SAFEGUARDING ADULTS
Advice for Professionals
Professionals have a duty to work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of adults and uphold their rights.
Safeguarding adults means protecting a person’s right to live in safety, free from abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation. It is about enabling adults with care and support needs to identify and manage risk so that their wellbeing is promoted, and they are safe from abuse and neglect as much as possible.
Safeguarding is everyone’s business, and all agencies have a role to play in preventing abuse and responding accordingly by sharing information and raising concerns. Concerns can be:
- An active disclosure of abuse by the adult, where the adult tells a member of staff that they are experiencing abuse and/or neglect
- A passive disclosure of abuse where someone has noticed signs of abuse or neglect, for example clinical staff who notice unexplained injuries
- An allegation of abuse by a third party, for example a family/friend or neighbour who have observed abuse or neglect or have been told of it by the adult
- A concern raised by staff or volunteers, others using the service, a carer or a member of the public
- An observation of the behaviour of the adult at risk
- An observation of the behaviour of another person
- Patterns of concerns or risks that emerge through reviews, audits and complaints or regulatory inspections or monitoring visits.
What to do if you have a concern
You should discuss the concern with the person affected wherever possible. If they lack capacity, you can raise a concern in the person’s best interest.
If the person does not wish for a concern to be raised, but you are worried about the impact of this decision on the person (their vital interests may be affected) or there is a wider risk to other people (including children) from the same source of risk, then a concern can be raised without the person’s permission. It is still good practice to tell the person.
If the person does not wish for the concern to be raised, and they are making a freely given and capacitated decision, and others or their own vital interests are not affected, then each agency should use their own internal reporting and recording measures, and not share the concern more widely.
If the person is in immediate danger, then call emergency services before raising a safeguarding concern. Call 999 in an emergency or call the Police on 01534 612612 to report a crime.
The adult safeguarding team can be contacted by calling SPOR (Single Point of Referral) on 01534 444440.
Multi-Agency Adult Safeguarding Policy and Procedures Manual
Our Multi-Agency Adult Safeguarding Policy and Procedures Manual sets out the way all agencies in Jersey should work to safeguard adults with care and support needs. The Procedures are for anyone (paid or unpaid) who works or cares for adults with care and support needs.
Useful Resources
If you are not sure whether to raise a concern, there is a threshold grid to help you with your decision making. The grid does not replace your own professional judgement.