Safeguarding adults in everyday situations

Have you ever had that niggling feeling that something just wasn’t quite right during an interaction with someone? In 2023, data collected by the APS (Adult Protection Services) indicated that only 1 in 24 cases of elder or vulnerable adult abuse were brought to authorities’ attention. That’s only 4% of cases. 

It’s an experience that can highlight how we may encounter vulnerable adults in our day-to-day lives and work – whether we’re working in retail, delivery workers, someone’s neighbor or just passing through. These could be adults struggling with age, disabilities, health conditions or other care and support needs. While simply needing assistance doesn’t make someone inherently “vulnerable,” it can increase their risk of experiencing abuse, neglect or inability to keep themselves safe without some support.

Who are vulnerable adults?

Adults with care and support needs could be older people, those with disabilities, long-term health conditions like dementia, mental health needs, or carers themselves. Millions of people in the UK will require extra practical, financial or emotional support at some point to live independently. Having these needs doesn’t automatically make someone vulnerable, but if proper care isn’t available, it increases their risk of abuse or neglect.

‘I’m not a social worker, what can I do?’

While we don’t all work directly with vulnerable or at risk people, it’s important to know that we all have a role to play in safeguarding adults from these forms of mistreatment. Don’t ignore signs that could indicate an adult is experiencing abuse or serious risk.

Abuse can take many forms – physical, financial, emotional, sexual, discriminatory, or neglect of an adult’s basic needs. It could involve domestic violence, modern slavery, or failures by care providers. Signs can range from unexplained bruising to an older person being unreasonably denied access to their own money. Self-neglect, like severe hoarding that impacts someone’s wellbeing, is also a concern.

If you suspect safeguarding issues, have a calm conversation to understand the person’s perspective. Make it clear you want to help them stay safe and get appropriate support. For example: “I’m worried you can’t easily exit your cluttered home if there’s an emergency. Please let me explore ways we can address this.”

Unless there are capacity issues, the adult should be involved in decisions about their safety as much as possible. However, if serious risks of harm exist and they can’t make decisions, you may need to raise concerns with the appropriate channels. 

‘How to do I seek help?’

In non-emergency situations, explain your concerns to your manager or contact the local authority adult safeguarding team where the person lives. For immediate, life-threatening situations, contact emergency services.

You don’t need to directly witness abuse. Just documenting risks like unsafe living conditions, potential financial exploitation, or someone expressing thoughts of self-harm can allow professionals to further assess and assist.

While safeguarding is primarily led by councils, police and NHS workers, we can all play a part just by being alert during everyday encounters. A concerned call could protect someone from significant harm.

Imagine delivering a package or visiting a neighbor and discovering the person’s home is in an increasingly hazardous state, with fire risks and excess clutter creating fall hazards. Raising this issue, despite potential pushback, could prompt a wellness visit and needs assessment. Safeguarding adults is about improving their quality of life, not policing or forcing change. But sometimes, raising an alarm is the first step toward getting someone the support they desperately need.

What is Learning Pool doing to help?

At Learning Pool, we’re committed to supporting your safeguarding initiatives. We’ve added a dedicated eLearning course on Safeguard for All: Adults, to our Safeguarding Collection. Written by Richard Powley, an expert in Safeguarding, this course is now available in your tenant if you’re already using the collection.

If you don’t yet have access to these collections but are interested in rolling out this valuable content to your organisation, feel free to reach out to your CAE for more information or get in touch here. We’re here to help.

Additional resources:

• Action on Elder Abuse helpline: 0808 808 8141
• National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247.
• Supporting safeguarding adults guidance (SCIE)