What Is Safeguarding Adults? Principles, Types of Abuse and Provider Duties

What Is Safeguarding Adults? Principles, Types of Abuse and Provider Duties

The definition, who safeguarding applies to, the six principles, the types of abuse and neglect, and what registered care providers must do.

Safeguarding adults means protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. Under the Care Act 2014 statutory guidance it applies to an adult who has care and support needs, is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect, and cannot protect themselves. It is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop harm while promoting the person’s wellbeing.

Safeguarding is part of every care worker’s induction and every inspection. This guide gives the official definition, who it covers, the six principles, the types of abuse and neglect, and what registered providers must do, with links to the practical guides on referrals and records.

The Definition

The Care Act 2014 statutory guidance says: “Safeguarding means protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. It is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect, while at the same time making sure that the adult’s wellbeing is promoted” (Care and support statutory guidance, chapter 14).

The safeguarding duties apply to an adult who has needs for care and support, is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect as a result of those needs, and is unable to protect themselves from that risk or experience.

Safeguarding Adults Meaning in Plain English

In everyday terms, safeguarding adults means keeping people safe from abuse and neglect and helping them live the life they want. The formal meaning comes from the Care Act 2014 statutory guidance (above). Three points are often misunderstood:

• It is for adults with care and support needs. The local authority’s duty to make enquiries applies where an adult has needs for care and support, is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect, and cannot protect themselves because of those needs. Care and support needs can arise from, for example, dementia, a learning disability, mental ill health or substance misuse.
• It is everyone’s responsibility. Anyone can raise a concern. CQC says it uses information about abuse, harm or neglect to look at risks, refers concerns to councils or the police, and takes action where services do not have suitable arrangements to keep people safe.
• It is not the same as children’s safeguarding. CQC describes safeguarding children as protecting them from maltreatment and promoting their welfare, which has different legal duties from adult safeguarding.

Adult safeguarding also means respecting the person’s views, wishes, feelings and beliefs. The statutory guidance expects the response to be proportionate and as far as possible led by the person, which is why “empowerment” is the first of the six principles.

The Six Principles

Types of Abuse and Neglect

The statutory guidance lists ten types, and notes the list is not exhaustive and that exploitation is a common theme:

• Physical abuse, including misuse of medication and restraint
• Domestic violence
• Sexual abuse
• Psychological abuse
• Financial or material abuse
• Modern slavery
• Discriminatory abuse
• Organisational abuse
• Neglect and acts of omission
• Self-neglect

What Registered Providers Must Do

CQC’s fundamental standards say people “must not suffer any form of abuse or improper treatment while receiving care”, including neglect, degrading treatment, unnecessary or disproportionate restraint and inappropriate limits on freedom (CQC). In practice providers need:

1. A safeguarding policy and procedure staff can describe, with local authority contact details.
2. Training for all staff and refreshers. See mandatory training.
3. Safe recruitment checks. See the recruitment file checklist.
4. A way to record every concern, decision and outcome. See the safeguarding log.
5. Referral to the local authority and, where required, notification to CQC. See the referral process and notifiable events.
6. A culture where concerns are raised. See whistleblowing.

What to Do If You Suspect Abuse or Neglect

1. Make the person safe. If someone is in immediate danger or a crime may have happened, call 999.
2. Tell your manager or the person named in your safeguarding policy straight away, and record what you saw or heard, factually, with dates and times. If the concern is about your manager, go to the next senior person, the local authority or CQC.
3. Refer to the local authority safeguarding team, which decides whether a Section 42 enquiry is needed (the referral process).
4. Notify CQC where the event is notifiable (allegations of abuse).
5. Follow up. Record outcomes and actions, and protect the person from further harm (safeguarding log).

Anyone worried about speaking up can read our whistleblowing guide. Types of abuse often overlap, and one sign on its own does not prove abuse: SCIE says evidence of any single indicator should not be taken as proof that abuse is occurring, and people can experience more than one type at once.

What Happens If a Safeguarding Concern Is Raised About a Staff Member

Local procedures vary, so check your Safeguarding Adults Board’s policies. In general (from council procedures on people in positions of trust): the concern is recorded and the local authority decides whether a Section 42 enquiry is needed; where a crime is suspected the police usually lead; the employer separates allegations from complaints about care quality and follows its disciplinary process; and where a worker is removed from regulated activity because of a safeguarding concern, the regulated activity provider has a legal duty to refer to the Disclosure and Barring Service where the criteria are met. Employers should cooperate with the local authority, and workers may want advice from their union or an employment lawyer. This is general information, not legal advice.

Recording and Tracking Concerns

CQCLogic’s safeguarding log records concerns with flags for local authority referrals and Section 42 enquiries, and its CQC notification tracker calculates deadlines. Your team still has to make the judgement calls, but the record is complete and easy to show.

Sources: Care and support statutory guidance, chapter 14 (GOV.UK) · CQC: The fundamental standards of care