Safeguarding adults is a legal and moral responsibility in the United Kingdom. But what does safeguarding adults involve? know everything here.
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All adults should feel safe, and safeguarding is our promise as a society to make that happen. The protection of adults is a key priority in the UK’s health and social care. It is not a ‘must do’; it is a legal and professional requirement to understand what does safeguarding adults involves, whether working in a care home, hospital, school, or community setting. Your awareness, training and willingness to act are all the more important when the people most at risk may be the least able to advocate for themselves.
In England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, thousands of adults with care and support needs rely on the professionals, families and communities to ensure they are safeguarded from harm. Abuse can happen in a variety of forms and across a range of settings and by a variety of people, including people whom we trust. That’s why safeguarding is considered to be “everybody’s business” in legislation. It can’t be done by a single professional or agency.
In this guide, you will get to know the categories of abuse, who is most vulnerable and the laws behind safeguarding.
What Does Safeguarding Adults Involve?
Safeguarding adults is a broad term which encompasses a variety of activities, roles and responsibilities that work to keep vulnerable adults safe from abuse, neglect and exploitation. At its core, what does safeguarding adults involve is about upholding every adult’s right to live in safety, free from harm, and with their dignity intact. This calls for a partnership between professionals, families and communities in prevention, in response to concerns and in support of those most at risk.
According to the Care Act 2014, safeguarding adults is about ensuring that adults can live safely, free from abuse and neglect. This, therefore, isn’t solely a reactive mode of safeguarding. This includes proactive prevention, early recognition of risk factors and establishment of conditions in which abuse is less likely to occur. It also entails ensuring adults have a full part in decisions on their own safety and care.
Another important aspect of safeguarding adults is having clear procedures to ensure that, where abuse is suspected or reported, action is taken. This will involve making referrals to appropriate persons, participating in multi-agency investigations, keeping appropriate records and assisting the person at risk in any investigation. This, in turn, means that practitioners need to be equipped to identify indicators of abuse, know how to report concerns, and understand their role within a wider safeguarding framework.
Note that safeguarding is not about depriving vulnerable adults of their choices, or about making decisions on their behalf. A major conflict in the safeguarding context concerns the balance between protection and autonomy. In every situation, professionals are required to try to empower the individuals with whom they work and to accept any decisions those individuals make, even if they may be a little risky, as long as the adult retains some mental capacity. At the core of safeguarding is a person-centred approach.
Who is Safeguarding For?
Safeguarding adults is not just about adults with obvious and severe disabilities. It includes any adult who, due to their circumstances, requires additional protection from danger or exploitation. Identifying what is at risk is one of the initial steps all health, social care and community support professionals must take.
The Care Act 2014 places the following three conditions upon every body or organisation that has a responsibility under Section 42 for a child; these create a safeguarding duty. The adult must have care and support needs, be experiencing abuse or at risk of abuse or neglect, and a lack of the care and support they need must make them vulnerable to abuse or to a risk of abuse. All three criteria must be met at the same time! It is a framework which assists practitioners in deciding the need for formal safeguarding action.
Common groups of adults at risk are older people who are frail or cognitively impaired; adults with learning disabilities; individuals with physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments; and individuals with mental health issues such as dementia. But there are more on the list. Other people might require safeguarding support at different stages of their lives if they have long-term illness, if they misuse substances and alcohol or if they do not have the mental capacity to make some decisions.
Also, sometimes carers, even unpaid family members or friends, may be subject to abuse. This is a factor that is often ignored. Some examples of financial, emotional or physical abuse may be directed at the carer within the caring role. Professionals need to be sensitive to the welfare of carers and those in their care, especially in high-stress or long-term care situations.
The 10 Types of Abuse That Safeguarding Addresses
Knowing what to look for in recognising abuse and neglect in its many forms is one of the most practical elements of adult safeguarding. Under the Care Act 2014, there are 10 types of abuse which professionals need to know about. There are different warning signs and patterns for each type, and many adults experience more than one type at once.
Physical Abuse
Physical Abuse is a type of abuse in which the person’s physical body is harmed in some way which is not accidental. This will involve hitting, slapping and pushing, restraining or misuse of medication. Be alert to signs or symptoms of unexplained bruises, injuries in unusual places or repetitive or recurrent “accidents. Physical abuse may be perpetrated by the person caring for the individual, another family member or even paid employees.
Physical abuse is often the most obvious form of abuse, but it isn’t always easy to spot. Victims often are not able to report or are afraid to report the abuse that is taking place, particularly if the abuser may be the victim’s source of support. Workers need to establish and maintain the confidentiality and safety of adults who wish to share concerns or concerns raised on behalf of other adults. Injuries that are suspected should be promptly and well-documented.
Emotional or Psychological Abuse
Emotional/psychological abuse is behaviour which causes mental distress. It can involve threats, intimidation, humiliation, isolation from family and friends or telling you that you’re worthless or a burden. Emotional abuse can be more difficult to detect than physical abuse, but it can hurt a person’s mental health and their self-esteem.
Signs of psychological abuse are a change of behaviour, anxiety and fear around one person, low self-esteem or being withdrawn from activities and social contacts. Adult victims of this abuse may be confused, depressed, or unusually compliant. Don’t underestimate any indication of emotional distress, even if there are no physical signs.
Financial or Material Abuse
Financial or material abuse: when someone is abusing money, property or possessions which belong to the adult. This means theft, fraud, exploitation, misuse of a power of attorney, or coercion into signing financial transactions. Financial abuse is when a family member, paid carer or stranger takes money or property, or helps themself to money or property, or helps the person who is abused to do this, and can lead to a significant reduction in the quality of their life or level of independence.
Financial abuse is evidenced by significant changes in financial circumstances, unpaid bills, not having enough food or essentials when one has sufficient income or by signatures on financial documents that do not look like the victim’s. It is also important for professionals to be vigilant for situations in which an adult is seemingly unaware of their own finances or lacks control over them, or in which a carer/family member appears to be making all decisions about the adult’s finances without proper legal authority.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual Abuse is any sexual activity which the adult does not or cannot consent to. This involves rape, exposure to the genitals, inappropriate touching, taking and sharing of intimate images without consent. Cognitive disability or mental illness may be a risk factor for sexual abuse amongst adults who are unable to consent or may not be aware of what is happening to them.
Neglect and Acts of Omission
Neglect and acts of omission occur when a person’s basic needs, including food, warmth, medication, hygiene, or medical care, are not met intentionally or through failure to act appropriately. Neglect can occur in those settings where care is provided formally or in the home. It may be deliberate, or passive, due to ignorance or unawareness.
Organisational or institutional abuse is where poor care practices, inadequate care standards or a care culture of neglect cause harm to a group of people within a care setting and not to just one person. This type of abuse can have a major impact on lots of people and can be unknown for extended periods of time, making it one of the most grave types of abuse.
Modern Slavery
Modern slavery is an urgent worldwide problem and requires our action and attention. It includes terrible things such as domestic servitude, human trafficking and forced labour, which are all serious human rights abuses. We are powerful, and we have a responsibility to come together in this struggle to end these injustices, to restore dignity to the lives ruined by such horrors.
Self-Neglect
Self-neglect is when a person fails to take proper care of themselves, significantly impacting their health, safety, or personal hygiene. These behaviours are important to understand and tackle to protect and enhance one’s quality of life. It is important to take proactive steps towards better health and happiness; doing so not only improves one’s daily life but also enhances one’s overall well-being.
Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse ranges from physical, emotional, financial, sexual, and coercive control and is one of the most prevalent types of violence impacting adults across all demographics. As we do in addressing all other issues, we need to acknowledge and work to reverse this widespread phenomenon to help those affected and make our communities safer for all. This underscores the need to spread awareness and take action to support and safeguard those impacted.
The Six Principles of Adult Safeguarding
The six principles of adult safeguarding set out under the Care Act 2014 inform the ethics of all safeguarding in England. They are relevant to all sectors and services – including NHS hospitals, residential care homes, schools and voluntary organisations. All professionals with safeguarding responsibilities need to be aware of and use these as a basis for their daily work.
Empowerment
Empowerment involves facilitating the decisions of adults at risk and consenting to their implementation, based on information, wherever possible. Safeguarding practice should never be delivered ‘to’ a person; it should be delivered ‘with’ a person. As part of any safeguarding process, professionals should ascertain from the individual what outcomes they wish to achieve, and the response should be based on those wishes.
Empowerment also involves ensuring they are provided with easily understood, accessible information about what constitutes abuse, how to identify it, and what support is available. Adults should never feel voiceless and powerless in a process which directly impacts their lives. The professionals should involve the person as much as possible, even if they are mentally incapable.
Prevention
The second principle is prevention, which means that it is better to avoid harm in the first place than to respond to it afterwards. Prevention includes public awareness among professionals and communities, early identification of risk factors, and the development of safe systems and environments. When there is a culture of prevention, then the chances of a culture of abuse and neglect developing are lowered.
From safer recruitment processes to regular staff supervision to a trusted member of staff or professional available for vulnerable adults to speak to, everything done to protect them from the risks of abuse is preventative safeguarding. It also involves interfering with bad practice when it is witnessed/observed, not after harm has occurred. Prevention means asking you to stop it before it escalates if you see something that doesn’t feel right to you.
Proportionality
Proportionality requires that any action taken in the context of safeguarding be the least intrusive possible and proportionate to the risk. Low-level concerns should not result in over-reaction by professionals, leading to unnecessary disruption to a person’s life; nor should there be under-reaction to serious risks. Each choice should be unique to the person involved and based on their interests and what is best for them.
Protection is the fourth principle and is the responsibility to give assistance and representation to those who need it most. This is especially crucial for adults who are unable to self-advocate, make certain decisions, and/or are at high risk. Decisions to protect may sometimes involve difficult choices, such as removing someone from an unsafe situation; they must be made carefully and transparently.
Partnership
Partnership reflects the fact that safeguarding work cannot be done by a single professional / agency. There is a need for partnership working among health, social care, housing, policing, education, and the voluntary services to ensure effective safeguarding. In England, Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) are there to coordinate this multi-agency activity and to ensure that local organisations share information, communicate with each other, and work together to protect adults at risk.
Accountability
The last principle is accountability, which means safeguarding practice should be transparent and open to scrutiny. All professionals and organisations need to be aware of their roles and responsibilities and held accountable for their actions or inactions. Should things go wrong, Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) will be conducted to identify lessons to enhance practice across the system. Blame is not the point of accountability; it’s about learning and becoming safer to protect vulnerable individuals’ lives.
The 5 Rs of Safeguarding: A Practical Framework for Action
Professionals who see or suspect abuse are encouraged to use the five R’s of safeguarding to provide a practical, step-by-step approach to responding to any concerns. This system will ensure the appropriate actions are carried out in the correct sequence, help minimise the risk of things getting worse, and is best for the adult at risk.
Recognise
Recognition is the initial and basic step. You don’t know what harm is if you don’t know what it is. Workers should know how to recognise signs and symptoms of various types of abuse—both physical, behavioural and emotional. This involves understanding what is ‘normal’ for each person, enabling a change in behaviour or presentation to be identified rapidly.
Respond
Respond involves the quick action in response to an identified instance of abuse and/or risk and determining what action is appropriate. Depending on the urgency of the situation, you will need to respond to it in a particular manner. This could involve an emergency call to 999. In less critical situations, it might involve talking to the adult sensitively, reassuring them, and keeping them safe. Never face confrontation with a suspected abuser; don’t make promises you can’t keep to keep things quiet.
Report
The report represents an essential step, one that is not negotiable. Many people say fear of being wrong is a big deterrent from reporting. However, professionals need to know that once a concern is raised in good faith, it will not result in any consequences for them, even if the concern proves unfounded. Not reporting, on the other hand, poses a great risk.
Reporting is to be made to your organisation’s safeguarding lead, to adult social care services, or directly to the police, as appropriate. Structure can be taught, and it will determine who to report to and how to report it swiftly.
Record
A Record is a record of what you saw, the statements you remember, and the steps you took. Record keeping plays an important part in safeguarding. Records should be factual, objective and written as soon as possible after the incident. They should contain any dates, times, direct quotes (if applicable) and names of people involved. These documents could be evidence in a formal investigation or court action.
Refer
The final step in the referral process is to pass the case to the appropriate agencies or professionals to pursue a formal response. This could be a referral to adult social care services, the police, GP or other specialist services. A referral should include all relevant information identified during the reporting and recording phase and be issued as soon as possible. After a referral is made, you may still be asked to participate in the ongoing safeguarding process.
Key Legislation Underpinning Safeguarding Adults in the UK
Anyone working in adult safeguarding needs to understand the legal framework within which the field operates. There are a few important Acts of legislation that govern the practicalities of safeguarding in the UK, and those involved in safeguarding must be aware of them, as this will impact their roles and responsibilities and help them understand the rights of the people they work with.
Care Act 2014
The main legislation about adult safeguarding in England is the Care Act 2014. It was a new direction on safeguarding, making it a statutory duty of local authorities, health agencies and the police. It identifies an adult at risk, the six principles of safeguarding and that Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) should be set up in each local authority area.
Mental Capacity Act 2005
The Mental Capacity Act 2005is also of great importance. It provides the legal basis for decisions about a lack of capacity for an adult to make some decisions for themselves. The Act is based on five principles, of which two are: the presumption of capacity, and that, for an act to be done on behalf of a person who lacks capacity, it needs to be in their best interests. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are relevant when an adult requires to be kept in a care setting for their own protection, which restricts their liberty. This is now included in this piece of legislation.
Mental Health Act 1983
There are legal procedures in place that apply to compulsory assessment and treatment of persons with serious mental health disorders: the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended 2007). This is a Mental Health Law, but it has strong links with safeguarding, such as when a person’s mental health may put them at risk of harm at the hands of others. The Human Rights Act 1998also provides an underpinning for safeguarding practice, especially the right to life (Article 2), the right to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment and torture (Article 3), and the right to respect for private and family life (Article 8).
The Role of the Safeguarding Adults Board
In England, Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) are a statutory requirement under the Care Act 2014. All local authorities are required to have one, and these are a central aspect of coordinating safeguarding activity within the local authority. Knowledge of SABs provides professionals with insight into how individuals’ actions contribute to the overall system that protects vulnerable persons.
A SAB is a gathering of representatives from the local authority, NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (now Integrated Care Boards) and the police. These three are the key statutory members, and other users and carers, as well as voluntary sector organisations and fire and rescue, are also part of the SABs. SABs help ensure that no adult falls through the cracks across different services.
There are three basic responsibilities of SABs. First, they must produce a yearly strategic plan which sets out how they will provide safeguarding activities in their area. Second, they are required to report each year on what they have done and the results of their efforts. Thirdly, they will have to carry out Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) where an adult with care and support needs has died or has been seriously harmed, and they believe that there is something else that they could have done, previously known as Serious Case Review.
It is for this reason that accountability is at the heart of the safeguarding framework – lessons learned from SARs are translated into the local and national practice. As professionals read about failed cases, whether locally or nationally, it is often the findings of an SAR that reveal the systemic failures that enabled the harm to continue.
Who is Responsible for Safeguarding Adults?
A good understanding of adult safeguarding in the UK is that it is not a job limited to specialists, such as social workers or safeguarding teams. Still, it is the responsibility of all organisations that deal with vulnerable adults. Safeguarding really is everybody’s business. All employees and contractors who engage in contact with adults with care and support needs (ACSN), regardless of their role or work sector, have a part to play in keeping them safe.
However, some professionals have specific legal responsibilities as outlined in the Care Act 2014 and other laws. Local authorities are high-level organisations that have a leading role in adult safeguarding within their localities and undertake Section 42 investigations when an adult is at risk. There are professional codes of conduct for health professionals, including doctors, nurses and allied health workers, that stipulate actions to be taken in respect of concerns about others’ safety. Police have to investigate times and safeguard people in immediate danger.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is a very significant post within organisations. All safeguarding concerns should be reported to one person in the first instance, the DSL. They provide the organisation’s response coordination, referrals to other organisations, record-keeping, staff training, and information. To enable you to play this important role, the Safeguarding Adults Training (aligned to current UK legislation) can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need.
All staff at a health or social care organisation are required to report concerns, however. Any member of staff can raise an alert, and does not have to be a safeguarding lead. It is often the first staff to come into contact with individuals, who does safeguarding apply to and who are in contact with them for the majority of the time, that are best placed to recognise the signs of abuse, for example, carers, support workers, receptionists and volunteers.
Raising a Safeguarding Concern: Step-by-Step
Lots of people don’t know how to raise a safeguarding concern, particularly if they’ve never had to do so before. This is a natural uncertainty, but there should never be an excuse for not acting. Anyone concerned about an adult being abused or neglected should:
Step 1: Ensure Immediate Safety
In a life-threatening situation, call 999. If it may cause you or the adult to be put in even more danger, do not attempt to solve the problem on your own. When you are dealing with a person, your priority is always to ensure they are safe.
Step 2: Listen and Reassure
If an adult tells you of abuse, be calm and listen. Never agree that any information that you hear is to be kept confidential, and you must report what you hear as a part of your professional duty. Avoid asking leading questions; don’t try to conduct your own investigation. Let the person know that they did the right thing by sharing with you, and that they will be supported throughout the process.
Step 3: Report to Your Designated Safeguarding Lead
Your first step will typically be to inform your organisation’s DS of your concerns as soon as possible.e Don’t wait to report. For more information, the role of trained safeguarding professionals is to investigate.
Step 4: Refer to Adult Social Care if Needed
Your organisation will have a designated lead for safeguarding (DSL), but if you think the concern is severe and requires an external response, please contact your local authority’s adult social care team directly. Most local authorities will have a safeguarding helpline/duty team which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Step 5: Record Everything
When trying to write down the details of the incident, including what you saw, what was said and what you did, do so as soon as possible after the incident occurred. Use quotation marks, dates and times. Be factual and objective in your records. These records should be secure and held in safe environments in line with your organisation’s data protection policies.
Making Safeguarding Personal: A Person-Centred Approach
The shift in focus to ‘Making Safeguarding Personal’ (MSPh) has been one of the most important developments in safeguarding practice over the last few years. This is a way of working endorsed by the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, and is about working with the person’s wishes, feelings and aims, rather than on what the professional considers their best interests.
Starting all conversations about safeguarding by asking the adult, “What outcome do you want?” is the first step in Making Safeguarding Personal. It involves them in decision-making on all aspects of the process. It involves following up with them after an intervention or action to ask whether the situation has improved. And it also means that sometimes an adult might make a decision that a professional wouldn’t make for them, but, with their mental capacity, they can decide, and it is theirs to make.
This does not include removing the duty of care. In certain circumstances,s there will be occasions when the adult is no longer able to make a decision, or when the risk of harm is so great that it is necessary to take protective action despite the person’s wishes. Where this is the case, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the principle of acting in the person’s best interests must be clearly adhered to. But MSP does mean from where we are, a default state of collaboration, respect, and person-centred care.
There is evidence that adults with meaningful involvement in their own safeguarding will have better outcomes. They are more willing to continue to use services in the future and feel more in control and more confident. The MSP approach will also generate a sustainable change, as the solutions have been selected and approved by the person. For professionals, MSP is not only good ethics but also good practice.
FAQs
1. What Are the Six Principles of Adult Safeguarding?
The six principles of adult safeguarding under the Care Act 2014 are Empowerment, Prevention, Proportionality, Protection, Partnership and Accountability. They are universal principles which apply in all sectors and settings in England. They will be at the heart of the ethical and practical setting of all safeguarding activity. Every principle captures an element of good safeguarding practice and relates to working with the individual at risk or to inter-agency working.
2. What is the Difference Between Safeguarding and Adult Protection?
Adult protection is a specific part of safeguarding,g and the term is used to describe when action is taken to protect an adult who is currently being abused, or is likely to be at immediate risk of abuse. Safeguarding is a broader term that encompasses prevention, early help, raising awareness among the general public, multi-agency work,g and taking protective measures at an individual level. That is, all work related to the protection of adults is part of safeguarding, but safeguarding is much more than adult protection work.
3. Who Has a Legal Duty to Safeguard Adults in England?
The Care Act 2014 places the statutory responsibility for adult safeguarding first on local authorities,s who are expected to be the leaders and coordinators for adult safeguarding within their local area. The NHS, police and a variety of other organisations, however, have specific duties or responsibilities. The responsibility for safeguarding is closest to the topic lead within the organisation. However, all staff working with vulnerable adults (VAs) have a professional and (in some instances) statutory responsibility to report concerns.
4. What Should I Do if I Suspect a Colleague is Abusing an Adult in My Care?
Confrontation with the colleague suspected of abusing a vulnerable adult is not recommended. However, if you are unsure or think that you have a safeguarding concern for a child or young person,n then you should follow your organisation’s safeguarding procedures and report your concern to the person who is the designated safeguarding lead or if the DSL is the concern,n to a senior manager or directly to adult social care. There are whistleblowing procedures in place to safeguard employees who make good-faith disclosures of concern (Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998).
5. Can a Safeguarding Concern Be Raised Even if the Adult Says They Do Not Want Help?
Yes. Where an adult refuses help,p this does not necessarily rule out action for safeguarding. If the adult is capable, professionals must abide by their wishes, even if the adult feels they are not the most sensible. But the professional may need to take action even without the adult’s consent if the adult is unable to make decisions or if there is an immediate threat to the adult’s life or to others. This should be done in all cases, in line with the six principles of safeguarding and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
Conclusion
The protection of adults is a significant issue for health and social care in the UK. It is a legal responsibility, a professional commitment and a moral obligation to all individuals in need of protection from harm. To know what does safeguarding adults involve, you need to understand the various types of abuse, the individuals at risk, the legal context, and the specific actions you can take to ensure their safety.
Whether it is the six central principles in the Care Act 2014 or the 5Rs of safeguarding practice, every aspect of the guidance is about ensuring that vulnerable adults can live their lives with dignity, safety and freedom. You can help make a life-changing difference, simply by raising your awareness and your willingness to act as a member of the community, a caregiver,r or a professional.
BST Editorial Team
BST Editorial Team is a dedicated group of UK-focused training professionals who develop and review courses in Health and Social Care, Safeguarding, Health and Safety, and Food Hygiene. All content is created and regularly updated to reflect current UK regulations and industry best practices, ensuring accuracy, reliability, and professional relevance for learners.
