Safeguarding Sexual Abuse

Safeguarding – Sexual Abuse – P4, M3,D2

What is safeguarding?

This refers to a range of activities aimed at enabling people to retain their independence, wellbeing and choice, and to experience their right to life free from abuse and neglect.

It is also to protect from harm or damage with appropriate measure. Safeguarding is concerned with empowerment, prevention, protection and justice.

Safeguarding is all about protecting vulnerable adults or children from abuse or neglect and it means making sure all people are supported to get access to health care and those they stay well. It’s making sure people are supported to have full and happy lives.

Safeguarding is important in 2013-2014 there were 164,050 safeguarding referrals in England alone. The safeguarding vulnerable groups act was passed in 2006, it came after two young girls were murdered by their school caretaker.

Safeguarding legislations, policies and procedures have made social care staff more aware of what is regarded as abuse and how to recognise if abuse has occurred. These regulations will help you to know what to do if you suspect abuse or if a person tells you they have been abused. Procedures are in place to identify people who have previously committed offences to reduce the risk to vulnerable people including older people, people with learning difficulties or mental illnesses, children and young people.

• Safeguarding is a legal requirement
• Everybody has the responsibility to act if any human is being abused.
• It is part of our duty of care
• We all have an important role in recognising abuse and taking action.

Abuse is when someone says or does something to upset, hurt or frighten you. This could also be classed as bullying. People may be scared to speak out if this is happening to them. This is any behaviour towards a person that causes harm or violates their rights or dignity. Different kinds of abuse are:

Physical abuse – hitting, kicking, holding you down or burning you.

Sexual abuse – someone making you do things you don’t want to do, touching your body and doing things you don’t like or don’t want to do.

Emotional abuse – this can be teasing you, threatening you, bullying you or saying things to upset you.

Financial abuse – this is when someone takes your money or when you do not have a say in how someone spends your money.

Neglect – This is when people say they are going to help you but don’t. Like not giving you your medication or taking you to the doctors.

Anybody could be vulnerable to sexual abuse but more likely than not a person who suffers abuse may be in need of community care services because of a mental or other disability, age or illness. They may be unable to take care of themselves from harm or exploitation. The people that are most likely to be at risk from sexual abuse could be someone that is old or frail, it could be an adult in a care home or hospital or someone that is living in an institution, someone that is in a violent relationship or that has a physical or learning difficulty they may also suffer with a mental illness or require a lot of help and lack capacity.