Assignment 204 Safeguarding booklet

Safeguarding

By Zoe Parkin

For the care profession

What is abuse?
Abuse is when someone does or says something to you that hurts you or makes you feel unhappy, scared or angry and does not feel right to you.
Abuse is wrong.
It can happen anywhere.
It can be done by anyone - even people that you know.
You might not feel that you can stop them on your own.
It is important to stop abuse, either by yourself or with support.
This booklet can help you know what to do.
Abuse can ruin lives and everybody should try to stop it.

Physical - when someone hurts you. This could be:
• Hitting
• Kicking
• Pulling your hair
• Pinching, scratching, shaking or burning you
• Giving you too much or not enough medicine
• Lifting you badly so you get hurt
• Holding you down or stopping you moving around

Sexual This could be:
• Being touched where you do not want to be touched (on your private parts)
• Being made to touch other people on their private parts
• Undressing or having sex when you don’t want to
• Being made to watch other people doing sexual acts when you don’t want to
Emotional This could be:
• Saying things to upset or scare you
• Threatening you
• Making you feel ashamed
• Laughing at you
• Treating you like a child
• Not listening to you
• Not letting you go out or spend time with other people
• Ignoring you

Financial - about money. This could be:
• Stealing your money or things
• Making you buy something you don’t want to buy
• Someone spending your money
• Someone not letting you choose what to spend your money on
• When someone tells you to give them your money
• Letters asking for money or trying to make you buy things
• People who come to your house and try to make you buy things you don’t want

Institutional
Institutional abuse can happen in any place which is set up to care for people. This could be a care home, a hospital, supported living agency or home care. Institutional abuse means that everyone who uses the service is at risk of abuse because staff are badly trained or people do not do their jobs properly . People who use these services can be neglected, left without food or drink or not given proper medical care.
They can be left uncared for or unwashed for long periods of time. Staff may be unkind. They might be hurt by staff who do not help them to move properly or who are rough with them.
The rooms might be dirty.
Medicine might be given to keep people quiet

People might not be treated as individuals. They might have to go to bed or eat when the staff tell them to.
They might not have the chance to live the kind of life they want to.

Self-Neglect This could be:
Not eating
Un explained cuts or marks
Not taking medication
Poor hygiene

Neglect by others
This can include things like:
• Not having your medicine when you need it
• Not being taken to the doctor when you are ill
• Not being taken to a dentist or optician
• Being cold a lot of the time
• Not having food when you need it
• Not having clean clothes to wear
• A carer not doing the jobs they should do
• Not having equipment when you need it like hearing aids, walking frames or wheelchairs

There are many different signs and symptoms of abuse. These may in clued :-

Injuries that are the shape of objects
Change in behaviour
Tears or bruises in genital area
Soreness when sitting
Low self-esteem or lack of confidence and anxiety
Decreased ability to communicate
Bills not being paid
Malnutrition
Dirty clothes and bedding

If you, or you suspect someone is being abused, you must report it straight away. If someone tells you they are a victim of abuse, take what they seriously, stay calm, and listen to them, if possible make a written or recorded account, which should be dated and signed, you should also make them aware that medical evidence might be required, offer them help and support ,tell them they can talk to you. You can follow the complaints procedure or you make a report to:
A senior member of staff
Safeguarding
Police
CQC
Written reports and paper work needs to be kept safe. Don’t wash clothes bedding. Photographs could be used for evidence.

There are various policies surrounding safeguarding adults. These include safeguarding adults and no secrets. The policies can be found at www.gov.uk.
For more information about safe guarding adults, you could contact :-
Gateway to care 01484 414933 (24 hours)
Kirklees Safeguarding Adult Board 01484 414933
Elderabuse.org.uk

There are multiple agencies and professionals that are involved in safeguarding individuals.
Care provider such as Home Care Agency, Care home.
Medical professionals such as GP, A&E staff, nurses, doctors: they can examine, diagnose & treat, they can record: this can include photographic evidence.
An Expert Witness: this is a specialist within a subject such as paediatric, geriatrics, psychiatrics.
The local authority Social Services dept would carry out an assessment of needs, this would include any unpaid carer of individual.
Safeguarding Team, within Social Services dept: investigates & ensures safety, work with other agencies such as police. A Safeguarding & Protection Officer would lead the Adult Protection Alert.
Police: to investigate/prosecute, to work with other agencies, to provide support to victims, to raise awareness of crimes, crime prevention.
Care Quality Commission to regulate & inspect care providers.
Independent Safeguarding Authority, this includes Vetting & Barring Scheme, to safeguard & protect vulnerable people before employment commences, incl CRB.

To find out more information, support and advice about your role as a Care Worker you could:-
Look at your companies policies and
Procedures
Speak to a senior member of staff
Attend Safeguarding training