Safeguarding adults

What is a vulnerable adult?

A vulnerable adult is a person over the age of 18 who may be in need of extra support. This is because they are elderly or have a learning disability, physical disability, sensory impairment or mental health problems. They also may be unable to take care of themselves or protect themselves from harm.

What protection do they need?

If the safety or wellbeing of a person is in question, protection would be needed to ensure that person is safeguarded from abuse or mistreatment. This can be:

• Physical including hitting, slapping and punching 

• Sexual including rape and other acts to which consent has not been given

• Emotional or psychological including threats and humiliation

• Neglect including being left without food, heating or personal care

• Discrimination including unfair treatment because of your gender, race, culture, background, age, disability, sexuality or illness.

Abuse can happen anywhere – in a residential/nursing home, hospital, workplace, day centre, supported housing or in the street. The person abusing could be a family member, friend, neighbour, volunteer or carer.

How do I report a suspected case of abuse, and what will happen?

The leaflet ‘Safeguarding Adults’ gives you all this information. Please download a copy and print for reference. You should contact Call Derbyshire on 08456 058 058, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to safeguard vulnerable adults. In an emergency, always dial 999.

Someone will visit to talk about the abuse that may have occurred and what the wishes of the vulnerable adult are along with what other professionals and carers can do to help. A plan would then be made and shown to the vulnerable adult detailing how we can help and who will do what. This is then agreed and reviewed at regular intervals to ensure that the plan is working to stop the abuse.

Will it be in confidence?

Information will be treated as confidential. There may be times when some information will need to be shared when it is in the interests of the vulnerable adult or the protection of the general public.