SAFEGUARDING IN HEALTH AND

SOCIAL CARE
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3

task 1...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Task 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

2.1 Analyze the strengths and weaknesses in current legislation and policy relating to those vulnerable to
abuse. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

2.2 Explain how key professionals are involved in the protection of individuals and groups vulnerable to
abuse ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8

task 3...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

3.1 Explain existing working practices and strategies designed to minimize abuse in health and social care
contexts. .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

3.2 Evaluate the effectiveness of working practices and strategies used to minimize abuse in health and
social care contexts ...................................................................................................................................................................................11

3.3 DISCUSS POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS TO WORKING PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES TO MINIMISE ABUSE IN
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE CONTEXTS. ..............................................................................................................................................11

conclusion ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................14

reference ............................................................................................................................................................................................................15
INTRODUCTION

Safeguarding refers to the mechanisms that are in place to prevent the victimization of
vulnerable persons, both in health and social care contexts. Legal, policy and social
safeguards are necessary to ensure that those who unable to act in their own interests
and/or protect themselves from self-inflicted harm or external sources of danger are kept
secure and cared for. The concept of safeguarding broadens the ambit of healthcare beyond
the treatment of physical and physiological anomalies; it creates a system of protection,
multi-agency partnership, prevention and accountability which together create a safe and
secure environment for users of healthcare services that protects health and wellbeing, and
upholds human rights.

This report will examine the various methods whereby professionals in the spheres of health
and social care collaborate and cooperate to reduce the risk of abuse in delivery of health
and social care services, applying these insights to the scenario of Mr. K. The report
examines the current legal and policy frameworks for the reduction of instances of abuse
and also identifies further scopes for improvement.
TASK 1

The leaflet provides an overview of the range of factors that can lead to the victimization of
vulnerable individuals in health and social care contexts. Those who seek healthcare are
often especially susceptible to specific types of harm and abuse. This may be due to the
medical conditions that they suffer from, or aspects of the broader circumstances of their
vulnerability. The leaflet provides an insight into the inadequacies in the safeguarding of Mr.
K, with an analysis of his particular vulnerabilities and risk factors for harm/abuse.
TASK 2

2.1 ANALYZE THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN CURRENT

LEGISLATION AND POLICY RELATING TO THOSE VULNERABLE TO
ABUSE.

The United Kingdom has a strong legislative and regulatory framework for the protection of
individuals who are vulnerable to abuse. Relevant statutes include the Safeguarding
Vulnerable Groups Act, The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, The Police Act, Sexual Offences
Act, Care Standards Act, The Care Homes (Adult Placements) (Amendment) Regulations,
Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Disability Discrimination Act, The Race Relations
Act, Human Rights Act, Data Protection Act, Equality Act), etc. The legislative purpose is to
ensure a high quality of health and social care by upholding human rights, particularly rights
to privacy, safety and freedom from discrimination, as well as promoting empowerment and
independence.

Although the current legal regime does impose a high standard for care, there are
deficiencies in these legislations and policies. The analysis that follows examines the major
strengths and weaknesses of the key statutes in this context.

1. The Care Act 2014

The Care Act 2014 is aimed primarily at elderly and disabled members of the society,
and it places greater control of care support in the hands of individuals and their
care-providers (Adeniyi, 2011).
i. Strengths A major strength of this statute is that individuals can undertake
self-assessments of their healthcare options, and exercise their own
judgment in making choices regarding their own care. This allows
empowerment, independence, involvement and self-determination.
ii. Weakness It is unclear whether the choice to self-assess and decide ones
own healthcare arrangement will be operative. This is because the
presumption is that the individual can decide, but this is a rebuttable
 presumption. In all cases, the final assessment is that of the Council which
must be convinced that the choices meet the needs of the service user.

2. Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

This legislation was enacted for the purpose of protecting vulnerable groups within
society. Its main objective is to prevent individuals who are unsuitable or unfitted to
the care of vulnerable groups like children and vulnerable adults from coming into
contact with these groups in the course of their work (Seo, 2014). This Act led to the
statutory body, the Independent Safeguarding Authority, being responsible for the
oversight of healthcare institutes and personnel through processes of vetting and
barring.
i. Strength The screening process is independently and consistently conducted
by the ISA and this lessens bureaucracy and ensures neutrality. The database
of individuals on the ISAs Barred List is a useful resource for registered
employers who can verify the records of potential new recruits. This also
enhances the quality of care that is delivered by employees as they seek
avoid being identified as being unsuitable by the ISA, and thereafter barred
from employment in this sector. In Mr. Ks case, these provisions will be
useful if a care-provider is appointed at his place of residence to assist him in
abstaining from alcohol consumption and protecting him from harm.
ii. Weakness The weakness of the Act is that it does place any direct
obligation on employees to relay relevant information to the ISA, or to report
any undesirable incidents in the course of employment. The centralized
processes of vetting and barring place a tremendous burden on the ISA, and
this could lead to willful or neglectful non-disclosure by healthcare institutes
that could lead to unsuitable care providers being employed and kept on
service.
3. The Children Act 2004
This statute was enacted following recommendations made in the report Every
Child Matters following the death of Victoria Climb. The purpose of this Act is to
 protect children who are from underprivileged backgrounds and are at particular risk
of being neglected and uncared for due to their social standing (Demba, 2013).
i. Strength There is a high level of cooperation between multiple
parties within the society including local authorities and families, all
which is overseen by a director of childrens services in each council. It
creates a coordinated, balanced response to allegations and incidents
of harm. Moreover, childrens views and perspectives are taken into
account, which facilitates greater scrutiny of suspicious circumstances
and ensures that children feel cared for and protected.
ii. Weakness There is no clear, structured mechanism for
accountability. Health and social care professions are expected to
comply with high standards for service delivery, but there is limited
scope for reviewing their actions and ensuring that they indeed acting
as they are required to by law.

2.2 EXPLAIN HOW KEY PROFESSIONALS ARE INVOLVED IN THE

PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS VULNERABLE TO
ABUSE

Modern society has made extraordinary strides forward since the ancient times, in terms of
the quality of life that the average person enjoys. However, it remains the case that there
are individuals who are at greater risk of harm even with the advancements of science and
technology that have vastly improved human life. It is still necessary to establish and
maintain systems for the care of the elderly, children and persons with special needs, that is,
groups of persons who are unable to act in their own best interests and guard against harm
to themselves and others. Moreover, there remain undercurrents of prejudice and hatred
within societies that lead to conflicts and endanger vulnerable persons (Boyle, 2010).

Within any society, there are conflicting belief systems and clashes of values and norms
between different sects within the societies. Such divergence of morality pervades the
sphere of health and social care as well, and is capable of endangering vulnerable groups. In
order to prevent prejudices, biases and discrimination from obstructing the provision of high
quality healthcare, professionals in health and social care service must be trained and
scrutinized, and where needed, penalized to ensure that they deliver the consistent high
quality of care that they are duty-bound to provide (Yule, 2012).

Firstly, the principle of professionalism must be embedded within healthcare services.

Professionalism denotes that the service provider invests his/her efforts in providing the
professional service that is sought, irrespective of the personal attributes of the individual
seeking the service. Care-providers must not only tend to the physical care of the patient
but also provide emotional care; in cases of abuse and harm, there is an even greater need
for empathy and sensitivity (Steenkamp, 2012).

Medical conditions must be correctly diagnosed by doctors and healthcare plans must be
fully explained to the recipient of the service. Where the recipient is a member of a
vulnerable group, the healthcare provider must ensure that there are appropriate
arrangements for care in place, and all instructions pertaining to the care required have
been fully understood and can be implemented by the care-provider of the vulnerable
person.

Hence, professionals who are engaged in providing healthcare must take a broad,
humanitarian approach to healthcare. They must have an overarching sense of
responsibility that is not limited to the treatment of medical conditions, but extends to the
minutiae of care, comfort and security.

TASK 3

This segment of the report focuses on the standard practices and policies that are
formulated and implemented to diminish the potential for harm and abuse in the context of
health and social care. These protocols and training schemes decrease the probability of
care-providers falling below the professional standard of care that is required of them.

3.1 EXPLAIN EXISTING WORKING PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES

DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE ABUSE IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
CONTEXTS.
Numerous working practices and strategies have been devised by generations of healthcare
providers to make healthcare safe, secure and comfortable for its recipients (Steenkamp,
2012). Some of these methods for guarding against abuse and harm are outlines below.

Face to face Communication Oral Communication is the most intimate form of

communication, and the care-provider is able to assure the individual of his
trustworthiness and convey empathy more effectively. This is of crucial
importance in dealing with vulnerable persons so that a relationship of trust and
reliance gradually develops. This leads to the person confiding in the care-
provider, facilitating improved healthcare and enhanced protection.
Anti Discriminatory Practices It is not enough to promote non-discriminatory
practices and uphold inclusiveness. Healthcare institutes must formulate
regulations that penalize discriminatory behavior and scrutinizes any latent
prejudices (Hsu, 2011).
Identification of needs There must be an effective strategy for a comprehensive
understanding of what a particular patient needs in his/her healthcare plan.
Patients needs vary not only in medical terms but also due to their personal
circumstances. A needs assessment ensures that the treatment plan designed for
the patient takes into account all his vulnerabilities and provides a safe,
comfortable and dignified pathway to recovery.
Modern Developments Technologies advancements have substantially
improved the healthcare of vulnerable patients and offered numerous
safeguards against abuse and harm. There devices that are able to monitor the
patients health and alert the care-provider to any threats to the patient (Ali,
2012). Supervision of patients who risks to themselves and to others has also
been improved by technology as cameras allow real-time monitoring and
supervision.
3.2 EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WORKING PRACTICES AND
STRATEGIES USED TO MINIMIZE ABUSE IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL
CARE CONTEXTS

Different working practices and strategies have different levels of success in reducing scopes
for abuse in health and social care delivery. Their relative efficacy can be evaluated using a
number of methods.

a. Analysis of information Healthcare institutes maintain extensive databases

recording information relating to each of its patients. These records allow long-term
changes in the patients health to be assessed, proper medical decisions to be made,
and saves the costs associated with repeating medical tests (Hayes, 2015). Whether
the patients healthcare plan is producing sustained improvements in health and
overall wellbeing can be assessed using this data, and this offers a general conclusion
on the collective effectiveness of the practices and strategies that are in use.
b. Technological development Technology offers an efficient and highly accurate
technique for evaluating practices and strategies in healthcare. Review of patient
care, supervision of vulnerable patients and the emotional and physical wellbeing of
patients can be tracked and assessed over the long-term using new technological
innovations (Yule, 2012).
c. Government policies and laws- A strong statutory framework for the prevention of
abuse and definition of standards of healthcare provide clear goalposts for working
practices and strategies. These laws provide yardsticks for the evaluation of practices
and strategies, based on degrees of compliance.

3.3 DISCUSS POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS TO WORKING PRACTICES AND

STRATEGIES TO MINIMISE ABUSE IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
CONTEXTS.

Despite a strong statutory framework, sophisticated monitoring mechanisms and social

initiatives towards improved healthcare, abuse and harm in the course of treatment and
recovery remain persistent features of the UKs healthcare system (Cooper, 2010). This
report takes the plight of Mr. K as an instance of the failure of the system to provide the
level of care and comfort that vulnerable persons deserve. As an alcoholic, Mr. K is unable to
care for himself, and his osteoarthritis and diabetes make particularly vulnerable to certain
types of harm as examined above. Clearly, healthcare providers, along with the wider
community, are failing patients like Mr. K who need support, assistance and counseling.

This report has identified weaknesses in the current legal regime that weaken the
protection possible for vulnerable persons. Such laws must be rigorously reviewed and
where required, amended or replaced. Moreover, working practices and strategies must
impose stringent duties on care-providers and penalize lapses in care. This will create
individual and general deterrents to negligence, and also create a working environment that
promotes accountability and responsibility on the part of care-givers and respect for
patients. This will enhance the quality of care provided by the entire health care sector and
maintain a high level of patient confidence in the system.

Effective technologies should be integrated into the workplace environment, such as the
creation and maintenance of patient information databases. Negligence can be prevented
through constant monitoring using closed circuit cameras. These methods rely on
implementation and scrutiny. Findings revealed by such devices must be used to create
action plans that rectify mistakes and eliminate flaws.

There must be scope for regular interaction between doctors and patients. Nurses and other
personnel may be responsible for the daily care of patients, but doctors should also take the
time to reassure patients that their treatment is proceeding as per the healthcare plan, and
give patients the opportunity to alert the doctor to any problems they are facing, any
confusions they have, and changes they would like to be made (Seo, 2014).

Collaborations between healthcare providing institutes and local healthcare authorities, and
the broader community can enhance the quality of care provided to patients and make the
system more efficient and effective. This collaboration can take the form of a feedback
mechanism whereby the community takes charge of residential care and raises awareness
amongst the general populace regarding the need for safeguards, and alerts authorities
about any medical problems that arise. Long-term observations of the community and the
healthcare institutes can inform decisions of local authorities, as they create by-laws and
regulations.

The healthcare system needs to be comprehensively assessed and healthcare professionals

must be given motivation and incentives to raise healthcare standards and take a more
holistic approach to healthcare than one that only focuses on treating medical conditions.
Awareness of the risks of abuse and harm in the care of vulnerable groups mustbe
promoted throughout the community and there should be effective monitoring and
accountability.

There are various ways that healthcare can be improved but the most important change is
the paradigm shift that is necessary among all parties involved in healthcare. Healthcare
providers, authorities and the community must adopt a comprehensive approach to the
care of vulnerable patients, and have due regard for their needs and preferences.
CONCLUSION

This report has provided an overview of the principles of safeguarding in the context of
health and social care for patients who at risk of being harmed, causing harm or being
abused, due to their vulnerability. There is an appraisal of the United Kingdoms statutory
and regulatory framework for the protection of vulnerable groups and scopes for
improvement have been identified. There is an assessment of the working practices and
strategies that are formulated and implemented for the betterment of patients and possible
improvements in this regard have also been discussed. Safeguarding vulnerable care-
seekers requires collaboration between multiple parties in the society, and stringent duties
and standards of care. Vulnerable members of the society deserve the collective help of
authorities, institutes and individuals, so that their right to a safe, comfortable and dignified
life can be secured.
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