514 – The Safeguarding and protection of vulnerable adults
1. Understand the legislation, regulations and policies that underpin the protection of vulnerable adults
1.1 Analyse the differences between the concept of safeguarding and the concept of protection in relation to vulnerable adults
There is a difference between Safeguarding vulnerable adults/children and adult/child protection.
Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility, and includes measures to prevent or minimise the potential for abuse occurring. Protection is considered a statutory responsibility in response to individual cases where risk of harm has been identified
POVA or Protection of Vulnerable Adults was changed and implemented to SOVA or Safeguarding of Vulnerable
This was a key piece of policy which focused on the protection of vulnerable adults and focused on several key areas including:-
1) Wider definitions of abuse and who is at risk
2) Setting up an inter-agency framework - roles and responsibilities of those agencies, responsibilities of those at operational, supervisory and senior management levels, local authority level and Chief executive level
3) Developing inter-agency policy
4) Main elements of strategy including Training for staff and volunteers, theCommissioning of services and contract monitoring and Confidentiality v Secrecy
5) Procedures for responding in individual cases including the objectives of investigations, Management and co-ordination of the response to the allegation of adult abuse. Investigation, Record keeping and assessment. Responding to a person alleged to be responsible for abuse or poor practice, Staff discipline and criminal proceedings, Disciplinary procedures including the suspension from duty. The Role of advocates and decision making.
6) Getting the message across through rigorous recruitment practices, References, Volunteers, Internal guidelines for all staff and information for users, carers and the general public
No Secrets was the single largest piece of advice and guidance to local agencies that had a responsibility to investigate and take action