Organisational abuse

Neglect or poor professional practice or incidents due to the structure, policies, processes, or practices within an organisation, resulting in ongoing neglect or poor care.

Non-reportable concerns

Examples of isolated incidents where no other similar concerns have been identified and that do not need to be reported as a safeguarding concern include:

• Incident of insufficient staffing but where there is no impact.
• Short-term lack of stimulation or opportunities to engage in meaningful social and leisure activities and where there is no impact.
• Care planning documentation is not person-centred or does not involve the person or capture their views.
• Poor quality of care or professional practice that does not result in harm, albeit the person may be dissatisfied with service.

Concerns requiring consultation

More serious incidents will require internal consultation, through relevant organisational policies and procedures and senior leadership as well as potentially through the Sussex Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures and other organisations being made aware.

• Increased monitoring or support for a specified period.
• Complaints or disciplinary processes.
• Share information with the ICB Quality Team and/or the CQC.
• Share information with local Commissioning Services (the local authority or ICB).
• Follow managing allegations process and consideration of PiPOT /LADO.

Examples that require external consultation with the relevant Adult Social Care department, and could lead to a safeguarding concern needing to be submitted, include:

• Longstanding rigid and inflexible routines that are not always in the person’s best interests but can be addressed by support.
• Recurrent poor care or practice which is not person-centred, lacks management oversight and is not being reported to commissioners
• Unsafe and unhygienic living environments that could have had an impact on the person or have caused minor injury but requiring no external medical intervention or consultation.
• Denying adult at risk access to professional support and services such as advocacy.
• Complaints raised with the provider in relation to services, but no action taken (e.g., whistleblowing).

Reportable concerns

Serious incidents need to be formally raised as a safeguarding concern with the local authority Adult Social Care department. Consideration should also be given as to whether the police or other emergency services need to be contacted. Professional curiosity is important and a Think Family approach if children or other adults may be impacted.

In these cases, it is important that you consider additional actions to contacting the local authority. These include:

• RAISE SAFEGUARDING CONCERN
• If there is an indication a criminal act has occurred, the police must be consulted.
• Immediate safety plans must be implemented.
• Follow managing allegations process and consideration of PiPOT/LADO.

Examples of reportable concerns include:

• Staff misusing their position of power within a service.
• Failure to refer disclosure of abuse or improve poor care practices.
• Single or repeated incident of low staffing resulting in injury, or death to one or more adults.
• Widespread, consistent ill treatment, e.g., unsafe manual handling.
• Punitive responses to managing challenging behaviours, e.g., misuse of medication, inappropriate restraint.
• Longstanding rigid and/or inflexible routines that undermine dignity and privacy.