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Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults

If you are concerned that a vulnerable adult may be or is experiencing abuse or neglect, please contact the Adult Safeguarding team on:

Cambridgeshire Direct

0345 045 5202
cambridgeshire.direct@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Emergency Duty Team - Out of hours emergency social care is available on: 01733 234724 Mon to Fri, 5pm to 9am All day Sat, Sun and bank holidays

If the person is -
in immediate danger, or needs medical treatment then contact the police and/or call an ambulance (999).

Cambridgeshire Constabulary non-emergency contact: 0345 456 456 4

Who is a Vulnerable Adult?

A vulnerable adult is defined in 'No Secrets' (the Governments guidance on adult abuse) as a person aged 18 or over, who is in receipt of or may be in need of community care services, by reason of 'mental or other disability, age or illness, and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation'.

What is Abuse?

Abuse is defined in 'No Secrets' (government guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse) as the 'violation of an individuals human or civil rights by any other person or persons'. Examples of this include:

Forms of abuse include:

Physical Abuse - causing physical harm either deliberately or by rough or thoughtless behaviour.
Psychological or Emotional Abuse -behaviour that makes you feel anxious frightened or intimidated including verbal abuse, demeaning, threatening, or intimidating language.
Financial Abuse - includes theft, fraud or exploitation. It may be someone using or putting pressure on you to use your money in a way that you don’t want or isn’t in your best interests.
Neglect - including ignoring or failing to meet your medical or physical care needs, or the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.
Professional Abuse - is the misuse of power and abuse of trust by professionals, the failure of professionals to act on suspected abuse/crimes, poor care practice or neglect in services, resource shortfalls or service pressures that lead to service failure and culpability as a result of poor management systems/structures.
Sexual Abuse - involves someone making you do something you don’t want to, didn’t or couldn’t consent to.
Racism and Sexism - being treated less favourably because of your colour, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, status etc.

Who Abuses?

Anyone from relatives and family members to professional staff, paid care workers, volunteers, other service users, neighbours, friends and strangers.

What to do about it

Abuse stays hidden because people are afraid to speak out. But abuse has a profound effect on the quality of life of a vulnerable person and their rights need to be recognised.

If you feel someone is suffering in some way, try to talk to them alone - it may take a few attempts to find out if there is a problem. Physical abuse may be more easily identifiable than psychological abuse or neglect, but trust your instincts. If you are a staff member or volunteer, talk to your line manager, who can pass the information onto the appropriate person. Any professional, volunteer or member of the public with a concern can contact Cambridgeshire Direct 0345 045 5202 or cambridgeshire.direct@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Who else can assist a Vulnerable Adult?

Advocacy Service

An Advocate will help you to access information that you need, or go with you to meetings, as a supportive presence. An advocate will listen to what someone wants and then support them in getting their voice heard and having their views acknowledged. An advocate might write letters on your behalf, or speak for you in situations where you don’t feel able to speak for yourself. An advocate is independent and will represent your wishes without judging them or putting forward their own personal opinion.

Age UK Cambridgeshire 01354 696650
Carers Advocacy at Voice ability 01223 555 800
Adults and Young People Advocacy at Voice ability 01223 555 800
Our Voice specializing in working with D/deaf people 01223 240065

Other Useful Contacts:

Cambridge Older People’s Enterprise (COPE) 01223 364303 (10am-4pm)
Carers UK 0808 808 777
National Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 2000 247
Care Quality Commission 03000 616161

If you work with, or care for, someone aged 16 or over who is unable to make particular decisions for themselves, you must take actions that comply with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

NHS Cambridgeshire

Our organisation provides strategic leadership in line with current requirements of the Care Quality Commission and other relevant documents about the roles and responsibilities of NHS bodies as partners of the Cambridgeshire Adult Safeguarding Policy. We are a member of the Cambridgeshire Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Partnership Board (CSAB). NHS Cambridgeshire has a dedicated lead, Richard O’Driscoll, Head of Older Peoples Joint Commissioning.

Partner Agencies

Cambridgeshire Adult Safeguarding Board agreed practice guidance through Guidance and Procedures document with its partner agencies. The aim of the procedures is to ensure that all responsible agencies and individuals work together to prevent abuse and safeguard adults where possible, and where preventative measures fail, to deal sensitively and effectively with incidents of abuse.

The Cambridgeshire Adult Safeguarding Board will ensure the co-ordination and implementation of these practice guidance and procedures. These procedures have been agreed by Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) as the lead agency with representatives from:

Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Adult Safeguarding Team, CCC
Age UK Cambridgeshire
Anglia Ruskin University
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (CCS NHS Trust)
Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Cambridgeshire Learning Disability Partnership
Care Quality Commission
Children Safeguarding and Standards Service, CCC
Disability Services, CCC
District Nursing Service
Excel Care representing Residential and Nursing Care Providers
Fenland District Council – representing District Councils across Cambridgeshire
Granta Housing – representing Registered Social Landlords
Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust
Hunts Mind
Legal Services, CCC
NHS Cambridgeshire (Commissioning arm of Cambridgeshire PCT)
Older People’s representative (Cambridgeshire Older People Reference Group)
Procurement (Social Care), CCC
Red Cross
Speaking Up
Supporting People, CCC NHS Cambridgeshire

Links and Contacts

This information is to be read in conjunction with the full Cambridgeshire Protection of Vulnerable Adults from Abuse/Safeguarding Adults Practice Guidance and Procedures

Partner agencies have representation on the Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Partnership Board and you should be aware of who represents your organisation. It is also helpful to be aware who are practice champions and lead practitioners for consultation on general advice issues.

Cambridgeshire County Council has a Safeguarding Team who can provide advice on procedural and practice queries:

Ivan Molyneux
Zorica Louis-Ferdinand
Helen Berry
Care Quality Commission - Telephone: 03000 616161
enquiries@cqc.org.uk