The four situations: a framework for responding to concerns of adult abuse or neglect
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14668201111139727 |
| Published date | 11 April 2011 |
| Date | 11 April 2011 |
| Pages | 75-86 |
| Author | Ruth Ingram |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Sociology |
Policy and practice paper
The four situations: a framework for
responding to concerns of adult abuse
or neglect
Ruth Ingram
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to present a simple conceptual framework, outlining four pathways for
guiding multi-agency involvement in different situations of adult abuse.
Design/methodology/approach – The essential elements of best practice for each pathway are
described.
Findings – The four situations is a framework that, together with the seven-stage safeguarding adults
pathway, has been evidenced through practice to provide a conceptual tool on which to base
multi-agency activity in response to a large variety of concerns about safeguarding adults.
Originality/value – The four situations framework creates a straight-forward template that provides
guidance to all concerned as to which organisations will be involved in the steps of developing the
safeguarding pathways and what their roles and responsibilities will be.
Keywords Adults, Social welfare policy, Best practice
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The current national guidance on the development of adult protection/safeguarding adults
work ‘‘no secrets’’ (DH and Home Office, 2000) required local authorities to work with their
partner agencies to develop multi-agency responses to address all forms of abuse in any
setting. This encompasses a vast array of potential victims, perpetrators, types of abuse and
settings.
Todate, in England, there is no one law or indeed clear and comprehensive legal framework
or a unified framework of rights and responsibilities for carrying out this work. The lack of
clarity is one aspect of the complexity of mobilising multi-agency support for adults
experiencing or at risk of abuse. It can mean that practitioners spend more time trying to
discover an appropriate framework within which to intervene than in actually carrying out the
work. It creates confusion, time delays and perhaps most importantly unacceptable variation
in the outcomes for the adults concerned.
The publication ‘‘Safeguarding adults’’ (ADSS, 2005, pp. 29-39) provides a seven-stage
pathway for any intervention to address a safeguarding adults concern. This takes
safeguarding activity from the alert – referral – decision-safeguarding risk assessment –
safeguarding plan and to the review (Table I, first column). It helps practitioners in all
agencies to navigate some of the complexities and potential diversions to the essential
DOI 10.1108/14668201111139727 VOL. 13 NO. 2 2011, pp. 75-86, QEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1466-8203
j
THE JOURNAL OF ADULT PROTECTION
j
PAGE 75
Ruth Ingram, writing in a
personal capacity, is based
in Hebden Bridge, UK.
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