Who is a vulnerable adult?
A vulnerable adult is a person aged 18 years or over who may be unable to take care of themselves, or protect themselves from harm or from being exploited.
This may be because they have:
- a mental health problem
- a disability
- a sensory impairment
- are old and frail
- have some form of illness.
What is adult abuse?
Abuse is mistreatment by any other person or persons that violates a person's human and civil rights. The abuse can vary from treating someone with disrespect in a way which significantly affects the person's quality of life, to causing actual physical suffering.
Abuse can happen anywhere - in a residential or nursing home, a hospital, in the workplace, at a day centre or educational establishment, in supported housing or in the street.
Forms of abuse include:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Psychological or emotional abuse
- Financial abuse
- Neglect
- Institutional abuse - The abuse affects more than one person within an organisation and is not addressed by the service's management.
Who might be causing the abuse?
The person who is responsible for the abuse is very often well known to the person abused and could be:
- a paid carer or volunteer
- a health worker, social care or other worker
- a relative, friend or neighbour
- another resident or service user
- an occasional visitor or someone who is providing a service
- someone who deliberately exploit vulnerable people
Reporting abuse
If you are being abused or you suspect that someone you know is being abused, you should contact the Adult Care Team as soon as possible. Your concerns will be taken seriously and will receive prompt attention.
What if the abuse is also a crime?
If the abuse is also a crime such as assault, racial harassment, rape or theft you should involve the police to prevent someone else from being abused. If the police are involved we will work with them and with you to support you.
If you are worried about contacting the police you can contact the Adult Care Team to talk things over first.
If immediate action is needed dial 999.
What will happen after abuse is reported?
Where the Adult Care Team accepts a safeguarding notification they pass this to the Sustaining Adults Team.
- A worker from the Sustaining Adults Team will be identified as the Case Lead Officer.
- The case lead officer will gather information and undertake a strategy discussion within 24 hours.
- The referrer will be notified on the outcome of the strategy discussion.
- If a strategy meeting is required the case lead officer will convene this within 5 days.
The case lead officer is responsible for:
- convening case conferences for complex cases
- reviewing meetings,
- indicating timescales
- co-coordinating the collation of information and assessments.
The case lead officer will keep the referrer updated at no less then 28 day intervals.
Professionals from other agencies may be instrumental in carrying out tasks in the investigation best suited to their service. They can agree to these tasks with these at any stage in the investigation process.
When you suspect abuse in a residential care or nursing home
If your concern is about someone who is in a residential or nursing home, please refer them to the Adult Care team as above:
If you have concerns about the standards or application of regulations in a care home you should contact The Commission for Social Care Inspection, CSCI.
Eastern Regional Contact Team
CSCI, Capital Park
Fulbourn
Cambridge
CB21 5XE
Tel no. 01223 771300
If you have a complaint about a care home you should raise this initially through the care home's complaint process. If you feel there is both a complaint and safeguarding concern contact the Adult care team. Complaints and safeguarding processes may run in parallel.