Adi Cooper - Safeguarding Adults Under the Care Act 2014

Safeguarding
Adults Under the
Care Act 2014

Understanding Good Practice

Edited by Adi Cooper OBE and Emily White

Foreword by Lyn Romeo

Jessica Kingsley Publishers
London and Philadelphia

Foreword

Lyn Romeo

I am very pleased to welcome this book as an important contribution to support all practitioners working with people who are experiencing abuse or neglect, or are at risk of these, in their lives. In particular, I think that social workers, social work students and social work leaders, as well as practitioners in all agencies and organisations working to safeguarding adults, will benefit from the range of insights, knowledge and reflections by the contributors in this challenging and critically important area of practice.

Adult safeguarding practice is on an exciting journey, with research and evidence informing changes in the way we work with people. Making Safeguarding Personal, supported by the Care Act (2014) statutory guidance, promotes a person-centred and outcome-focused approach, complementing the strengths- or asset-based practice. This approach encompasses some key features: human rights informing our value base for working with people; and relationship-based working informing how practitioners support people to manage a range of risks in their lives. As I said in my annual report: Social work practice with adults which is focused on personalisation and co-production, promoting choice, independence and best outcomes, is consolidating the principles of social justice, human rights and respect for diversities. These are central to social work and contribute to developing a broader definition of social work practice and the contexts within which it can make a positive difference to peoples lives (Romeo 2016, p.6). I am pleased to see that these approaches and themes recur throughout the chapters covering the considerable range of topics within adult safeguarding practice that are featured in this book.

Continuing practice development is one of my highest priorities and, in this book, the authors offer considerable insights that will assist all practitioners in their learning and reflection on their practice. We need to understand what works in current social work practice so that we can understand the effectiveness of social work models of intervention and develop an evidence base for our work and do the right thing. Authors of the different chapters in this book have brought considerable research and knowledge that provide this evidence base for working in this area. These will benefit all practitioners, assist them to improve their safeguarding practices and contribute to their ongoing learning. Enhancing and valuing legal literacy and its application in practice is key, and I am pleased to see this woven through the chapters of the book for readers to access and be informed by the experts in these areas. Listening to and learning from people who experience social work services in this context is also of vital importance if we really are going to shape and develop social work practice that chimes with their needs and aspirations for better lives. Helpfully this book also makes a welcome contribution to co-producing improvements in safeguarding practice.

Lyn Romeo, Chief Social Worker for Adults

Reference

Romeo, L. (2016) Annual Report by the Chief Social Worker for Adults 201516. London: Department of Health.

Introduction

Adi Cooper and Emily White

They say it doesnt happen

They say Im different

They say Im the weird guy

They say Im not right

They say I dont fight back

They say its kind of funny

to take my money

They say that I should work harder

They say theyll pay in experience

They say to do my chores

They ask for more

To give more, to do more,

Im told

To give this, and do this,

Im told

Theyll take this and do this

Im told

To be ignored

And never say a word

and words can hurt

Ive been hit with names spat in my face

While they say the same old phrase

About sticks and stones

but I know the power of words

because all of mine are silent

If I could say one thing to you

Dont.

Dont see an opportunity to take

Dont excuse the hate

like this doesnt happen to adults anyway

dont sweep this away

dont say borrow when you mean steal

dont say sorry when you dont feel it

dont say help when you mean use

dont say that this is not abuse

instead

just say

hey how are you today?

Say hey youre looking good today?

Youre looking like you should today

And Ive got something I want to say

I just want to dance with my friends

I want a cruise ship that never ends

I want to travel on my own

And watch with pride as my kids grow

I want to tie the knot

Not be forgot when youre making plans

I dont want to meet demands

I want my life in my own hands

My heart beating fast

I want friends who make me laugh

And lend a little help

Who make me feel proud of myself

To help improve my health

I know that all I need to do is say

and they

will believe me

will relieve me

and free me from silence

They say Im different and thats alright

Speak up, speak out

There is no excuse

Help stop adult abuse

These words are written and spoken by people with learning disabilities about some of their experiences and remind us why safeguarding is important. We are all people, with needs and dreams, and we all deserve respect and to be safe. We are reminded time and time again to listen to what people with care and support needs tell us about their experience of abuse and their experience of safeguarding from abuse. They say that they want to be listened to, believed and trusted, informed and involved, so able to make decisions, and they want support from confident practitioners and not to be judged.

Never give up on us. If you walk away, the person isnt going to have a very nice life.

This book aims to help practitioners to do what people want and need, so that they can deliver good safeguarding practice, in order that people can keep themselves safe. We must listen to what people tell us about their lives and experiences if we are to fulfil our safeguarding responsibilities successfully.

The term safeguarding is used to describe a wide mix of duties, powers and measures across the criminal justice, health, housing and social care sectors. Authors use the term to describe both adult protection functions of public bodies to enquire and intervene to protect an adult, unable to protect themselves from abuse and neglect or the risk of it, and the range of proactive measures expected to be taken by those responsible for providing safe standards of care, support or treatment to prevent the risk of abuse or neglect. This book sets out the principles behind working in adult safeguarding, describes core skills and knowledge that support practice in this area, and covers areas that present challenges for practitioners where specific skills or knowledge may apply.

of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance (Department of Health [DH] 2016), also referred to as the Care Act (2014) statutory guidance, is core and essential reading for all practitioners in this field, not only because it is statutory guidance, but also because it is hugely helpful and informative in defining what is expected of practitioners. The authors in this book present perspectives and insight into some of the complexities and dilemmas when applying the guidance to support people through the difficulties and challenges in their lives. They offer a range of different ways of working with people experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect. They provide evidence from research and practice, explore issues and themes, and offer a range of models and methods. They aim to promote good and innovative safeguarding practice, encouraging readers to learn from current knowledge and evidence, for practitioners to consider how to apply this learning in their work. Adult safeguarding practice is a journey; there is still a long way to go and a lot to learn. As it evolves there are new challenges, and the authors address a range of practice issues, including some where there may be more questions than answers.