Jargon Buster - Abuse and neglect Category

Harm that is caused by anyone who has power over another person, which may include family members, friends, unpaid carers and health or social care workers. It can take various forms, including physical harm or neglect, and verbal, emotional or sexual abuse. Adults at risk can also be the victim of financial abuse from people they trust. Abuse may be carried out by individuals or by the organisation that employs them.

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• Abuse and neglect

Related Jargon

• Neglect

A sign of suspected abuse or neglect that is reported to the local council or identified by the local council.

More commonly referred to as a ‘safeguarding concern’.

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• Abuse and neglect

Related Jargon

• Abuse
• Adult at risk
• Neglect
• Safeguarding
• Vulnerable adult

An official list of people who, due to things they have done in the past, are unsuitable to work or volunteer with children or with adults who may be at risk of harm or abuse.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check shows whether or not a person is on the barred list.

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• Abuse and neglect

Related Jargon

• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

A diagram of a body that information about physical injuries can be shown on.

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• Abuse and neglect

Related Jargon

• Abuse

A meeting that is usually held when a person is believed to be experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect.

The purpose is to discuss the person’s situation and their wishes and decide what should happen next. The meeting will be attended by people who know the person, like their doctor, community nurse or social worker. The person (or their representative) should also be invited to the meeting.

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• Abuse and neglect

Acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse used to harm, punish or frighten a person, and behaviour designed to make a person feel inferior and/or dependent by keeping them apart from friends, help and support.

It can include taking advantage of a person’s money and things they have, limiting their freedom, and controlling what they do.

It is a type of domestic abuse.

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• Abuse and neglect

Acts designed to make a person subordinate or dependent. This could range from separating people from sources of support to exploiting them. It can also involve depriving them of their freedom.

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• Abuse and neglect

A government organisation that checks people’s criminal records, in order to prevent unsuitable people from working with children or adults who may be at risk of harm or abuse.

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• Abuse and neglect

Related Jargon

• Barred list

An incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse by someone who is or has been an intimate partner or family member, regardless of gender or sexuality. It can include: psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse; ‘honour’ based violence; Female Genital Mutilation; forced marriage.

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• Abuse and neglect

An incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse by someone who is or has been an intimate partner or family member, regardless of gender or sexuality. It can include: psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse; ‘honour’ based violence; Female Genital Mutilation; forced marriage.

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• Abuse and neglect

Where someone insults, humiliates, or threatens a person. Sometimes called psychological abuse, emotional abuse includes threats of harm, abandonment, deprivation of contact or support, blame, intimidation and isolation.

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• Abuse and neglect

A marriage where one or both partners do not or cannot consent to the marriage but are forced into it using physical, psychological, financial, sexual or emotional pressure.

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• Abuse and neglect

A personal plan for young people and adults with a learning disability about how to stay healthy and what help and support they may need to look after their health.

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• Abuse and neglect
• Health and health care

When someone in a person’s family or community hurts them for bringing ‘shame’ or a ‘bad name’ to the family or community.

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• Abuse and neglect

A worker who supports people at high risk of harm from their partner, ex-partners or family members. IDVAs work to secure people’s safety and the safety of their children.

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• Abuse and neglect
• Workforce

Harm that is caused to people by poor care or support provided by an organisation, caused not just by the actions of individuals but by the way the organisation works (such as their routines or structures). It can happen in care homes, hospitals, schools and other places.

Categories

• Abuse and neglect

Related Jargon

• Abuse

An approach to safeguarding adults who are at risk of, or experiencing, abuse and neglect. The approach focuses on people rather than process. The response to the safeguarding situation is determined by the person, who is fully involved in decisions and has choice about, and control over, what should happen next to improve their quality of life, wellbeing and safety.

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• Abuse and neglect

A regular meeting in local areas where information is shared between different organisations (such as the council, police, health services and others) about people who are at high risk of domestic violence or abuse. The organisations at the meeting discuss how to help people who are at risk of harm, and create an action plan to make them safer.

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• Abuse and neglect
• Joined-up health and social care

Related Jargon

• Safeguarding

When a person isn’t given the care and support they need. This could include:
– ignoring a person’s medical, emotional or physical care needs
– failure to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or educational services, and
– withholding things a person needs, like medication, enough food, and heating.

Categories

• Abuse and neglect

Related Jargon

• Abuse
• Safeguarding

Abuse, neglect and poor care practice within an institution such as a hospital or care home, for example, or in relation to care provided by an organisation in a person’s own home. It may range from one off incidents to on-going ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.

Categories

• Abuse and neglect

Related Jargon

• Abuse
• Safeguarding

A type of abuse that includes assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, the misuse of medication, restraint, and inappropriate physical punishments.

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• Abuse and neglect

A type of abuse that includes emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, cyber bullying, isolation, and taking away services or supportive networks without a good reason.

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• Abuse and neglect

A place that provides people with shelter and protection. For example, a safe house for women and children who are experiencing domestic violence.

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• Abuse and neglect

Where someone who has been the victim of harm such as abuse or neglect has the opportunity to talk to the person who has harmed them about the impact their actions have had. The person who has caused the harm then has an opportunity to try to put things right.

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• Abuse and neglect

Safeguarding means protecting people’s right to live in safety, free from abuse or neglect.

Adult safeguarding aims to prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect to adults who require care and support, and to stop abuse or neglect where possible. All adult safeguarding work should be underpinned by principles of empowerment, prevention, proportionality, protection, partnership and accountability.

If a local council suspects that a person is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect, it must begin a safeguarding enquiry.

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• Abuse and neglect

A Board that every local council must have to oversee and lead adult safeguarding in their area.

Safeguarding Adults Boards are made up of people working in different organisations, including the local council, NHS and the police, who work together and share information.

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• Abuse and neglect

A review that must be arranged by a Safeguarding Adults Board when an adult in its area dies as a result of abuse or neglect, whether known or suspected, and there is concern that partner agencies could have worked more effectively to protect the adult. Reviews must also be arranged if the Board knows or suspects an adult has experienced serious abuse or neglect but has not died.

The aim of the review is to find out what happened and what needs to change to prevent future deaths or serious harm.

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• Abuse and neglect

Where it appears that an adult who requires care and support is experiencing or at risk of abuse and neglect and is unable to protect themselves.

Any safeguarding concerns should be referred to the person’s local council.

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• Abuse and neglect

If it appears to a local council that a person is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect, the council must carry out a safeguarding enquiry and decide with the adult in question what action, if any, is necessary and by whom.

The enquiry is the action taken or put in place by the local council in response to a concern about abuse and neglect. An enquiry can range from a conversation with the adult or their representative or advocate, through to a more formal plan involving different organisations.

Categories

• Abuse and neglect

Restricting someone’s movements by leaving them alone in a room or separate space that they cannot leave, in order to prevent them hurting themselves or someone else. The person should be supervised, and the room will not necessarily be locked. This should only be done for a limited amount of time, which should be stated in the person’s support plan.

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• Abuse and neglect

This refers to Section 42 of the Care Act 2014, which states that a local council must make (or cause to make) a safeguarding enquiry if it has reasonable cause to suspect that an adult in its area:
a) has needs for care and support (whether or not the local council is meeting any of those needs)
b) is experiencing, or at risk or, abuse or neglect, and
c) as a result of those needs is unable to protect themselves against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.

Categories

• Abuse and neglect
• Law and legislation

When a person intentionally hurts themselves, which can include cutting and self‑poisoning.

There are lots of reasons why a person may self-harm, including as a way of communicating distress, to change emotional pain into physical pain, to punish themselves, and to express suicidal feelings and thoughts.

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• Abuse and neglect

Where someone demonstrates lack of care for themselves and or their environment and doesn’t want any assistance or support from other people or services.

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• Abuse and neglect

An inquiry that is organised by the local council after a person dies or is injured and abuse or neglect is suspected. Serious case reviews look at lessons that can be learned to prevent similar events occurring in future.

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• Abuse and neglect

Related Jargon

• Safeguarding

A type of abuse that includes rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure, sexual assault and sexual acts to which a person has not consented or was pressured into consenting.

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• Abuse and neglect

A type of sexual abuse that happens when a person is encouraged or tricked into sexual activity by another person or group of people in exchange for things they might want or need, like money, gifts, drugs, status or affection.

Sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact and can occur through the use of technology.

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• Abuse and neglect

People or groups who have an interest in what an organisation does, and who are affected by its decisions and actions. When an organisation such as a local council or NHS trust is planning to make changes to the way it works or the services it offers, it may involve stakeholders.

Categories

• Abuse and neglect