Understanding Safeguarding Research notes

1. Explain what is meant by ‘safeguarding’ (D1): 

Safeguarding is defined as ‘the collection of measures that ensure groups such as

children, young people, and vulnerable adults are protected from abuse, harm and
neglect in society.’ Safeguarding is an essential role in a health and social care
practitioner’s responsibilities and the provision of safe, effective and high-quality
care. It protects people from being abused and/or being mistreated and prevents
harming the health or development of a child, which may affect their future health
and well-being and their views and perspectives in life. The Children’s Act 2004
reinforces the responsibilities of all organisations and communities who work with
children to keep them safe, abiding by their safeguarding policies; it also determines
the responsibilities of parents and promotes partnership with them. Once a child
turns 18, they are classed as a legal adult and are therefore responsible for all their
actions. The Care Act 2014 sets out how local authorities must protect vulnerable
adults at risk from abuse and being mistreated; there are requirements set in place
so every adult is supported with high-quality care when they believe abuse is
happening or they are at risk so they can decide what course of action to take.
(Safeguarding and Protection in Health and Social Care, 2020) 

 2. Explain the role of safeguarding (B3): 

In safeguarding, different organisations and health and social care practitioners all
work collectively in order to prevent individuals from harm, and by sharing
information about individuals’ care and support needs, reduce the risk of any harm,
abuse or negligence taking place. Safeguarding empowers individuals by allowing
them to take personal responsibility for their own safety and well-being, for example,
if an individual who has limited mobility and is prone to falls would like to go on a
walk on an uneven pathway then it is their decision to whether or not they would like
to do that, taking into consideration the risk of harming themselves. This means they
are an active participant in their own safeguarding and promotion of their safety and
well-being. 
The act of safeguarding is a person-centred approach of care, a method which puts
an individual’s unique needs, preferences and views first and ensures that they are
the focus of any care or support they may receive. Allowing them to take control of
their own care can significantly reduce their risk of harm, abuse and neglect because
they will understand what is considered high-quality care and support; they will have
awareness of their rights to safety and to be free of harm, abuse or neglect. This will
give independency towards the individual, and that feeling of empowerment will give
them the confidence to speak up if they feel as if their needs were not being valued
or respected; this can also reduce the likelihood of them coming in harm's way.
(Ferreiro Peteiro, Rasheed, Wyatt and Wedlake, 2017) 
Abuse can present itself in many different forms, such as (but not limited to) physical
abuse, neglect, emotional abuse and discriminatory abuse; the four most common
forms. Identifying possible indicators of physical abuse may be tricky, especially if
they are already considered a vulnerable 

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adult. One sign may be bruising or burns that the victim tries to hide by wearing long
sleeves or turtleneck tops. They may give excuses as to where they have come from
when challenged about it, often a different excuse each time. Bed sores could also be
a sign of abuse, specifically neglect. They often develop on the skin on bony areas of
the body (the heels, ankles, hips and tailbones.) These are caused by limited blood
flow to the skin from constant pressure, therefore limiting the blood flow to tissues.
Another possible indicator of neglect is malnutrition; where the individual is
lacking in essential nutrients caused by not having enough to eat, not eating the
right things or not being able to eat the food provided.  
Any fearfulness to express how they are feeling may be an indicator of emotional
abuse, along with depression and overreacting over small things; loss of sleep and
unexplained behavioural changes are also signs. Discriminatory abuse can be
experienced as harassment or insults towards your religion, race, age, gender, gender
identity, disability or sexuality. Indicators of this are low self-esteem, loss of appetite,
fear, defensiveness, sleep disturbance, self-harm and emotional withdrawal.  
It is a health and social care practitioner’s duty of care to recognise these signs
should they present themselves in an individual; if a carer is in a situation where they
believe that abuse is taking place, there are a number of steps they must follow: 

 · Patiently and calmly speak to the individual, allowing them to take their
time to open up 
 · Keeping a diary, this is a good strategy to keep track of everything and
is a good way to spot any behavioural patterns  
 · Consulting with friends/family to see if they have noticed any unusual
behaviour or concerns 
 · Staying close with the individual to allow them to feel safe 

It’s important to build up that trust between the carer and that individual so they feel
safe enough to talk about what is happening, and most importantly, they must be
supportive to stop the individual from feeling as if it is their own fault. (Safeguarding
and Protection in Health and Social Care, 2020) 
  3. Explain how health and social care practitioners can take steps to
safeguard themselves (B2): 

Whistleblowing is the act of raising concerns about anything a health and social care
worker feels is unsafe or shows lack of care by other professionals. If they feel as if
patient’s or clients’ safety is at risk, or there is compromisation of their care or dignity
they have a legal duty to take prompt action and raise those concerns to the relevant
people.  
For example, if you are a health and social care practitioner working at a supported
housing project for people who suffer from learning difficulties, and you notice that a
co-worker is not changing their gloves throughout their shift despite the fact they
are carrying out different tasks which require hygienic practises (e.g. preparing food,
delivering personal care etc) then you have a professional duty to raise your concerns
about the situation as the co-worker's actions are putting the client’s health and
safety at risk. 
Whistleblowers are protected by law from harassment and bullying when they raise
their concerns, meaning they cannot be victimised if they report anything which
could harm a patient and any opportunities, future jobs or training won’t be put at
risk only if they have rightfully and properly 

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raised a concern. Any acts of victimisation must be treated as a disciplinary offence
by their employer. There will be guidance in the workplace and from a professional
body about how to whistleblow, but concerns generally have to be raised with the
line manager or a more senior manager. The Human Resources department or a
trade union representative will be able to show the worker their organisation’s
whistleblowing policy, as each organisation is required by law to have one in order to
keep their employees and clients safe. Their policy will inform the worker the name of
a specific person which they can talk to. The policy will have information about
whether or not they are able to report anonymously, however it would be easier for
the whistleblower’s concerns to be investigated if they identify themselves. Any
concern raised must be kept confidential, as they have the right to confidentiality,
and be investigated promptly and thoroughly. The result must be reported back to
them despite whether or not any action was taken. 
Before any complaint is made, whistleblowers must make sure they are following the
correct workplace procedures, and when necessary, filling in critical incident forms.
The full details of the incident must be written down and a copy kept. Any concerns
being raised must have reasonable belief that it is valid and has been raised in the
interest of others, and to the best of their knowledge, is true. Any false allegations
made deliberately will result in a disciplinary offence. Any information about the
situation they have collected would be useful for the investigation, however the law
states that hard evidence isn’t necessary. The whistleblower must not seek facts or
start their own investigation as that too could also result in a disciplinary
offence. (Whistleblowing - how a staff member can report a problem in the NHS or
an adult social care service, n.d.) 
Every individual has a right for their privacy and personal details to be respected, and
it is very important that all environments and institutions abide by this (including
businesses, schools and health and social care sectors.) Every single health and social
care worker must understand their duty of confidentiality and comply by it; ensuring
that their patients’ and clients’ legal right to privacy is being respected. It may
sometimes be necessary to override this duty in rare cases, especially if an individual
is potentially at risk of harm.  
Confidentiality is the principle of privacy and respecting the wishes of an individual.
Health and social care workers must not share any personal details with others,
unless when absolutely necessary or they have consent from that individual. As part
of good care practise, there should be confidence between themselves and the
patient and any details shared between them must not be shared with another
professional unless needed. This also includes any electronic records. The concept
of confidentiality is generally taken from common law, hence why it is called a
common law duty of confidentiality; it is imperative for encouraging individuals to
speak up about their issues and concerns. However, in cases where there is a serious
safeguarding concern and somebody is at risk, the duty of confidentiality is
overridden. For example, if a person has been a victim of FGM (Female Genital
Mutilation) then that information must be passed on and the appropriate
authorities contacted as this is a serious criminal offence, and the worker has a duty
of care to protect that individual and prevent it from happening again. 
The duty of confidentiality must only be overridden if the health and social care
practitioner has information suggesting that a patient or a client is at risk of harm, or
is posing a risk of harm towards somebody else. Concerns should always be reported
to a manager or supervisor, and the worker must contribute to any further actions
taken to reduce the risk of harm. However, sometimes it is easy to misread and
misinterpret the signs, and it is recommended that a manager or supervisor
is contacted for advice first before taking it any further. 

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For example, a care worker is filling in and assisting an elderly man at his home as his
usual carer is away. Whilst getting him dressed, the worker notices several bruises on
his back; and when challenged about it he explains that they were inflicted by his
usual care worker. He believes that he did something wrong as his worker started to
verbally abuse him and physically attack him. The care worker is extremely concerned
for his safety and well-being when his usual carer returns from their absence; he begs
for the worker to keep it a secret as it was his actions that caused this and he doesn’t
want the carer to get in trouble because they are usually nice to him. 
In this situation, there is a conflict. A manager should be informed and the other
member of staff reported, however the man has asked for it to be kept secret and
was told in confidence. In this situation, overriding the duty of confidentiality is
acceptable and it is necessary to protect the elderly man from further harm and
abuse. The worker should explain to the man that he is a victim of abuse and he is
not at fault, he needs to be informed about his right to be protected from harm. This
is in compliance with the Public Interest Disclosure Act, as the worker is putting the
man’s safety first. (Collier, 2019) 
Cases of intentional breaches of confidentiality is rare, however even an honest
mistake could lead to serious consequences. For example, if an employee left their
phone on the bus, any sensitive information stored on it could be seen by somebody
else; breaching confidentiality. Breaching confidentiality could lead to termination, or
in more serious cases, could result in a civil lawsuit if a third party wishes to press
charges for the breach. (The importance of confidentiality in the workplace, 2018) 

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 4. References (B4): 

UKEssays.com. 2020. Safeguarding And Protection In Health And Social Care. [online]

Available at:
<https://www.ukessays.com/essays/health-and-social-care/safeguarding-and-
protection-in-health-and-social-care-2.php> [Accessed 10 January 2021].
(Safeguarding and Protection in Health and Social Care, 2020) 
Virtual-college.co.uk. 2019. What Is Safeguarding In Health And Social Care | Virtual
College. [online] Available at:
<https://www.virtual-college.co.uk/resources/2019/01/what-is-safeguarding-in-
health-and-social-care> [Accessed 10 January 2021].   (What is safeguarding
in health and social care | Virtual College, 2019) 
Mind.org.uk. 2018. Safeguarding In Social Care. [online] Available
at: <https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/legal-rights/health-and-social-
care-rights/safeguarding-in-social-care/#:~:text=Safeguarding%20means
%20protecting%20your%20right,are%20at%20risk%20of%20either> [Accessed 10
January 2021].     (Safeguarding in social care, 2018) 
Citizensadvice.org.uk. n.d. Whistleblowing - How A Staff Member Can Report A
Problem In The  NHS Or An Adult Social Care Service. [online] Available
at: <https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/health/nhs-and-social-care-complaints/
whistleblowing-how-a-staff-member-can-report-a-problem-in-the-nhs-or-an-adult-
social-care-service/> [Accessed 10 January 2021].  (Whistleblowing - how a staff
member can report a problem in the NHS or an adult social care service, n.d.) 
Wyatt, L., Wedlake, P., Peteiro, M. and Rasheed, E., 2017. Cache Technical Level 3
Extended  Diploma In Health And Social Care. [Place of publication not identified]:
HODDER EDUCATION. (Ferreiro Peteiro, Rasheed, Wyatt and Wedlake, 2017) 
Collier, E., 2019. Confidentiality In Health & Social Care | Can You Break It?. [online]
The Hub | High Speed Training. Available at:
<https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/confidentiality-in-health-and-social-
care/> [Accessed 10 January 2021]. (Collier, 2019) 
Hiscox.co.uk. 2018. The Importance Of Confidentiality In The Workplace. [online]
Available at: <https://www.hiscox.co.uk/business-blog/the-importance-of-
confidentiality-in-the-workplace#:~:text=As%20an%20employee%2C%20the
%20consequences,implications%20experienced%20from%20the%20breach.>
[Accessed 10 January 2021].   (The importance of confidentiality in the workplace,
2018)