What is meant by the term “Safeguarding adults”

The Care Act, 2014 defines adult safeguarding as “protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect”.

“Adult safeguarding is the process of protecting adults with care and support needs from abuse and neglect. It is mainly aimed at people with care and support needs who may be in vulnerable circumstances and at risk of abuse or neglect by others. In these cases, local services must work together to spot those at risk and take steps to protect them.”

The Care Quality Commission defines adult safeguarding as “Safeguarding means protecting people’s health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It’s fundamental to high-quality health and social care”.

What safeguarding means for people who use care services

Safeguarding adults includes:

• Protecting their rights to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.
• People and organisations working together to prevent the risk of abuse or neglect, and to stop them from happening.
• Making sure people’s wellbeing is promoted, taking their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs into account.

Safeguarding children and promoting their welfare includes:

• Protecting them from maltreatment or things that are bad for their health or development.
• Making sure they grow up in circumstances that allow safe and effective care.

Safeguarding adults

Safeguarding is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect. Safeguarding balances the right to be safe with the right to make informed choices, while at the same time making sure that the adult’s wellbeing is promoted, which includes, taking into consideration a person’s views, wishes, feelings and beliefs in deciding on any action. Health and social care organisations have particular responsibilities, but every worker has a part to play.

All of the individuals that you provide care and support to are ‘adults at risk’ . An ‘adult at risk‘ is defined by the Department of Health as a person aged 18 years or older:

“who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation “ http://www.scie.org.uk/

Use to answer question 10.1a of the Care Certificate