Safeguarding adults
Everyone has a fundamental right to be safe. Whatever the cause, or wherever it occurs, harm caused to adults by abuse, exploitation or neglect is not acceptable. Safeguarding is ‘everyone’s business’ and that as a good citizen we should all strive to prevent harm to adults from abuse, exploitation and neglect.
Adults in need of protection
An ‘adult in need of protection’ is defined as a person aged 18 or over, whose exposure to harm through abuse, exploitation or neglect may be increased by their: Personal Circumstances and/or life circumstances, and, who is unable to protect their own well-being, property, assets, rights or other interests; and, where the action or inaction of another person or persons is causing, or is likely to cause him/her to be harmed.
What to do if you identify an adult in need of protection?
If you suspect someone to be at risk of harm or abuse contact the Northern Trust Adult Protection Safeguarding Team by phone or email.
Outside of normal working hours, contact the Emergency Social Work Service.
If someone is in immediate danger or has been harmed you should call 999.
The Northern Trust has a responsibility, together with other agencies, to investigate and keep the person safe. To make sure adults at risk of harm or in need of protection are supported to access the criminal justice system the Northern Trust works in partnership with the other health Trusts, Health and Social Care Board, Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Department of Health and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).
Training
Adult Safeguarding is a shared responsibility. The Northern Ireland Adult Safeguarding Partnership offers training to all staff in a paid or voluntary capacity working across the statutory, community, independent, and voluntary and faith based sectors.
Signs of abuse and what to look for
- Physical abuse – where the abuser hits, pushes, kicks, treats the person roughly or worse
- Mental abuse or bullying – involving threats, name-calling, insults, humiliation and meanness
- Sexual abuse – for instance being touched or hit in private places, or even being sexually assaulted. Sexual abuse can be verbal too, through comments and jokes that make the person feel threatened or embarrassed
- Financial abuse or theft – this can be as straightforward as someone stealing money or valuables, or keeping some or all the money that should be used to pay bills
- Neglect – this includes not providing enough or the right kind of food for a vulnerable adult, or not taking good enough care of them. Leaving someone unwashed or in dirty or wet clothes, not getting them to a doctor when they need one or not making sure they have the right medicines all count as neglect
- Exploitation – exploitation is the deliberate maltreatment, manipulation or abuse of power and control over another person; to take advantage of another person or situation usually, but not always, for personal gain from using them as a commodity
Process of investigating alleged abuse
All cases of alleged abuse are referred to one of the Trust’s Designated Adult Protection Officers who starts an investigation into what has happened. They assess the available information and decide whether the criteria for Adult Protection Procedures has been met. If this is this case, they will allocate the case to an Investigating Officer who conducts an initial assessment and/or implements an Interim Protection Plan which is there to keep the person safe.
An initial assessment may involve meeting with the adult at risk of harm or in need of protection/significant others to:
- Establish the facts
- Advise the adult at risk of the options available to them in terms of making an informed decision regarding their wishes
- Discuss and explain the joint protocol process
- Ascertain what course of action they wish to take
- Where the concerns relate to a possible crime, the adult in need of protection should be advised of their right to contact the PSNI.
If appropriate, an Interim Protection Plan will be put in place which is agreed immediately to safeguard the individual from further risk until the investigation is completed and a Safeguarding Case Conference has been convened.
A Safeguarding Case Conference is held to consider the information assessed during the investigation stage. Once all the information is discussed and considered a Safeguarding Plan is developed to address concerns, reduce risk and safeguard the individual in the long term.
