Making safeguarding personal

The Care Act 2014 places Adults at Risk at the centre of all decision making, and ensures that their wishes and feelings are taken into account and that their desired goals and outcomes are recognised.

The Care Act defines an adult at risk as someone 18 years or over who:

• has care and support needs
• is experiencing or is at risk of experiencing abuse or neglect
• as a result of their care and support needs, is unable to protect themselves from abuse or neglect, or the risk of it.

Each Local Authority has a duty to undertake enquiries for adults at risk meeting these criteria, however they also have discretion to undertake an enquiry based on the information presented to them.

Members of the Service User Sub Group of the Adult Safeguarding Board have designed information to assist both potential victims and practitioners to understand the process and what they can expect to happen. This ensures that Safeguarding is person centred and outcomes focussed.

We believe that every adult has the right to be treated with dignity, have their choices respected and live a life free from fear.

Disability, illness or frailty means that many adults over the age of 18 have to rely on other people to help them in their day-to-day living. Sadly, it is because they have to depend on others that they may become vulnerable and at risk of abuse, very often from people they know such as a relative, friend, neighbour or paid carer.

Local efforts to safeguard adults

In Cheshire East we have a Safeguarding Adults Board made up of representatives from the Council, NHS, Police, independent care providers and the voluntary sector. We treat cases of suspected abuse very seriously and all these organisations work closely together, using an overarching policy to make sure that all cases of suspected abuse are investigated fully and that adults at risk are protected from harm.