Are you Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults?

Much is often made of the need to protect children and young people, but it is equally important to ensure that vulnerable adults are safeguarded too. Indeed, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Outcome 7* encompasses safeguarding both children and vulnerable adults who use your services from abuse. Given that the public have the right to feel safe and secure whilst on your premises and could complain to the CQC if they don’t, it is very important that you comply.

To ensure you meet the standard, it is strongly recommended that everyone in your practice undertakes training such as the EduCare ‘Protecting Vulnerable Adults’ course, and then periodically checks their knowledge is current and their awareness is high by taking a ‘Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults’ test. The test is important because the longer ago initial training was undertaken, the more knowledge and awareness fade, especially given the busy nature of the typical practice day.

EduCare for Health

Your practice has the EduCare for Health online learning service containing 12 essential duty of care courses. Both the full ‘Protecting Vulnerable Adults’ course and the ‘Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults’ test are included. The short test is especially designed for people who have previously completed vulnerable adult training. It consists of a questionnaire with 20 questions, including 2 that are based on thought-provoking scenarios.

In addition to keeping staff aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and using it as a tool to risk assess, the test can be used to:

• Pre-screen job applicants who say they have received training – it will provide clear evidence of their knowledge and how up-to-date it is.

• Form part of your induction process. Use it to benchmark staff and determine where further training is needed.

• Contribute to CQC pre-inspection assurance. It provides current evidence that safeguarding has a high focus in your practice (certificates are dated).

Much more about both the full ‘Protecting Vulnerable Adults’ and the short ‘Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults’ test is available on the EduCare for Health online learning service.

All EduCare for Health courses have been written by experts and have their own downloadable certificates so that learning can be evidenced to the CQC. Also, all the courses have been independently verified for continuing professional development.

Keep awareness of safeguarding high in your practice by encouraging everyone to complete the course and/or the test.

*Essential Standards of Quality and Safety. March 2010

What providers should do to comply with Section 20 regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

If you would like to read the standards online, please click here.

Return to news