Health

Safeguarding the individuals or groups vulnerable to abuse in health and social care

Introduction

Safeguarding refers to the approach of protecting the vulnerable groups or individuals from harm and in the recent era of globalisation, there is increasing numbers of adults and children who are vulnerable to abuse which the government or health and social care institutions have high concern in developing safeguarding the individual or the groups who are vulnerable to abuse (Cooper and White, 2017). The aim of the study is to analyse the factors and risk factors of the vulnerable to abuse as well as the legislations and rules in safeguarding the individual or the groups who are vulnerable to abuse in considering the situations of the patients Alice and Mark. Alice is 79 years old lady lived in the UK and she lost her husband3 years age. Mark is the son of Alice and is suffering through a mental health problem, refusing his treatment currently. Marks mental problem sometimes leads to harm to Alice where Mark is shouting on Alice. One day, Alice was injured, and the local authority investigated safeguarding procedure for Mark so that it is possible to safeguard him and support him with proper treatment and care so that his wellbeing can be improved well.

Understanding the factors contributing to the incidents of abuse and harm

Explaining the reasons for what the individuals and the groups are more vulnerable to abuse or harm

There are several reasons for which the individual or groups of people are vulnerable to abuse or harm such as family reasons, individual child factors and the social and environmental factors. Under the child factors, the individual is vulnerable to abuse or harm due to the cause of temperament, mental illness, child disabilities, attention deficit and aggressive behaviour (Mackay, 2017). For the case of Mark, he is short tempered, and he is suffering through mental illness for which sometimes he becomes harmful for his mother Alice. It is difficult for him to control his temperament due to mental illness and it is also problem for the family members of Mark who are also suffering through harm or abuse. Mark shouts on his mother and sometimes he harms his mother which is serious problem in their family.

As per the family factors, the reasons of harm or abuse are such as large family size, attention deficiency, separations, poor parent child interaction and parental stress (Ochieng and Ward, 2018). In this case also, Mark is detached from his mother and there is poor parent child interaction for which the mental stress is increasing in the family. Moreover, the mental illness of Mark is one of the major causes of harm or abuse and apart from that, large family and parental stress as Mark lost his father few years back are also main reasons of such abuse or harm. As per the environmental factors, Mark is excluded from social support, inclusion in the society and he is suffering from social isolation and discrimination due to mental illness.

Reviewing the risk factors that may lead to incident of abuse or harm

There are certain risk factors which further elands the patient towards harm or abuse for self or others and in case of Mark, he is also harmful for self or for his mother which is serious risk factor for their family or neighbours.

Social risk factors for Mark are such as lack of resources, social isolation and lack of awareness which raise depression for Mark. Family conflict, disruption and dissatisfaction are the relationship risk factor which also leads the patient towards abuse or harm (Richards and Gallagher, 2017). In case of Mark, there is also relationship difficulties and stress I the family due to the harmful behaviour of Mark. Additionally, there are other risk factors such as under resourced schools, neighbourhood and communities and low interactions, poor communication, depression and discrimination in the society which also lead mark towards self-harm or abuse or harm for his mother also.

Analysing the impacts of social and cultural factors on the abuse or harm

In order to mitigate the issue of self-harm or abuse to others, the managers of health and social care institutions need to take effective initiative to support and provide the best treatment and scar to the patient so that he or she can imporve their present situation and lead a normal life like others. Through developing effective technique, the safeguarding team and the managers of the health and social care need to develop proper planning to support Mark and improve his wellbeing by providing proper treatment and care as per his needs and preferences. Mark is suffering through mental illness which leads to harm and abuse for self and others and apart from that there are social and cultural issue such as discrimination, lack of support, poor relationship with family and friends, social isolation and lack of resource may lead mark towards harm and abuse for self and others.

understanding current legislations, policy and professional involvement regrading abuse in health and social care context

Analysing the strengths and weaknesses in current legislation and policy relating to vulnerable to abuse

Safeguarding the individual or groups is based on the legalisations and policies for placing certain duties and responsibilities on the agencies to investigate the patient and work together for safeguarding them successfully by providing better car, supporting them with treatment and providing better environment to live with safety and security (Humphreys and Bradbury‐Jones, 2015).

The above-mentioned legislations and practice are helpful to safeguard the vulnerable people including the adults and the children in the society. In this case of Mark, the legislations such as Family Law Act 1996, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, Mental Health Act 1983/ 2007, Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004, Safeguarding Adults 2005, Care Standard Act 2000, Human Rights 1998 and Mental Capacity Act 2005 are effective to treat Mark and provide him better care and treatment so that he can recover his mental illness and manage his anger, stress and depression.

Explaining the key professionals that are involved in protecting the individual or groups vulnerable to abuse

There are several key professionals who are involved in the practice of safeguarding to protect the individual like Jasmin and Mark who are suffering through mental illness, loneliness, anxiety and stress. The professionals are health care and social service workers, nurses, doctors, physicians, government and local authorities who are working as a team and focusing on integrated working practice on a partnership basis to meet the needs and preferences of the patients by ensuing maximising their wellbeing and values through delivering high quality health and social care service (Crawford, and L'Hoiry, 2015).

Understanding the working practice and strategies used to minimise abuse in health and social care context

Explaining existing working practice and strategies to minimise abuse in health and social care

Safeguarding is a complex phenomenon where all the health care professionals need to develop effective strategic planning and an efficient team where communication and cooperation are required to safeguard the individual or the groups who are vulnerable to abuse or harm. Effective support and care are the main practice in health and social care which helps to safeguard the vulnerable people in the society and in this regard the health care professionals try to develop effective tactics to acknowledge the actual health needs and preferences of the patient to support them and provide them better care and practice. Additionally, developing patient centric care is necessary and it is a one of the effective practices in the health and social care for safeguarding the adults and children in the society where it is necessary to meet the patient’s requirements and improve their wellbeing by providing the best possible treatment and care as per the health and mental needs of the individual (Low et al., 2015).

Efficient workforce and skilled nurses and health care professionals are necessary to safeguard the individuals in the society who are vulnerable to abuse or harm. In case of Mark, who is suffering through mental illness, it is required to have efficient staff members to handle the patient and provide proper treatment so that he can live a normal life like others. Proper leadership and management including team work, high cooperation in the workplace, maintaining the rules and legislations for the patients who are vulnerable as well as empowering the team members ad also the patients in the decision-making practice are helpful to safeguard the individuals in the society. Additionally, the leaders vand managers are trying to utilise the organisational resources as well as arrange effective training and development program for the staff so that their knowledge and skill are enhanced, and they can deliver the best possible treatment and care to the individuals.

Evaluating the effectiveness of working practice and strategies used to minimise abuse

The practice of safeguarding is helpful for the individuals like mark and also Jasmin who is 14 years old girl and suffering through the problem of having friends which elands her towards behaving with wild tendencies. The safeguarding practice is helpful for both the patient, where the health and social care practitioners can provide support and communicate with them to build strong relationship. After building relationship and trust, it is useful for the health care professionals to communicate with the patients both Mark and Jasmin to acknowledge their issues and identify their perspectives about their lives. This is also helpful for developing patient centric care and practice where through cooperation and empowering the patients, the health and social care professionals try to provide care and support to them. the safeguarding practice is therefore beneficial to improve their health condition and trauma that they are facing through their lives. This is also helpful to protect the individuals from self-harm or abuse or for the others. it ensures wellbeing and standard of living of the individual by providing safe and secured environment as well as encourage the individual normally and feel better. Social inclusion, building proper relationship with friends and families, participating in social events and enhancing communication are other effectiveness of such safeguarding practice where it is posisbel to minimise abuse in the society.

Discussing possible improvements to working practice and strategies to minimise abuse in health and social care

In order to improve the safeguarding technique, the health and social care professionals need to improve the techniques of safeguarding and protect the individual from abuse and harm for self and others. In this regard, the health and social care professionals need to empower the patients and enhance communication so that it is posisbel to develop friendly atmosphere in the health care institutions where the patients can live safely and secured. Empowerment of the patients is useful to acknowledge their preferences and perspectives about their health needs and practices which will provide a scope to the health and social car professionals to develop patient centred care. Moreover, transparency and accountability need to be maintained in the workplace where the patients are treated fairly irrespective of their cultural diversity and other differences in living condition. transparency and accountability in this regard is a great factor for providing safeguarding to the individual who are vulnerable to abuse or harm of self or for others int h society. In addition to these, enhancing communication through open interaction, implementing ICT or feedback form for the patient’s family are beneficial to enhance communication in the health care institution which in turn helps to imporve trust and patient loyalty where the individuals can share their experience and cause of self-harm with the health care professionals safely. Moreover, partnership working is another technique which needs to be improved in the care homes where cooperation and team work provide a scope to work collaboratively and meet the patient’s need and preferences successfully by ensuring maximisation of the values of the patients. All the above recommendations are useful for improving safeguarding practice which leads to better care and practice for protecting the individuals vulnerable to abuse or harm.

Conclusion

Safeguarding the patients depends on team work, cooperation, efficiency of the health and social care professionals, transparency and accountability, organisational resources, leadership and management and patient centred care through which it is possible for the health care professionals to safeguard the individual or the group who are vulnerable to abuse or harm. There are family, childhood or social factors which leads the individuals towards harm or abuse for self or others and there are certain risk factors from which it is necessary for the health care professionals and social workers to safeguard the individuals who are vulnerable to abuse or harm. The existing rules and legislations are effective in this health and social care context which provides proper guideline to safeguard the children or adults in the society for mitigating the issue of abuse or harm for self and others. Through safeguarding practice, the health care professionals try to improve the wellbeing of the individuals like Mark and Jasmin. The strategies of maintaining transparency and accountability, enhancing communication, developing patent centred care and cooperation are beneficial to improve safeguarding practice thorough supporting the individuals and providing them the best possible treatment.

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