What is Safeguarding Adults?
Safeguarding adult’s means protecting a person’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.
Safeguarding applies to any adult who:
- has care and support needs
- is experiencing abuse or neglect
- is unable to protect themselves due to their care and support needs
Care and support needs describes someone who needs health and/ or social care services (whether or not they receive services).
Abuse and neglect can happen anywhere and anyone can cause abuse.
What is abuse and neglect?
The Care Act 2014 identifies 10 categories of abuse and neglect. These are:
Physical Abuse includes assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, restraint, inappropriate physical sanctions.
Sexual Abuse includes rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure, sexual assault, sexual acts to which the adult has not consented, sexual acts where the adult felt pressure to consent.
Discriminatory Abuse centres on a difference or perceived difference, particularly with respect to race, gender, disability, or any of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act.
Modern Slavery includes slavery, human trafficking, forced labour, and domestic servitude.
Neglect and Acts of Omission is ignoring medical, emotional, or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, support or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life (medication, heating, food).
Organisational Abuse is neglect and poor care practice (one off incidents or ongoing ill-treatment), neglect because of the structure, policies, processes, and practices within an organisation.
Self-Neglect can be broadly defined as neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health, or surroundings. An example of self-neglect is behaviour such as hoarding.
Domestic Abuse includes any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or who have been in a relationship (sexual or non-sexual) or family members regardless of their gender or sexuality. It includes so called ‘honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
Financial Abuse includes theft, fraud, internet scamming, and coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance, or financial transactions. It can also include the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions, or benefits.
Psychological or Emotional Abuse includes threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, isolation, or withdrawal from services or supportive networks.
What you can do
What you should do if you suspect abuse:
- If it is an emergency, call 999.
- Otherwise, you can discuss it with a member of staff or telephone Gateshead Adult Social Care Direct
- You can contact Gateshead Adult Social Care Direct on 0191 433 7033 or complete an online form via their website https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/4804/Abuse-and-neglect
- For the Sunderland area, Adult Social Care and Support can be contacted on 0191 520 5552
What will happen next?
A professional in the Safeguarding Team will look at the concern.