Unit 7 – Principles of Safe Practice in Health and Social Care
Aim B Task 2 – Understand how to recognise and respond to concerns about abuse and neglect in
health and social care settings.
Emily Pride: 216274
BM2: Assess the importance of recognising and responding to evidence or concerns about different
types of abuse and neglect in health and social care.
AND
BD2: Justify procedures for responding to concerns about abuse and neglect in the selected health
or social care setting.
The ability to recognise and respond to concerns about abuse is very important in health and social
care. Health and social care professionals must be aware of the warning signs of abuse and neglect
and what to look for in a service user. Individuals could suffer harm if a professional fails to recognise
the warning signs and symptoms of abuse. A service user may develop mental health issues or
experience feelings of isolation, fear, and mistrust.
As mentioned previously, abuse can be identified in a variety of ways, including a change in
behaviour or physical harm. A service user's behaviour may change, leading to feelings of isolation,
withdrawal, and nervousness if they are being abused. Also, a service user could then begin to be
aggressive against staff members. Furthermore, then the individual may start to not take care of
themselves as they should be doing. They could stop eating or washing their clothes. Health and
social care professionals should recognise this abuse by the change in a service user's behaviour and
self-control.
The physical sign of abuse is another way to recognise abuse and neglect. Physical signs can include
burns, cuts, swelling, injuries and gashes and bruises. Health care professionals are expected to be
able to identify the abuse by observing these physical signs.
Specific questions must be asked by health and social care professionals in order to give them the
chance to get the whole story. When particular information, such as who, when, and where, are
required to prove abuse, healthcare professionals must ask specific questions in order to get the
best answers. If a service user is vulnerable, they may be sensitive about the subject, and open-
ended queries may make them uneasy and insecure. This may cause them to refuse to answer your
questions. In the adult case study, Elise was questioned about the lost money. If the carers had not
of asked Elise to not make a fuss and instead asked her specific questions, she may have not gotten
so frustrated and angry, and she wouldn’t have thought that no one cared. The carers would have
also been more aware and known the facts about this situation for them to be resolved. Fear is an
example that might impact a service user's response; if they are afraid of being punished if they
respond, this may influence their response. Another factor influencing their response is a lack of
understanding. If a service user does not understand the question or finds it difficult to respond, this
may impact their response.
Effective and early risk identification, improved information sharing, coordinated action, and joint
decision making are all benefits of multi-agency collaboration in preventing abuse. Because there are
more people working, there will be fewer mistakes. By working together, many agencies and
individuals check cases, lowering the likelihood of harm caused by errors or misconduct.
Organizations can work to their strengths for the best possible benefits of limiting the risk of abuse.
, The service user will receive better care and support if health care professionals collaborate
effectively. The service users will also feel safe and protected as a result of the effective work being
delivered and from the help, they are getting from the health care professionals. By working with
multiple agencies, the organisation builds a system to prevent abuse and service users in abusive
situations. If abuse is not prevented, staff and service users may face consequences, for example,
persecution. Legislation, procedures, laws and regulations are put in place to ensure individuals
follow them and follow the path to prevent abuse and neglect. It is not possible to protect someone
from harm if health care professionals do not follow these steps. Because abuse and neglect can be
avoided, it is crucial to respond to concerns. Preventing further abuse can be accomplished by
alerting the health care professionals early about the concerns of abuse.
The service user avoids further harm and distress by responding to abuse concerns. Because a health
care professional is protecting a service user, this upholds their duty of care. The effect this has
looking into the case study, is that if the health care professionals are modified to the concerns of
abuse and neglect, further abuse can be prevented. It is possible to take measures to protect Lisa
from the abuse. The case study mentions Joanna, Lisa’s mother, has informed her concerns on the
volunteers leading unsupervised play sessions to the manger, in which the manager informs that it is
only a temporary measure. Although this is a temporary measure, it is also a lack of duty of care and
neglect. An example of this is, Lisa who has fallen of a climbing equipment and hurt her leg. Lisa
would be protected by health and social care professionals if she were to disclose the abuse and
neglect and complain about it to a manager, or if no action is taken, she could address it to the Local
Authorities or Ofsted. So, the impact it will have on Lisa is that she is secure, safe and supported
from the abuse and neglect.
A multi-agency approach is important because it allows different organisations to meet up and
come together to prevent issues and problems from happening. It has the potential to improve
support, protection, and care for vulnerable service users. Because it gives service users the best
care and support possible, improves the efficiency and quality of care, it is important. Multi-agency
working often results in agreements between agencies. Additionally, it strengthens the partnerships
within the agencies in the health and social care settings. Another result is that it gives better and
more improved services for the health and social care setting. In that way service users’ problems
and issues are handled more effectively and efficiently.
In conclusion, safeguarding procedures ensure that procedures are carried out alongside with
regulations established by Care Quality Commissions, therefore promoting safe practices among
staff and service users. It specifies how things should be effectively carried out, such as procedures
for complaints and whistleblowing, which encourages safe practices.
Procedures are effective because they aim to ensure that every individual in any health and social
care setting is treated with the same level of respect and the same opportunities. One effective
factor is having the whistleblowing policy makes sure that staff can report any type of abuse and not
have to face punishment from the abuser. This is effective because it gives everybody the right to
feel safe when they complain or tell somebody about abuse, they are witnessing.
Additionally, in the case study, First Residence, the broken garden gate means that the staff cannot
uphold the duty of care to the residents to keep them safe as the door being left open all the time
allowing anybody to walk onto the premises and allowing the residents to also walk out. The staff
expressing concern for this would ensure that something is done much sooner, this could be by
reporting it to the manager or someone higher up. Whistleblowing procedures make it so that staff