Safeguarding Adults and Children

Who Can Be Safeguarded

• All children can be safeguarded.
  Children must always be protected if they are being hurt, abused, or are not safe.
  Children do not need to have any special conditions for safeguarding to apply.Adults are different.
  Adults can only get safeguarding support from the Local Authority if:
  • They have care and support needs, and
  • Because of these needs, they may not be able to keep themselves safe.

  You may have care and support needs if you are:

  • An older adult
  • Frail or have memory or thinking problems
  • Living with a learning disability or a physical disability
  • Living with a long‑term illness
  • Living with a mental health condition
  • Struggling with drug or alcohol use

Legislation (the Care Act (2014) states that adult safeguarding is protecting any adult who:

• Has a care and support need
• Is experiencing or at risk of experiencing abuse and
• Is unable to protect themselves because of their care and support needs.

There are several different types of abuse, including the following:

• Discriminatory – harassment or insults or harm based on someone’s gender or race disability etc.
• Domestic abuse -includes psychological, physical, sexual, financial or ‘honour-based’ abuse
• Physical abuse – hitting, slapping, punching, unreasonable restraint, locking someone in a room
• Psychological abuse – intimidation, bullying, taunting, humiliating, ignoring, controlling and coercing
• Financial abuse – theft, fraud, coercing someone to do something against their will in relation to their financial affairs, ie property, wills, inheritance etc)
• Neglect – ignoring medical, emotional, physical needs, failing to provide access to medical treatment; withholding necessities such as medication, food or drink
• Organisational – neglect, poor care in an institutional setting. There could be a culture of bullying, lack of resources, lack of dignity and respect for service users
• Self-neglect -involves a person neglecting to care for themselves, their hygiene or environment and behaviour such as hoarding
• Modern slavery – includes deception and coercion into a life of slavery and domestic servitude; human trafficking and forced labour
• Sexual abuse – includes rape; inappropriate touching, forcing someone to witness or take part in a sexual activity against their will