1. Safeguarding Adults in Bath & North East Somerset Awareness Session
“Everyone has the right to live their life free from violence,
fear and abuse”

2. Aims and objectives By the end of this session you should be able to:
Recognise an adult who may be vulnerable to being abused (an ‘adult at risk’)
Recognise evidence and indicators of abuse
Recognise factors which may increase the risk of abuse
Know how to report concerns about abuse using appropriate systems
Work in a manner that minimises the risk of adults at risk being abused

3. Key Points Every individual has the right to a life free from abuse
‘Zero tolerance’ of abuse
Safeguarding Adults is everyone’s responsibility
Good multi-agency working is essential (B&NES Local Safeguarding Adults Board oversees this)
However… all adults have the right to independence that involves a degree of risk (personal choice)
… so Safeguarding Adults is different from Safeguarding Children
B&NES Local Safeguarding Adults Board – meets quarterly. B&NES Council has statutory responsibility as lead agency. Annual report for 2009 – 2010 can be found on the Council and PCT websites

4. Who is an “adult at risk” (sometimes known as a “vulnerable adult”)?
“Somebody over the age of 18 who is receiving care services - or might be entitled to care services AND who is / may be unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.” Discussion: Who do you work with who might fit this description?

5. Who could be an “adult at risk”?
A person with a disability / physical impairment
A person with a learning difficulty
A person with mental health needs
A person with sensory impairments
A person who have suffered a head injury
A person who misuses substances and alcohol

6. What types of abuse are there?
Physical
Sexual
Psychological
Financial/material
Neglect
Discriminatory
Institutional
Adults at risk may be abused in a number of ways within the same relationship, setting or incident

7. People who may abuse Paid staff Family members Volunteers
Neighbours, friends or others in the adult at risk’s network
Strangers
Abuse may also occur between adults at risk themselves

8. What are the signs of possible abuse?
These could include:
A direct or indirect disclosure
Changes in behaviour
Withdrawal
Fear of going home
Unexplained bruises
Money or possessions going missing
Inappropriate comments
Behaviour of other people – staff member / family / carer etc
(NB This is not a comprehensive list)

9. What should you do? (1) Listen to any disclosure carefully
Stay calm / try not to show any shock / reassure the person
Record carefully what has happened or been said
Do not mistake secrecy for confidentiality
Make sure the person is safe and the risk of any further abuse prevented. Call 999 for emergency help if necessary
Call the police if there is evidence that a crime has been committed
Don’t ‘prompt’ or seek more information than absolutely necessary

10. What should you do? (2)
Keep any evidence safe - ensure that it is not ‘contaminated’ (eg clothing should not be washed, fingerprints retained etc)
Tell the adult at risk what will happen next
Consider - are there any other people (including children) at risk?
Inform your manager straight away
Contact the Community Health & Social Care Access Team ( ) or the Emergency Duty Team if out of hours ( ) immediately
(Where appropriate) complete an adverse incident form
Seek out support you need for yourself

11. Safeguarding Adult Investigations
Normally led by social worker or police
You may need to provide information at a ‘strategy meeting’ or ‘planning meeting’
Always be objective – be clear what is fact and what is your opinion
Good record keeping important

12. Local statistics (B&NES)
2010 – 2011: Safeguarding Adults concerns recorded
Main reasons for referral:
Emotional / psychological abuse
Financial abuse
Physical abuse
Neglect
Largest group of perpetrators – paid professional care staff followed by family members

13. Mental Capacity Act 2005
The MCA exists to protect the rights of people who may not be able to make their own decisions, due to a brain injury / stroke / learning disability etc
5 key principles:
A presumption of mental capacity
The right for individuals to be supported to make their own decisions
The individual retains the right to make “eccentric or unwise” choices
All decisions should be made in the person’s best interest
Using the least restrictive intervention

14. MCA 2005 continued
“Every effort should be made to find ways of communicating with someone before deciding that they lack capacity to make a decision.”
“If someone has been assessed as lacking capacity, any action taken, or decision made, on their behalf must be made in his/her best interests.”
An Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) can be appointed to help make important decisions

15. Remember:
It is not your responsibility to decide whether an adult at risk is being abused
It is your responsibility to report abuse of an adult at risk if you have any concerns
Safeguarding adults from abuse is everyone’s business
Please do not ignore your concerns and let the abuse of an adult at risk continue
Don’t forget to apply the MCA principles

16. Contact details Immediate Risk: 999
Social Care Access Team (office hours)
Tel
Emergency Duty Team (out of hours)
Tel
For further advice:
Contact the Safeguarding Lead for your agency
Tel: