Safeguarding vulnerable adults: exploring the challenges to best practice across multi‐agency settings
| Date | 05 April 2013 |
| Published date | 05 April 2013 |
| Pages | 85-95 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14668201311313596 |
| Author | Emma Stevens |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Sociology |
Safeguarding vulnerable adults: exploring
the challenges to best practice across
multi-agency settings
Emma Stevens
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight contemporary issues in achieving best practice in
safeguarding adults across multi-agency settings.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper is an empirical exploration, reviewing a range of relevant
literature and recent policy to present evidence suggesting that there continue to be challenges in
achieving best practice in multi-agency approaches to safeguarding. The literature review was
undertaken using the following databases: Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature
(CINAHL), Cochrane, PsycINFO and Medline. The inclusion criteria included being peer-reviewed and
published between 2004 and 2012. The key words used were: ‘‘safeguarding adults’’ and ‘‘abuse’’.
Further literature was found through adopting a ‘‘snowballing’’ technique, in which additional sources
were found from the reference lists used in the initial articles.
Findings – Although guidance such as No Secrets from the Department of Health, in 2000, emphasises
the importance of a multi-agency approach, this continues to be problematic and presents challenges.
In practice, differing professionals may not fully understand each other’s roles and responsibilitiesand
both thresholds and scope of adult abuse are still not universally agreed. Legislation could be used
positively to mandate the multi-agency approach to adult safeguarding, supported by local
Safeguarding Adults Boards and local policies can be used to provide guidance and clarity for
practitioners. Further empirical investigation into supporting the multi-agency approach is required.
Originality/value – The paper fulfils the need for discussion on the complexities and challenges that
continue to present in multi-agency responses to adult safeguarding practice.
Keywords Adult protection, Best practice, Social services, United Kingdom, Safeguarding adults,
Vulnerable adults, Adult abuse, Multi-agency, Empowerment, Risk management
Paper type Literature review
Introduction
This article explores some of the challenges associated with achieving best practice
across multi-agency settings for safeguarding vulnerable adults. A systematic review was
undertaken in order to identify some of the key issues that require further empirical
investigation.
The literature review was undertaken using the following databases: Cumulative Index of
Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane, PsycINFO and Medline. The
inclusion criteria included being peer-reviewed and published between 2004 and 2012. The
key words used were: ‘‘safeguarding adults’’ and ‘‘abuse’’. CINAHL was used to obtain
research relating to nursing and social work. Cochrane offered a source of up to date, reliable
research and PsychINFO was used as a resource of peer-reviewed literature in the
behavioural sciences and mental health. Medline was used to source general health care and
nursing research. Further literature was found through adopting a ‘‘snowballing’ ’ technique in
which additional sources were found from the reference lists used in the initial articles.
A range of literature sources were utilised, including government policy and guidance aswell
as empirical research papers.
DOI 10.1108/14668201311313596 VOL. 15 NO. 2 2013, pp. 85-95, QEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1466-8203
j
THE JOURNAL OF ADULT PROTECTION
j
PAGE 85
Emma Stevens is based
within Adult Services,
City Health Care
Partnership CIC, Hull, UK.
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