Legislation and regulations which govern the safeguarding of adults

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act;

Set up to help avoid harm, or risk of harm, by preventing people who are deemed unsuitable to work
with children and vulnerable adults from gaining access to them through their work. The
Independent Safeguarding Authority was established as a result of this Act. On 1 December 2012 the
Criminal Records Bureau and Independent Safeguarding Authority merged to become the Disclosure
and Barring Service (DBS). Organisations with responsibility for providing services or personnel to
vulnerable groups have a legal obligation to refer relevant information to the service.

The legislation was passed to help avoid harm, or risk or harm, by preventing people who are seen as
unsuitable to work with children and vulnerable adults. Set up in 2006, the scheme applies to
anybody working with children and vulnerable adults. The act is designed to protect them from
individuals who may pose a threat to their well-being or safety. The act provides the legislative
framework for the new Vetting and Barring Scheme, put into place by the independent safeguarding
authority.

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act:

Its designed to help adults to re-enter the workforce after a set of rehabilitation is completed having
spent their conviction .Because of the ROA employers cannot legally ask candidates about spend
convicts therefore the employer cannot refuse to employ them or dismiss someone who has spent a
conviction and for many jobs, spend conviction will not be disclosed for a criminal record check

The Police Act:

This act is designed to help give information about a person’s criminal record history which is
disclosed to a person who is registered under the act for a certain purpose mainly when they are
engaged in regulated activity (this means unsupervised contact with vulnerable groups e.g. children
or adults). It is however important that the information is kept safe and that the correct people
receive the information, if the information is passed to anyone who is not authorised to have the
information, it means they have committed an offence.

Sexual Offences Act:

The sexual offences act was designed to safeguard adults from being affected by unlawful sexual
acts such as sexual relationships in which they may not consent to and it also protects vulnerable
adults for e.g. who may have mental health from sex offenders.

Care Standards Act:

Care Standard Act provides a set of rules which controls the way different institutions run. It is
designed to protect adults that are within a health and social care setting. It does this by ensuring
professionals follow the procedures that support, protect and promote their wellbeing. The service
providers are supposed to take care of the way service users are treated and the way they take care
of each individual e.g. the food they provide, the equipment they provide etc.

The Care Homes (Adult Placements) (Amendment) Regulations:

This act designed for providing suitable accommodation for vulnerable adults in their homes or
family home for own care, support and counselling. Also, this law stated that adult placement carer
must be recruited from vulnerable adult’s community and these carer must be approved. This type
of service can provide short and long term care. This law make sure vulnerable adult and carer
receiving support and help.
Mental Health Act:
This act covers the assessment, treatment and rights of an individual with a mental health disorder.
It covers the right of a voluntary patient and a patient who has been sectioned.

Mental Capacity Act:

It’s designed to protect and empower individuals who may lack the mental capacity to make their
own decisions about their care and treatment. Everyone has the right to make his or her own
decisions, health and care professionals should assume an individual has the capacity to make a
decision themselves, unless it is proved otherwise through a capacity assessment.

Disability Discrimination Act:

This Act protects people who have disabilities, making it illegal to discriminate anyone who has a
disability. This protects vulnerable adults both as service users and as professionals working in health
and social care settings

The Race Relations Act:

The race relations act is designed to ensure that racial discrimination is prohibited, promotes
equality of opportunity and promotes good relations between different racial groups. It safeguards
adults by making it unacceptable to target someone due to their race.

Human Rights Act:

 It sets out fundamental rights and freedoms that everyone in the UK is entitled to.
 Article 3 = everyone has the right to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment. This
means that everyone has the right to be respected. E.g. the elderly can’t be neglected when
they ask for help in care homes.
 Article 5 = everyone has the right to liberty. E.g. the elderly can’t be prevented from leaving
a care home or hospital.
 Article 8 = everyone has the right to respect for private and family life, home and
correspondence. E.g. the elderly have the right to accept or reject medical treatment.

Data Protection Act:

This act discusses the fact that all adults have the overall right to be independent and as a result
make their own choices. This can include choices made regarding information about themselves; the
data protection act in regards to safeguarding adults talks about having the ability to override these
rights if they suspect that their wellbeing or safety of themselves or others is at risk.