The Importance of Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults

It goes without saying that adults in a vulnerable position need to be safeguarded.

These people are often weak, frail or immobile, or living with learning disabilities or mental health needs. They therefore often rely on others for help and care, and so the responsibility to ensure this care is of the highest standard is huge.

According to the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), supporting and safeguarding these vulnerable adults involves six key areas:

• Empowerment

• Protection

• Prevention

• Proportionate responses

• Partnership

• Accountability

Any provider of a health or social care services needs to ensure they have these fundamentals covered to know they are providing a safe and effective service. 

Here at Personnel checks we very much agree with these points and entirely support the need to prevent harm coming to those in need of care. We have put together ways in which we feel those in need are assured the safest of care.

Participation

There is an argument to be made about involving those with experience of abuse in the process to put an effective safeguarding system in place. In a Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) report this opinion was made with the intention of improving services.

Education

Caring for vulnerable adults is not a simple task, those in social care are constantly developing new ways to carry out their role in the most appropriate way. As with most industries there is always room to improve, to learn and to better the lives of those adults in need of care. With this in mind, education needs to be factored into procedures and taken seriously.

Policy and Procedures

Guidelines must be put in place and procedures followed in order to ensure these vulnerable adults are cared for properly. This means thought out, detailed actions to be followed by every member of staff for each case concerning types of vulnerable adults.

Monitoring

Without monitoring these procedures, policies and education it can very easily become out of control and affect the standard of care. Strict policies need to be enforced and progress be monitored.

Personnel Checks

Preventing harm coming to vulnerable adults can start at the hiring process. Ensuring these at risk people are in the safest of hands, need only take a short DBS check.

Depending on an individual’s level of interaction with such adults will affect what level of DBS Check they require. Where care is concerned the Standard and Enhanced DBS are going to be the most appropriate.

These checks search for all cautions, warnings, reprimands and spent and unspent convictions. The Enhanced DBS Check will also look at whether the applicant is on the barred list for children or adults and include information disclosed from the applicant’s local police station.

For more information on how to get your personnel checked, or, how our background screening solutions can help you, get in touch! You can give us a call on 01254 355688 or drop us an email at letstalk@personnelchecks.co.uk