What is Adult Safeguarding?
Adult Safeguarding is defined as ‘protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse or neglect’ (Care and Support Statutory Guidance, ch. 14). Adult safeguarding is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect and so that adults at risk are:
- Safe and able to protect themselves from abuse and neglect.
- Treated fairly and with dignity and respect
- Protected when they need to be
- Able easily to get support, protection and services that they need
The aims of Adult Safeguarding are to:
- stop abuse or neglect wherever possible:
- prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect to adults with care and support needs
- safeguard adults in a way that supports them in making choices and having control about how they want to live
- promote an approach that concentrates on improving life for the adults concerned
- raise public awareness so that communities as a whole, alongside professionals, play their part in preventing, identifying and responding to abuse and neglect
- provide information and support in accessible ways to help adults understand the different types of abuse, how to stay safe and what to do to raise a concern about the safety or wellbeing of an adult with care and support needs and
- address what has caused the abuse or neglect.