Few areas have decided to implement a formal at‐risk register in respect of vulnerable adults and adult abuse, although many have markers or other recording aids in use. One of the few authorities which has developed a formal system is Gloucestershire. Here the county's adults at risk co‐ordinator, Mike Linnett, offers a personal view of the advantages and disadvantages of using registration.
PurposeThis paper aims to explore the potential impact on families of a greater emphasis on safeguarding for vulnerable adults, from both a legal and a lay perspective.Design/methodology/approachCase examples are used to illustrate some of the issues and problems that can arise in safeguarding situations.FindingsIn community settings there can be a tendency for Social Services to take an antagonistic rather than a conciliatory approach when communicating with families. In the setting of a care home, an example of the appropriate use of safeguarding is outlined.Practical implicationsThe authors argue that Social Services should take a more conciliatory approach and be prepared to work in partnership with families.Originality/valueThe discursive format and narrative approach of this paper represents a useful and informative way of presenting important and topical insights.
PurposeThis article seeks to consider the lessons from one of the worst failures in adult protection in the UK in recent times: the abuse of a number of patients with learning disabilities or autism and challenging behaviour over a number of years at Winterbourne View private hospital in the outskirts of Bristol. The abuse persisted, irrespective of a number of attempts to alert a broad range of regulatory authorities and health professionals about the situation.Design/methodology/approachThe article provides a detailed analysis of the lessons for professionals responsible for adult protection by one of the journalists most responsible for exposing the abuse at Winterbourne View private hospital. Drawing on information the BBC uncovered during the making of its two films about the subject, the author shares details of relevance to professionals responsible for adult protection and considers the implications of the catastrophic failure to protect vulnerable people.FindingsThis article shows how the lessons from the abuse at Winterbourne View have permeated only to some areas and professionals, not necessarily to where those lessons are most needed. The author suggests that further efforts are required to prevent another, similar scandal happening elsewhere in the UK.Originality/valueThe paper is a unique piece, sharing experiences from a journalist involved with exposing a scandal directly with professionals responsible for adult protection.
This article considers the interagency challenges to improving provider performance and quality through the development and ongoing implementation of a new Caerphilly Area Adult Protection Committee (AAPC) provider performance monitoring process. It details procedures for moving from a reactive to a preventative approach to raise quality and to reduce abuse and neglect, exploring the links between commissioning and protection of vulnerable adults.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to identify safeguarding concerns for vulnerable adults, including exploring the implementation of safeguarding policy and procedures into practice. This was achieved by reviewing the content of reflective assignments written by pre-registration student nurses, identifying areas of concerns and proposing action plans.
Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach was initially utilised to scrutinise a random 10 per cent sample of work, which was thematically analysed. From this, an audit tool was devised and then applied to evaluate a 35 per cent sample of work from the following cohort of students. Approval and consent was gained.
Findings – From the initial 10 per cent sample, themes emerged around: practice issues; areas for student's development and marking or assessment issues. The standardised audit tool was devised and applied to a 35 per cent random sample of work. This determined that students identified local safeguarding policies and procedures were being followed in the majority of placement areas, although application of the Mental Capacity Act remained inconsistent.
Research limitations/implications – The assessor feedback from the reflective assignments was not available to the reviewers, limiting the reviewers ability to identify if assessors had recognised and corrected any policy or practice issues that the student raised. Only assignments from the adult field of nursing were considered within the scope of this study. The authors recommend further empirical investigation into this area.
Practical implications – This paper offers knowledge that can be applied in practice within both academic and health care provider services that deliver and facilitate nursing education. It has generated an audit tool that can be utilised to evaluate the knowledge of pre-registration students and has resulted in the implementation of safeguarding adults policies within an academic institution.
Originality/value – Safeguarding adults concerns may be identified through studying pre-registration student assignments and promptly acting upon any concerns raised. Aspects of good practice can be acknowledged within health care provider services.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify aspects of leadership and evaluate their contribution to safeguarding vulnerable adults in healthcare organisations through conducting a critical review of literature. To identify or adapt a leadership framework to contribute to safeguarding vulnerable adults in healthcare organisations through analysis of the literature.
Design/methodology/approach – The methodology was qualitative and inductive. It was based on constructivism and an interpretive theoretical perspective, beginning without hypothesis. Themes emerged during the process. A critical review of literature was undertaken to answer the research question. Literature was sourced from a variety of health and social care databases and grey literature. All inclusions underwent rigorous critical appraisal and a total of 18 papers were explored.
Findings – The importance of clear leadership and direction was a common theme across the majority of sources. Aspects of leadership that can safeguard vulnerable adults in health care organisations include organisational culture, implementation of policies, procedures and frameworks, and reinforcing strong values and ethics around empowering individuals and delivering person-centred care. Through the meta-synthesis of findings, a model of leadership emerged.
Research limitations/implications – The critical review utilised only one reviewer and the proposed leadership framework has not been empirically tested.
Practical implications – The paper proposes a leadership framework that can be applied within healthcare organisations to safeguard vulnerable adults.
Originality/value – This paper fulfils the need for evidence that supports the belief that strong leadership can safeguard vulnerable adults. It provides a comprehensive review of existing literature in this area.
Although there has been a commitment to develop a policy framework to support vulnerable adults at risk of abuse, there remains concern around its lack of use within National Health Service inpatient settings and mental health services in particular. A gap between policy and practice appears to have developed, which leaves inpatients vulnerable to inadequate responses to allegations of adult abuse. This article will provide a critical overview of the policy and practice issues that affect the use of adult protection procedures.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how the proceedings of a vulnerable adult protection policy is understood by referrers to affect the psychological and emotional well‐being of adults with a learning disability. During the research process seven referrers of vulnerable adults discussed twelve different cases in in‐depth interviews. The interviews and matching case notes of protection meetings released by social services were analysed by the application of grounded theory techniques. The result is a model that highlights how appraisals of the experience the emotional and behavioural reactions of the vulnerable adults are shaped by the nature of the abuse, the actions taken by protection meetings, the expectations of the vulnerable adults and the availability of support.
