Caring for vulnerable adults with compassion

Vulnerable people are everywhere, none more so than in hospital wards and departments; where, to add to their difficulties, they are also acutely ill. Many are elderly, some very young, some with learning difficulties or mental health problems. However, do the professional staff caring for these individuals have the time, understanding and knowledge of their underlying issues, and the patience required to assist them appropriately? Furthermore, is our training on caring for those with dementia or learning difficulties up-to-date? Do we know how to handle the very sensitive issues which may arise, with care and compassion? Are we caring appropriately for a patient who may be subject to abuse, if we do not nurse with the all the 6 Cs in the nursing strategy?1 In addition, do we know what the local adult safeguarding policy states and how to make a referral, if necessary? Safeguarding vulnerable adults is a framework which has been in place for some years. There is a different framework for children and separate safeguarding boards. For adults, the framework comprises a multi-agency set of measures which may be used by anyone in health and social care in the broadest sense (including the police, probation service, other agencies and local authorities). Its objective is to ensure that not only are prevention measures in place, but also that, should there be any possibility that someone has been subjected to abuse or neglect, that there is a structure in place to support and protect individuals in maintaining control and reducing opportunity for coercion in future. A recent update to Government policy has recently been released, which sets out a new set of principles for all those involved in safeguarding adults.

English Government policy

The English Government has reviewed recently – and published in May 2013, the new set of principles, stating that – safeguarding is everybody’s business, with communities playing a part in preventing, identifying and reporting neglect and abuse.2 They specifically identify that while the Government has set the vision and direction, each of the local safeguarding boards may interpret and implement the policy locally, to suit local agreements and circumstances. The new ‘Principles’, however, may be worth noting. The policy states that each of the principles is of equal importance and that none have priority over another: