Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults (Coursework Sample)

Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults
Name
Institution
Date
Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults
Introduction
Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults is one of the key functions of the UK government in providing protection and the necessary human rights to its citizens. This paper will discuss the various areas of provision of protection for vulnerable adults. The protection or safeguarding of vulnerable adults was first brought to play from the Local Authority Services Act of 1970 and the Human Rights Act of 1998. Later on other Acts were established in different department and by different bodies to support the safeguarding of vulnerable adults.
In discussing this topic, this paper will focus on four main parts:
* The Historical, Legal and Political Influences on policy development relating to safeguarding vulnerable adults. This part will cover the No Secrets policy, the Local Authority Social Services Act of 1970, the ADASS National Framework of 2005, The HRA of 2008, the MCA of 2005, Criminal Legislation, Safe Guarding Vulnerable Adults 2006, Inherent Jurisdiction and a case review of Hoskins; Winterboturne: Mis Staff.
* The Role within a Multi-Disciplinary Team when safeguarding vulnerable adults. This part will cover the MARAC, MASH< MAPPA, Multi-Agency Working in terms of process, Lessons Learnt when things have gone wrong, and the Benefits or Limitations of Multi-Agency.
* The Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation of Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and lastly. This part will cover Prevention, Investigation, Risk including positive risk taking, Individual and Shared Intervention/Joint Working procedure, Decision Making/Rules of Optimism balanced Against Choice and Personalization.
* The Importance of contemporaneous record keeping when operating in a multi-professional environment. This last part will cover Record Keeping SCIE, Data Protection, Caldicott’s Confidentiality versus Public Interest and Information Sharing.
The paper will then giver a conclusion of the details discussed on the various acts, provisions, policies and standards for the protection of vulnerable adults in the UK.
Main Body
History No Secrets (England)
No Secrets provides guidance on the development and implementation of multi-agency policies and procedures for the protection of vulnerable adults from abuse. The rationale behind No Secrets is that there can be no secrets or hiding place in the exposure of the abuse of vulnerable adults. This code follows the Human Rights act of 1998 which provides guidance for the government to respect human rights with the main aim of creating a framework for action for all responsible agencies to cooperate and work together in ensuring a coherent policy for the protection of vulnerable adults. No Secrets was first issued in March 2000 by the Department of Health. In October 2005, No Secrets was supplemented with "Safeguarding Adults" by the Directors of Social Services. It was then revised partially in June 2006, and this revision was later made necessary because of the changing legislation especially in the Mental Capacity Act of 2005 CITATION Dep15 \l 1033 (Department of Health, 2015).
ADASS National Framework 2005
The ADASS guide is a national framework that provides standards for good practice and outcomes in the work of adult protection. The framework was developed through ‘Safeguarding Adults’ a national ADSS-led network that combined partner representation with adult protection representatives from the major ADSS branches. It was developed from existing practice, and provides 11 standards that make up the framework for the protection of vulnerable adults. The eleven standards are developed around the platform of human rights which states that every person has a right to live free from violence and abuse. All citizens should thus have access to the relevant services that will help address issues of neglect and abuse. This includes the criminal and civil justice systems, as well as, victim support services CITATION Mic08 \l 1033 (Mandelstam, 2008).
Care Act 2014
The Care Act provides guidelines for safeguarding adults at a risk of abuse or neglect in Sections 42 to 47. These sections include Enquiry by local authority (42), which applies in areas where local authority has a reasonable cause to suspect that an adult in the area, whether it is a resident or not, is in need of care and support, is at risk or experiencing abuse or neglect, and is unable to protect their selves from abuse or neglect. In Safeguarding Adults Boards (43), each local authority has to establish a Safeguarding Board for its area. The Safegurding Adults Reviews (44), involves the arrangement of a review case when an adult is in need of care and support, by the SAB. The Supply chain information (45), involves the request of a person to supply information to the SAB regarding an adult in risk of or facing abuse or neglect. The Abolition of local authority’s power to remove persons in need of care (47) is pulled from section 47 of the National Assistance Act 1948. Lastly, the Protecting property of adults being cared for away from home (48) applies if an adult is in need of care and support that have been met under sections 18 and 19 of the Care Act and if there is no danger of loss or damage to the adult’s property CITATION Gre14 \l 1033 (Great Britain , 2014).
HRA 2008
The House Regeneration Act of 2008 is a policy that forms an approach for addressing the needs of vulnerable people who live in government homes and are in search of housing or other services. It follows the definition of vulnerable people from the government document "No Secrets”, as an adult above the age of 16 in need of community care services because of mental or other forms of disability and is unable to protect their selves from abuse or neglect. The policy does not cover the needs of children as this is covered in the Child Protection Policy PO34. The main aims of the policy are to identify the needs of vulnerable adults as early as possible and give the suitable support. An additional aim of HRA policy is to provide equal access to services and be responsive to the individual needs of adults in risk of abuse or neglect CITATION SOH15 \l 1033 (SOHA Housing , 2015).
MCA 2005
The Mental Capacity Act of 2005 also offers guidelines that work to safeguard vulnerable adults. The act aims to offer professional who work with people with learning disabilities knowledge and understanding the way MCA impacts on safeguarding vulnerable adults. The Act has four core goals which include ensuring there is a common understanding of the major concepts of best interests and capacity and the way they relate to people with learning disabilities. It also pursues to develop a profound knowledge in the major features of the Act, which include scarcity of liberty, the role of court of protection, restraint and that of a court chosen deputy. Besides, the act also targets the development of a deep understanding of the appropriate time to involve an IMCA in a safeguarding case and explore the way these aspects can assist in safeguarding vulnerable adultsCITATION Placeholder1 \l 1033 (Social Care Institute for Excellence).
Safeguarding Vulnerable adults 2006
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Act of 2006 makes a provision with regard to the protection of vulnerable adults and children. The Act has main three sections with Part 2 applying to the determination of whether or not a person is included in the list of barred individuals. An individual is only regarded barred from any activity that relates to vulnerable adults if they are in the adults’ disbanded list, or if they are encompassed in a list that identifies by order as the equivalent adults’ barred list (Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups: Chapter 47, 2015).
Inherent Jurisdiction
This represents three core judgments; Re G (An Adult) (20040 EWHC 2222; Re SA (Vulnerable Adult with Capacity: Marriage) (2006) 1 FLR 867; and Re SK (2005) 2 FLR 230. The core aim of the High Court in Inherent Jurisdiction is in most cases pre-emptive intervention aimed at preventing the circumstances where an adult may be unable to exercise freedom of choice at some point in their lives. Inherent jurisdiction works to offer relief through affirmations and this is not excluded by the present statutory regime in the 1983 Act (Mandelstam, 2013).
Serious Case Reviews
This is the careful review of the practice of agencies that deal with Adults at Risk, and are selected to assist agencies to learn lessons and improve in their work. Serious case reviews are customarily considered in a number of situations. The first circumstance is in the case of death or suicide where an Adult at Risk dies through abuse, neglect or suicide. The second situation is when there is a life threatening injury also through neglect, or any form of abuse, or if there is a permanent health damage. Serious reviews are also taken into when there are serious or multiple abuses although reviews in such a case are usually more complex and on a larger scale. Finally, serious case reviews are also taken into consideration when there is concern with regard to safety of working partnership. Such is in the case of work places where professionals work together to offer services for safeguarding Adults at Risk CITATION Man10 \l 1033 (Manthrope & Martineau, 2010).
MARAC
The Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference is a risk management meeting that is held on a monthly basis giving professionals the chance to share information on highly risky cases involving domestic violence and abuse. The Professionals then work together to create a risk management plan for these cases. The meeting enables professionals to share information to advance the safety, health, and well-being of vulnerable adults. The meeting also e...