No Secrets
About
No Secrets
In March
2000, the Department of Health published the document No Secrets
- guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies
and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse.
The Department
of Health instructed that all statutory agencies work together to
help ensure vulnerable adults ar protected from abuse. A committee
had to be formed, made up of all relevant agencies and procedures
to be in place by October 2001 to help and protect vulnerable adults.
Definitions
and examples of abuse
Defining
abuse is complex and rests on many factors. The term “abuse”
can be widely interpreted. However, “abuse” is defined
in the Department of Health No Secrets guidance as the “violation
of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person
or persons.” You can view or download this guidance by clicking
on the image at the bottom of this page.
Abuse may
happen as the result of deliberate intent, negligence or ignorance.
Here are some examples of abuse.
Physical
abuse
This includes hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, misuse of medical/chemical
restraint or inappropriate sanctions.
Sexual
abuse
This includes rape and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the
vulnerable adult has not, or could not, consent and/or was pressured
into consenting.
Psychological
abuse
This includes emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation
of contact, humiliation, verbal or racial abuse, isolation or withdrawal
of services or supportive networks.
Financial
or material abuse
This includes theft, fraud, exploitation; pressure in connection
with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions; or
the misuses or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits.
Neglect
and acts of omission
This includes ignoring medical or physical care needs, failure to
provide access to appropriate health, social care or educational
services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication,
adequate nutrition and heating.
Institutional
abuse
This is repeated instances of poor care of individuals or groups
of individuals. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice
as a result of structures, policies, processes and practices within
an organisation. While this in no way condones the abusive practice
on the part of individuals, it recognises the powerful influence
that organisational culture has on individual behaviour.
The above
should not be considered an exclusive or even exhaustive list of
the types of abuse which can be experienced by vulnerable adults.
