Working in partnership: Safeguarding adults in health and social care

Published: 18/11/2024

Author: Research in Practice

Safeguarding adults is a complex area of practice. Explore how practitioners can support adults to live free from harm, abuse and neglect using Research in Practice resources to support Safeguarding Adults Week. 

Health and social care professionals have a responsibility to prevent abuse happening to adults who are unable to protect themselves, and promote people's health, wellbeing and human rights. 

The Care Act 2014 emphasises the importance of advocacypersonalised care and support in safeguarding. A new blog from Vocal Advocacy outlines the important role advocates play in supporting adults to understand their rights and choices, and the impact this can have on wellbeing.   

To provide effective support, it’s important to recognise the structural inequalities and injustices which underpin our society. Radical safeguarding is an approach that notices the gaps in services and takes steps to change them. A co-produced toolkit outlines the principles of radical safeguarding and how this approach can help find potential opportunities to improve equity in adult social care.  

An accompanying podcast also discusses the concept of radical safeguarding and explores the principles of power, solidarity, autonomy and accountability. 

Advocacy in safeguarding 

Vocal Advocacy supports adults with communication difficulties to understand and exercise their rights, make informed choices and speak up for themselves. A new blog explores the impact of their work.  

Read the blog

Radical safeguarding toolkit for homelessness 

An open access toolkit shares information, ideas and inspiration for anti-oppressive approaches to safeguarding adults experiencing homelessness. 

View the toolkit

Introducing the radical safeguarding toolkit for homelessness: Podcast 

This podcast introduces the open access radical safeguarding toolkit for homelessness, and the background of social justice movements for this work.   

Listen to the podcast

It is important that practitioners work in partnership with the people they support to ensure that they feel supported and protected.