The Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Partnership work to safeguard vulnerable adults.

We are committed to preventing the abuse of adults and responding promptly when abuse is suspected or alleged.

Safeguarding can be described as:

Working in partnership with a 'person centred' focus to actively promote the empowerment and well being of the vulnerable person by supporting their human rights to make decisions for themselves, reducing all risks of harm, taking action when legal, necessary and proportional to the circumstances that can be defended in the courts.

Definition of Vulnerable Adult

A vulnerable adult is any person aged 18 years or over who:

• is or appears to be eligible for Local Authority/Mental Health Services' assistance by reason of mental ill health, physical or learning disability, illness or age related frailty
• may be unable to take care of him/herself or unable to protect him/herself against significant harm or exploitation.

What is Adult Abuse?

Abuse is mistreatment by any other person or persons that violates a person's human and civil rights. The abuse can vary from treating someone with disrespect in a way which significantly affects the person's quality of life, to causing actual physical suffering.

Abuse can happen anywhere - in a residential or nursing home, a hospital, in the workplace, at a day centre or educational establishment, in supported housing, at home or in the street.

Where the abuse or neglect is motivated by reasons of age, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, racial, religious or disablism; or occurs in a domestic violence situation; or perceived as a Hate Crime: the abuse will be considered to be aggravated by these factors.

Disablism means discriminatory oppressive or abuse behaviour arising from the belief that disabled people are inferior to others.

Hate Crimes are any incident which constitutes a criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice and hate.

Types of Neglect

Neglect is the deliberate withholding or unintentional failure to provide appropriate and adequate care and support.

• Failure to keep the person clean, warm and in good health
• Failure to provide reasonable care
• Failure to give prescribed medication
• Failure to give privacy and dignity
• Failure to provide supervision for behaviour which could be dangerous
• Failure to access medical care or technical aids
• Failure to provide nourishment
• Failure to manage tissue viability 

Section 44 Mental Capacity Act 2005 states "Anyone who has a duty of care to a person who lacks capacity is guilty of an offence if they deliberately or recklessly ill treat that person or if they wilfully neglect that person."

Types of Abuse

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is the physical ill treatment of an adult which may or may not cause physical injury such as:

• Assault
• Hitting, slapping, scratching
• Misuse or withholding medication or treatments
• Unwarranted or inappropriate restraint and forced isolation
• False imprisonment or abduction
• Pinching Shaking
• Pushing
• Rough handling causing injury
• Rough handling

Sexual Abuse

The involvement of individuals in sexual activities, to which they have not had the freedom and capacity to give their informed consent to before and during the act, may not fully comprehend or that violate the social taboos of family roles such as:

• Rape or attempted rape
• Sexual assault by penetration
• Sexual assault
• Inappropriate touching
• Indecent exposure
• Non contact abuse - for example pornography
• Sexual harassment
• Causing or inciting a person to engage in sexual activity without their consent.

Psychological Abuse

Psychological abuse results from being repeatedly made to feel unhappy, anxious, afraid, humiliated or devalued by the actions or inactions and/or attitudes of others. This includes:

Emotional abuseFear Humiliation or ridiculeHarmful effects of strict family or honourForced MarriageThreats of punishment or exclusionIntimidation, for example name calling, threats, shouting, verbal abuse.

Discriminatory Abuse

Discriminatory abuse is psychological abuse and harassment that is racist, sexist or linked to a person's age, disability, sexual orientation, cultural background or religion.

Discriminatory abuse includes:

• Racial harassment
• Harassment based on gender or sexual orientation
• Insults or harassment based on a person's age, race, disability, gender, religion, sexuality or immigration status
• Denial of cultural or religious needs

Financial Abuse

Misappropriation of an individual's funds, benefits, savings etc or any other action that is against the person's best financial interests, for example:

• Theft of money, possessions, property or other material goods
• Misuse of money
• Fraud or extortion of material assets
• Persuading a vulnerable adult to enter into a financial agreement which is to their detriment

Abuse is a crime

Abuse is a crime and you should involve the police to investigate the crime and prevent someone else from being abused. If the police are involved we will work with them and with you to support you.

If you are worried about contacting the police you can always contact Social Services to talk things over first on 01332 717777.

If immediate action is needed the Emergency Services should be contacted by dialling 999.

If abuse is reported to Social Services, a member of staff will come and talk to the person as quickly as possible.

If there is immediate danger we will aim to visit you or the person about whom you are concerned straight away.

If there is a significant risk of harm we will aim to visit within 24 hours.

For other reports of abuse we will normally visit within 5 working days.

The person dealing with the report will work with the person who is being abused to help them make any decisions. They will provide help and support in taking action to try to end the abuse and enable them to ensure it does not happen again.

You may want someone to contact us on your behalf and to nominate someone to speak and act for you.

We will not normally do anything or share information with other people without the permission of the person who is being abused. The only exception to this is in situations where others may be at risk of abuse or the person is not able to make decisions for themselves because of mental disability.

Contact Details

Derby City Council area

• You can call Derby City Adult Social Services on 01332 717777 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
• If your call is outside these hours contact Derby Care Line on 01332 256066.

Derbyshire County Council area

• Telephone Derbyshire County Council's Call Centre Call Derbyshire on 0845 605 8058 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday for details of who you can speak to in your local area.
• If your call is outside these hours contact the Derbyshire County Council Social Services emergency duty team on 01773 728222.

Police

• Derbyshire Police - 0845 123 3333
• Community Safety Unit - 01332 258400
• In an Emergency 999

Useful Links

Ministry of Justice 

Crown Prosecution Service 

Department of Health 

National Care Standards Commission 

Adult Protection Policy & Procedures  123kb, 17 pages 

Ann Craft Trust  - The Ann Craft Trust is a national charity working with professionals to protect children and adults with learning disabilities from abuse. They provide training, consultancy, advice and information as well as conducting research and publishing resources on adult protection.

Action on Elder Abuse  - Action on Elder Abuse is a charity working to protect, and prevent the abuse of, vulnerable older adults. The work is fundamental to challenging elder abuse in the UK.