Unit 10: Safeguard children and young people who are present in the adult social care sector

Course: NVQ Level 4 Diploma In Health And Social Care (RQF)

The current social care sector is facing a number of challenges, including an ageing population and the need to keep people independent for longer. The question that often arises is how we can provide high-quality support whilst also safeguarding children and young people who are present in this environment.

In the level 4 diploma, the importance of safeguarding children and young people in adult social care is discussed. Protecting them from harm requires a variety of skills including being able to support others by understanding their needs better than they might know themselves at times when there may be conflict or difficulty.

LO1: Understand the responsibility to safeguard children and young people who are present in an adult social care work setting

It is the responsibility of all people who work in an environment where children and young adults may be present, to make sure they know how to protect these vulnerable members. It can’t just be assumed that this knowledge will automatically come with experience or age; it needs specific attention because so much depends on what stage each person’s progress through childhood development was at when he/she started working there.

The legislative background to this is the Children Act 1989, which places a duty on local authorities and homes where adults are cared for with responsibility for children at risk of significant harm; the person responsible must also ensure that staff (including subcontractors) working with these children receive initial and continued training in child protection issues. It states that they need to be trained every three years, but this should take more frequent form if it feels necessary, e.g. following any concerns raised.

When identifying children or young people who are present in an adult social care setting, you have no way of knowing more than their age so need to look out for signs of vulnerability rather than preconceptions about what someone’s age might tell you about their vulnerability. For example, you can’t assume that a child who looks older than his/her years is automatically safe from harm, or that a person who looks younger than their age isn’t. You may find there are children with an adult appearance because of medical conditions they have which affect how their body matures, e.g. those who have been through chemotherapy for cancer treatment and as a result may now appear old enough to be considered an adult in this setting.

Explain your own responsibility to safeguard children and young people who are present in an adult social care work setting.

The legislation stated above makes it clear that this is your responsibility and I believe that as a practitioner, irrespective of the legislation, you would always make safeguarding others the priority. It is not possible to judge how vulnerable someone might be by looking at them so we have to look out for signs which suggest they may be more at risk than their age suggests. We are responsible for making sure that others are trained to help protect those children who are present in the environment.

Practitioners should be trained in child protection matters every 3 years, but this does not mean that once you receive training, you are then no longer responsible for safeguarding others. It is at the forefront of everyone’s practice and if there are concerns about any person who works with children or young adults then they should feel confident to ask questions and feel able to follow up on these concerns.

Explain the responsibility of others to safeguard children and young people who are present in an adult social care work setting.

It may be that for some people, they have a contract that specifies the safeguarding requirements and it is their responsibility to ensure that staff working with these vulnerable children receive training in child protection issues. Others who do not have such a contract, should still take responsibility for this and ensure that those working with children or young adults are trained in safeguarding issues at least every 3 years.

Employers should also ensure that they have access to suitable training for those who work with vulnerable adults and children who may be present in an adult social care setting. They should not assume that someone will know about child safety issues simply because they are working in the same environment as them, but should endeavor to put people’s minds at rest if they have concerns or raise these, to help give them peace of mind that everyone has good knowledge around safeguarding.

LO2: Be able to develop the understanding of others about safeguarding children and young people

You can help others to understand safeguarding children and young people who may be present in an adult social care environment, by letting them know the basics of child protection as set out above. You need to ensure that they understand that it is their responsibility as well as yours and this should be made clear when training or raising awareness sessions about information sharing and protecting those vulnerable children. Employers need to take responsibility for having suitable training available for those who work with these children/young adults so that they have the necessary knowledge to safeguard them and lookout for signs of vulnerability.

You need to ensure that people are aware of adult safeguarding, which is something very different from child protection. You should be able to share good examples of when sharing information has helped professionals safeguard children and young adults in an adult social care environment.

Access information, advice, and support to inform knowledge and practice about safeguarding children and young people

You can access information about safeguarding by talking to your manager or other professionals who may have experience of working with this situation, for example, someone from the local authority, social services, etc. You could also look at resources available online which give clear information about what you need to do if you are working in a care setting that caters to the needs of adults with learning disabilities, dementia, etc.

It may be that you have access to an e-learning package about safeguarding children and young people who may be present in your work setting. You might even have someone from child protection involved in designing this information for professionals who support these children/young adults. This would be a very positive way of sharing knowledge and could lead to everyone being more aware of what they need to do to safeguard those who are vulnerable from abuse or harm.

Provide information to others on: a. indicators of harm, abuse, or neglect, b. actions that need to be taken where there are safeguarding concerns

You can provide information to others about safeguarding children and young people, by talking to those who work with these vulnerable individuals and sharing the basics of child protection as set out above. You may have a good understanding of what needs to be done if you are worried about a child or young adult, but it is important that they know this too so that they feel confident in reporting any concerns they might have.

It may not always be possible for someone working in an adult social care setting to access training on safeguarding children and young adults, but there should at least be a high-level awareness that everyone has a responsibility for protecting those who are vulnerable from harm. There should also be readily accessible information which you share with colleagues who may need some more information about safeguarding.

LO3: Understand how to address conflicts and dilemmas associated with safeguarding children and young people

There will be times when, as a social worker who is working with adults with learning disabilities in an adult care setting, you are faced with difficult issues or dilemmas that have to do with safeguarding children and young people. It may happen that one of these vulnerable individuals tells you they are being abused by someone outside of your work setting, for example, their partner or family member. The individual may expect you to take immediate action which results in the perpetrator being removed from the home so that the victim can remain living there under supervision.

You have a responsibility to keep this information confidential because it has been shared in confidence, but you also have another responsibility towards the vulnerable child/young person. There could be long-term implications if no immediate action is taken and you feel that it would be wrong not to do anything just because there could be serious repercussions for the perpetrator.

You need to think about the child or young person and what their views are on this dilemma. You also need to take into account how they might feel if nothing is done in terms of trying to keep them safe from further abuse. Your judgment will ultimately dictate how you approach this situation, but it should always involve working together with an individual who needs support, rather than making any life-changing decisions without considering their views first.

Analyze conflicts and dilemmas that can occur in relation to safeguarding children and young people present in an adult social care setting

In order to successfully analyze a conflict or dilemma that can occur when working with vulnerable adults, you need to consider how an individual might feel if they were to tell you they were being abused and no action was taken. In addition, you should think about how the person who has been accused of abusing them might react if there is intervention from child protection services.

The impact of not taking any action could be devastating for the vulnerable person who has come forward with this information, so it is important that there is a discussion about what your next steps will be in order to protect them. You need to show responsibility but also compassion for the individual looking for help and you must reassure them that their case will be taken seriously. During these difficult situations, it can sometimes be hard to gauge how an individual might react, particularly if they have never disclosed abuse before, but you should endeavor to maintain confidentiality at all times.

You may receive conflicting information from different professionals working within child protection services which you need to take into account when making decisions about how best to safeguard those who are vulnerable either through physical or mental disabilities. You need to make all individuals involved feel that they are being listened to and taking their views into account, while also making sure that child protection is at the forefront of your mind.

Identify actions to take when conflicts and dilemmas about safeguarding arise

In order to make a decision about how best to proceed in safeguarding vulnerable adults when conflicts and dilemmas arise, you need to consider all the relevant information available. You should speak with each individual involved in confidence and gain their perspective on what has been happening. However, you must be mindful that your priority is safeguarding children and young people from harm, so if there is a conflict between two individuals who both have mental disabilities one of them must be put first.

You may feel sorry for the victim of abuse but you must remember that this person does not carry as much weight legally as someone who can communicate verbally or via text message. If the perpetrator suffers from a disability such as extreme anxiety which makes it hard to communicate then there may be a greater need to protect them from further harm rather than the other way around.

In these situations, you should always report any concerns to child protection services and work with them in order to get proof of an alleged abuser’s guilt or innocence before taking action. In all instances you must remember that your priority is safeguarding children and young people from abuse, so if there is a conflict between two individuals who both have mental disabilities one of them must be put first for their safety.

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