This will also called as molestation.
Financial abuse: This will includes about the usage of the someone's property or money
illegally. Also, taking of the power of attorney fraudulently is considered under financial abuse.
Self harming abuse: This will includes intentional harm to itself and direct injury which
damages the body tissue (Graham and et.al., 2016).
The abuse faced by Baby P was physical in nature because severe injuries are incurred
due to which Baby P is died includes broken spine.
Factors to determine vulnerability
This will includes the consideration of the different aspects which help to identify that
what makes the person vulnerable.

Old: The case vulnerability arise in old age when person is not able to perform daily
routine works by self and required help of support. This is the situation which makes the old age
person more vulnerable. For ex., abuse due to low immunity power.
Disabled: Any kind of disabilities have impact over the person's ability to perform work
individually without the help of any other person. This will makes the disable person vulnerable
as the want support of others. For ex., abuse of person on wheel chair
Mentally unstable: This is the situation when person is not able to made judgements.
This increases the vulnerability as they loose their power of ascertain what is right or wrong. For
ex., Abuse of person suffering from Dementia.
1.2 Review of the risk factors which lead to abuse and harm to self and others
It is important to review the risk factors to determine the presence of possibility of abuse
with some person. While reviewing the factors the determinants which are needed to consider
includes history of abuse in family, age, health and physical, mental & social stage of
development. Study about these factors in respect of any person help to determine its behaviour
along with the actions which they perform in some particular situations and help to minimise
abusive activities (Green, 2015).
Family background: Ascertaining the family background of the person before handing
over the children to the same help in minimisation of abuse. It is ascertained that where the
family background is negative then the same traits are present in the person which results into
their indulgence in illegal activities.
Mental and social status: If person is suffering from mental condition and socially
isolated then will also have negative impact over their behaviour which results into their
indulgence in negative activities. So, the study of their social and mental status help to save the
life of children's before their handing over to same.
The present case is about death of Baby P due to severe injuries. The person's whom are
responsible for the death of baby are Mr. H step father, Mr. L brother of H and Ms. A mother. It
was noticed that after the injuries baby again handover to their parents that results into more
severe injuries which results into the death. If, social worker and doctor check the background of
the family members of Baby P then they are able to save the life of P. So, the aspects which are
identified after the death of baby in his/her family members proves as factor which have role in
the abuse of their own child which are mentioned below:

 Ms. A mother of child have negative family background. In one earlier case, Ms. A and
her brother already witnessed for domestic violence. The father of A was sex offender
and mother has neglectful behaviour. One of the the member of the family has indulge in
the scandal of children's home in 20th century.
 Mr. H step father of Baby P provides the information that in childhood he was bullied by
his elder brother which turned him to abuser. In mid 90's both Mr. H and his brother Mr.
L accused of torturing his dying mother to made changes in their will but this case was
dropped due to the lack of evidence.
These are the such factors which have contribution in turning the nature of family
towards their Baby P that results into death due to occurrence of severe injuries.
1.3 Analysis of the impact of different social and cultural factors on different type of abuses and
harm to self and others
There is huge contribution of the social and cultural factors in process of changing the
behaviour of person and force to commit abuse with itself or to others (Keeling, 2017). So, the
study of these factors helpful to understand the their impact over creation of abusive behaviour
which are mentioned below:
Poverty and Unemployment: Unemployment is the biggest factor which results into the
creation of poverty among the individuals of society. Poverty is the situation when an individual
does not have adequate amount of money to live normal life. The both aspects turns out as a
cause which have negative impact over the behaviour of individual and force them to commit
such actions which are illegal in nature like abuse.
Cultural factors, ethnicity and discrimination: These factors also have impact over the
changing the behaviour of individual which force them towards the acceptance of illegal actions.
The same factors are applied on the Baby P family members due to which they become abusive
with him. Mr. H step father faced discrimination on the basis of age where bullied by his elder
brother which turns him into abusive with P. This culture of bullying saws in the case of his
mother too where H and his brother L torture mother to change her will. Ms. A mother of Baby
has a family background where her family members indulge in illegal activities as father was sex
offender and mother has neglectful behaviour. This type of family culture persists in Ms. A
which results into usage of abusive behaviour with their own child Baby p.

TASK 2
2.1 Analysis of the strength and weaknesses in current legislation and policy in respect to those
whom are vulnerable to abuse
Winterbourne view hospital near Bristol exposed regarding the abuse of patients which
are suffering from learning disabilities and autism. The staff of hospital was abusive with the
patients like they slapped, restrain them on chairs, pulled their hairs and forced the medication.
Also, one of the case which comes into existence is about a 26 bed hospital having the turnover
of £3.7M because the fee charged on weekly basis is about £3500.
These are some of the reasons which force to consider the strength and weaknesses of
current legislations and policy which are framed by the government in respect of the protection
of vulnerable people. At present by reviewing the situation and analysis of the incidents which
happen in care units ascertained that all the different policies and legislations are not able to
serve their purpose because abusive behaviour is used with patients which totally restrained by
the laws. Also, in accordance of the legislature framed by the government, they also fix the fee
structure but one of the hospital is charging very high from the patients on weekly basis. So,
presence of such incidents proved the failure of current legislative system due to their non
adherence (Keywood, 2017).
Some acts in current legislation needed to be follow by care units
Safeguarding Vulnerable Group Act 2006: It is an act of parliament which was created
by UK government after acceptance of the recommendation 19. It is the one of the inquiry
headed by Sir Michael Bichard. This act creates legal basis upon independent safeguarding
authority who have the duty to manage two type of people children's and vulnerable adults. This
act creates the statutory duty upon all the working care units like Winterbourne view hospital to
deal with children's and vulnerable adults properly, otherwise they are undergo under criminal
section due to non compliance. So, for the abusive acts in hospital, government is required to
take appropriate action under this act.
The Human Rights Act 1998: This Act came into force on 2 October 2000. The main
aim of this Act is about consideration and incorporation of all the rights contained in European
convention on Human Rights in their UK law. This Act provides all the different rights to the
individual like right to education, safety etc. As per this Act, Winterbourne view hospital is
needed to behave safely with their patients. But the same is not followed by the hospital.

Mental Health Act 2007: After comes into existence of this Act, some amendments are
visible in Mental Health Act 1983 and Mental Capacity Act 2005. The provision of this Act is
applied upon the people of England and Wales. This Act provides the power to medical
professional to use provide medication without the consent of individual. The practitioner is
needed to be registered healthcare professional. This will brings an obligation upon the
Winterbourne view hospital that must appoint such practitioners whom are registered (Lee and
et.al., 2017).
Care Act 2014: This is the Act which defines the duties of the local authorities at one
place regarding assessment of the people needs and eligibility for their effective acre and
support. This Act bring an obligation upon the management Winterbourne view hospital that
they must analyse that their staff and authorities will properly analyse the different needs of the
person suffering from various diseases. This will help them to serve their services properly and
ensure their optimum protection which is not yet by their professionals.
2.2 Role of key professionals in protection of the individuals and groups whom are vulnerable to
abuse
The role of key professionals is very important in nature regarding safeguard the
individual and group of vulnerable. The different professionals have their various role which
they have to perform in respect of proper adherence of the rules and legislations at ground level
by different personnels which are working with them or below to their level. The different kind
of professionals which have their role in protection are named as social workers, social service
staff, health professionals and National society for the prevention of cruelty to children. The role
of these professionals in further protection of the patients from the incidents which are happened
in Winterbourne view hospital are defined below:
Social workers: The main function of social workers is about providence of help to the
family members of the patient, individual or group of persons to effectively deal with the issues
they face in the process of improving their patients lives. The social workers are of different
types but the one which is considered here is named as Healthcare social worker. In respect of
Winterbourne, the issue faced by the patients is regarding abuse from the staff members. The
aspect that can be done from the side of social worker is that observe each group of patients
suffering from particular disease at regular intervals (Leese and Russell, 2017).

NSPCC: It is a charity campaign which works for the betterment and protection of
children in UK and the different channel islands. The main function of this charity campaign is
to check the different hospitals on regular basis with the help of their volunteers to ascertain their
each and every children facing from any disability get proper treatment without any
discrepancies. In case of Winterbourne view hospital, to protect the children's from the abuse,
head of NSPCC can file the report to CQC.
TASK 3
3.1 Analysis of the existing working practices and strategies which are designed to minimise
abuse in health and social care
Minimisation of abuse is the important aspect upon which focus is needed to provide by
the different authorities at health and social care units. The different type of practice and
strategies which are in existence and used to minimise the abuse are defined below:
Written and oral communication: It is one of the strategy which is helpful to restrict
the abusive activities at care unit. This will includes that clear instructions are provided by the
government officials in written and oral form that if any person associate with care unit indulge
in abusive activities then terminated from the services for lifetime and hospital activities put into
the surveillance for the next five years and charge hefty fines for negligence of such acts at their
premises (Lindsey, 2016).
Determination of risk factors: Ascertaining risk factors have huge role in minimisation
of abuse. This will includes assessment of the background and history of the person and groups
associated with the one who suffered abuse. This will help to restrict abusive activities. The same
is happen in case of Baby P where risk factors associated with their family is not ascertained
which results into his/her death. If focus is provided then able to determine that Ms. P family
indulge in abusive activities. Also, Mr. H has the background of committing abusive activities
with his brother.
Use of ICT in sharing information to professionals: ICT has huge role in minimisation
of abuse. If all the activities performed by the staff is surveillance by professionals and higher
authorities then this will restrict the staff and force them to behave ethically with their patients
otherwise in consequence they have to loses their job. Such, fear help in providing better
facilities to patients (Mackay, 2017).

3.2 Evaluation of the effectiveness of the working practices and strategies which are used to
minimise abuse in health and social care
There are various practices and strategies are defined which have role in minimisation of
abuse. The ascertain the effectiveness needed to ascertain their benefits that can be gathered in
respect of reduction in abusive activities.
Determination of the risk factors: It is effective strategy if properly used in the case of
Baby P. The reason of death of P is severe injury and it never happened if he/she not handed over
to the family again (Moore, 2016). This strategy help to determine the family background of P's
family and allows to made better decisions. So, the aspect which goes wrong in case of Baby P is
non consideration of risk factors. The role of doctor, social worker and police is also not
performed effectively. If they do it then this situation never arises.
Written and oral communication: This strategy prescribed by government and already
circulated to all the professional and hospitals to follow the instructions properly. To ascertain
the effectiveness needed to analyse the impact of the same over the behaviour of professional.
As, in case study of P, he/she died due to negligence of doctor as not able to identify severe
injuries. So, this strategy is not much effective because P died. The solution to made it better is
that high authorities personally intervene in such matters and conduct on regular intervals. Also,
focus on partnership working. This will improves the effectiveness of strategy. The role of Police
and doctor in this case is also inappropriate.
3.3 Discussion of the possible improvements to the working strategies and practices to minimise
abuse in health and social care
The possible improvements that can be done in practices and strategies and their role in
minimisation of abuse is understood from the points given below:
Standards of care: It is must to have some standards which direct the professional in
respect of their working. This will bring obligation upon them as they have to met them
otherwise some action is to be taken against them. This will help to improve working which aid
to minimise abuse (Northway and Jenkins, 2017).

Complaints system: This system help to ascertain the feedback of others at regular
intervals where they provide their views. This will help to identify the issues which are present at
ground level and their removal further aid in minimising abuse
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from the above report that safeguarding is important in nature as
abuse in increasing globally with rapid rate. It has huge importance in improving healthcare
standards which contributes in minimisation of such abusive cases. There are many people who
are vulnerable to abuse includes old age and suffering from any disabilities. It is ascertained that
consideration of the past events help to grab the knowledge about risk factors which further help
in minimisation of abuse. Thee are many factors which contribute in increment of abusive
activities like poverty, unemployment and cultural factors. Government of nation played huge
role in the reduction of such cases. There many legislations and provisions are provided by them
like care Act, mental health Act and Safeguarding vulnerable act for further minimisation of
abusive activities.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Burrows, L., 2016. Safeguarding mindfulness meditation for vulnerable college
students. Mindfulness. 7(1). pp.284-285.
Dehaghani, R., 2019. Vulnerability in Police Custody: Police decision-making and the
appropriate adult safeguard. Routledge.
Graham, K and et.al., 2016. Models of adult safeguarding in England: a review of the
literature. Journal of Social Work 16(1). pp.22-46.
Green, D., 2015. Safeguarding and protection of vulnerable adults. Nursing and Residential
Care. 17(5). pp.293-296.
Keeling, A., 2017. ‘Organizing objects’: adult safeguarding practice and article 16 of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. International journal of
law and psychiatry. 53. pp.77-87.
Keywood, K., 2017. The vulnerable adult experiment: Situating vulnerability in adult
safeguarding law and policy. International journal of law and psychiatry. 53. pp.88-96.
Lee, S and et.al., 2017. Safeguarding Adults at Risk of Financial Scamming. Safeguarding
Adults Under the Care Act 2014: Understanding Good Practice. p.240.
Leese, M. and Russell, S., 2017. Mental health, vulnerability and risk in police custody. The
Journal of Adult Protection. 19(5). pp.274-283.
Lindsey, J., 2016. Developing vulnerability: A situational response to the abuse of women with
mental disabilities. Feminist Legal Studies, 24(3), pp.295-314.
Mackay, K., 2017. The UK Policy Context for Safeguarding Adults: Rights-Based v Public
Protection? Safeguarding Adults: Key Themes and Issues. p.35.
Moore, S., 2016. Safeguarding vulnerable older people: a job for life? The Journal of Adult
Protection. 18(4). pp.214-228.
Northway, R. and Jenkins, R., 2017. Safeguarding adults in nursing practice. Learning Matters.
Online:
Abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults. 2018. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/help-from-social-
services-and-charities/abuse-and-neglect-vulnerable-adults/>.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults. 2018. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/socialcare/safeguardingvulnerableadults/>.