The Six Safeguarding Principles
The following six key principles underpin all adult safeguarding work:
Principle 1: Empowerment
What does this mean?
People should be supported and encouraged to make their own decisions. This should be done by:
- making services more personal
- giving people choice and control over decisions
- asking people what they want the outcome to be
What does this mean for the adult?
You are asked what you want to happen and services plan safeguarding round this.
Principle 2: Prevention
What does this mean?
Organisations should work together to stop abuse before it happens by:
- raising awareness about abuse and neglect
- training staff
- making sure clear, simple and accessible information is available about abuse and where people can get help
What does this mean for the adult?
You will get clear and simple information about what abuse is and who to ask for help.
Principle 3: Proportionality
What does this mean?
When dealing with abuse situations services must ensure that they always think about the risk. Any response should be appropriate to the risk presented. Services must respect the person, think about what is best for them and only get involved as much as needed.
What does this mean for the adult?
Services think about what is best for you and only get involved when they need to.
Principle 4: Protection
What does this mean?
Organisations must ensure that they know what to do when abuse has happened by:
- what to do if there are concerns
- how to stop the abuse
- how to offer help and support for people who are at risk
What does this mean for the adult?
You can get help and support to tell people about abuse and can get involved in the safeguarding as much or as little as you want.
Principle 5: Partnership
What does this mean?
Organisations should work in partnership with each other and local communities. Local people also have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting abuse.
What does this mean for the adult?
Staff look after your personal information and only share it when this helps to keep you safe.
Principle 6: Accountability
What does this mean?
Safeguarding is everybody’s business. Everyone must accept that we are all accountable as individuals, services and as organisations.
Roles and responsibilities must be clear so that people can see and check how safeguarding is done.
What does this mean for the adult?
You know what all the different people should do to keep you safe.
Text taken from Bradford SAB website