Safeguarding adults at risk of harm

Summary points

• Doctors have a key role in safeguarding adults at risk from harm. Identifying and reporting safeguarding events is the duty of all clinicians, and doctors need to familiarise themselves with how to do this

• Preventing abuse is a key component of any effective safeguarding system. Listening to concerns, promoting self determination, and offering choice supports people in protecting themselves

• Be sensitive to the challenges of inquiring about abuse. Does the patient want the support of a trusted person? Have you made sure the abuser is not present at the assessment?

• Information sharing and reporting are necessary to protect adults at risk. Be aware of when the need to share information outweighs the right to confidentiality

• Working in partnership with other agencies and organisations is recognised as good practice and fundamental to ensuring that services provided are safe and of a high quality. Adults at risk may receive care from several different providers, and so a coordinated approach is most effective in safeguarding adults

Sources and selection criteria

In preparing this review we have used our personal experience and personal archives and conducted searches of the Cochrane Collaboration, PubMed, and Clinical Evidence using search terms including “safeguarding adults” and “vulnerable adults”. In addition we have drawn on information about safeguarding investigations reported to the Health and Social Care Information Centre, as well as government publications and “serious case reviews” of safeguarding events.