The Care Act 2014 came into force in England on 1st April 2015 and puts adult safeguarding on a legal footing, with the emphasis being on outcomes rather than just the process of safeguarding. The outcomes should be to:
- Promote well-being and prevent abuse and neglect from happening in the first place
- Ensure the safety and wellbeing of anyone who has been subject to Abuse and Neglect
- Take action against those responsible for abuse or neglect taking place
- Learn lessons and make changes that could prevent similar Abuse or Neglect
The DoH Care and Support Statutory Guidance (14.2.) says the safeguarding duties apply to an adult who:
- has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs) and
- is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect and
- as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect
The safeguarding duties have a legal effect in relation to organisations other than the local authority on for example the NHS and the Police.
Under section 42 of the Act, Local Authorities must make enquiries or cause others to do so, if they reasonably suspect an adult who meets the criteria above is, or is at risk of, being abused or neglected.
The types of abuse identified by the Care and Support Statutory Guidance are
- Psychological
- Sexual
- Physical
- Neglect/Acts of Omission
- Self Neglect
- Discriminatory
- Financial or Material
- Domestic Violence
- Modern Slavery
- Organisational Abuse
Safeguarding Adults Training 
Leave a Reply