Assessment

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Assessment
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1. Legally, abuse only occurs when the abuser
intends to cause harm

1. True
2. False

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Correct Answer is 2 - False

• Abuse can be unintentional. Negligence or
  ignorance can lead to abuse without anyone
  meaning to. Similarly, abusers are not
  necessarily bad people. They may be victims of
  circumstances and need help and support
  themselves. Nevertheless, for the individual who
  is experiencing abuse, the intention of the
  perpetrator is not that relevant. Thats why, if
  you suspect abuse (whether it appears to be
  deliberate or not), you need to report it to
  ensure that appropriate actions are taken to
  protect the victim.

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2. At what age may an individual be classed as a
vulnerable adult?

1. 16 and over
2. 18 and over
3. 21 and over

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Correct Answer is 2 18 and over

• A vulnerable adult means a person aged 18 or
  over. It is exactly the same for all groups,
  regardless of any disability, emotional state or
  physical characteristics.

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3. You suspect that someone is being abused. At
which stage should you report the abuse?

1. When you have acquired evidence
2. Straight away
3. After you have discussed the situation with
   colleagues
4. You shouldnt, suspicions arent enough to
   warrant reporting abuse

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Correct Answer is 2 - straight away

• If you ever suspect that someone is being abused,
  you should report it whether you have evidence or
  not. Dont keep suspicions of abuse to yourself,
  but avoid talking about it with colleagues as
  this may jeopardise any inquiry, as well as
  undermine the privacy and rights of both the
  vulnerable adult and the alleged perpetrator.
  Referring your concerns to the appropriate adult
  protection team or individual means that
  information can be logged and decisions made
  regarding any action that should be taken.
  Remember that it is not your job to gather
  evidence. Indeed, by trying to get further
  information of abuse, you can put yourself or the
  vulnerable adult at risk.

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4. If you suspect adult abuse in the workplace,
who might you report this to?

1. Designated safeguarder
2. Police
3. Social services
4. Any of the above

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Correct Answer is 4 Any of the above

• Normally, suspicions of abuse would be reported
  to the designated individual or team responsible
  for safeguarding. However, in some circumstances
  you may need to report this elsewhere. If you
  witness or suspect that there is a risk of
  immediate harm to a person you must act
  immediately to protect their safety. In this
  instance, you may need to contact the police.
  You are also entitled to report potential
  safeguarding issues directly to social services
  if you wish.

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5. If you suspect an adult is being abused, in
what circumstances would sharing information with
an appropriate person without the individual
adults consent be justifiable

1. It is only justifiable if there is evidence that
   the individual is suffering or is at risk or
   suffering significant harm
2. It is justifiable to share information in every
   circumstances, with or without consent

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Correct Answer is 1 it is only justifiable if
there is evidence that the individual is
suffering or is at risk of suffering significant
harm

• You should always obtain consent if possible.
  However, in very exceptional circumstances,
  disclosure without their consent may be justified
  if you believe someone may be at risk of harm and
  you are acting in their best interests. These
  decisions are often complex and you must assess
  each situation carefully.

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6. Karl is a fit and healthy 35 year old man who
is in hospital for a minor, privately funded
cosmetic surgery. Which of the following is
true?

1. Karl is not a vulnerable adult at this point in
   his life
2. Karl is a vulnerable adult whilst he is in
   hospital
3. Karls condition does not make him vulnerable, if
   it was more serious he would be
4. Private patients do not have the same rights as
   other patients in state-funded healthcare

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Correct Answer is 2 - Karl is a vulnerable adult
whilst he is in hospital

• As a healthy man, Karl is not the stereotype of a
  vulnerable adult, but it is important to
  recognise that anyone who needs care is
  vulnerable at that time. Hence, all patients
  need exactly the same protection

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7. Someone who is being abused may not tell
anyone because they are ashamed

1. True
2. False

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Correct Answer is 1 - true

• It is a sad fact that many people who are abused
  are ashamed of their situation or themselves.
  The nature of some abuse may mean that victims
  come to see the abuse as being their fault. As a
  result, they might think that no-one would
  believe that or that they dont deserve help.
  There are other reasons why a person may not
  disclose abuse. They may be afraid of punishment
  or believe that they will be put in an
  institution. Thats why if someone does overcome
  these feelings and tell you, you must report the
  allegation to ensure that they get the help that
  they need. You might be the first person theyve
  told. If you dont act, they may not feel able
  to tell anyone else in the future.

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8. Which of the following would constitute
discriminatory abuse?

1. A group of friends laughing at a racist joke on
   youtube
2. A colleague avoiding talking to someone because
   he is scared of them
3. A nurse refusing to provide reproductive advice
   to a lesbian because her religious belief is that
   gay people should not have children
4. A male colleague believes that women are worse
   drivers than men and that female paramedics
   should not be allowed to drive ambulances

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Correct Answer is 3 - A nurse refusing to provide
reproductive advice to a lesbian because her
religious belief is that gay people should not
have children.

• Discriminatory abuse is when someone picks on a
  vulnerable adult or treats them unfairly because
  something about them is different, such as
• Clothes
• Weight
• Race or skin colour
• Religion or culture
• Being a man or a woman
• Being a gay man or a lesbian woman
• Their age
• Problems with their health or disability.
• Hence, only C is discriminatory abuse it is
  unacceptable to refuse care on these grounds,
  whatever beliefs the individual has. The key
  issue here is that the individual was not able to
  access their rightful services. In answers 1 and
  4 there is evidence of potentially discriminatory
  views, but there is no legislation on what people
  should think. It is actions that matter. In
  answer 2, there is too little detail on why the
  individual was scared they may have very good
  reason to be.

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9. Someone discloses to you that they are being
abused. What should you do?

1. Reassure them that they have done the best thing
   and are safe now
2. Document the incident as soon as you can
3. Find out from your colleagues if they know of
   anything
4. Tell your boss

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Correct answer is 2 - Document the incident as
soon as you can

• Its important that you report the situation as
  soon as you can. Follow your organisations
  reporting guidelines and dont tell anyone else
  who doesnt need to know. Good reporting is
  about providing accurate documentation, so it is
  vital that you accurately note what you were told
  whilst it is still fresh in your memory. After
  all, you may be called upon to explain this at a
  later date. Try and be as reassuring as you can
  when an individual is telling you their story,
  but remember not to make promises to them that
  you cant keep.

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10. Which of the following would be seen to be a
vulnerable adult?

1. A sex worker
2. An 85 year old woman who lives on her own
3. A person in need of community care services

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Correct Answer is 3 - A person in need of
community care services

• The term vulnerable adult is used by the home
  office to describe ANYONE who is, or may be
• in need of community care services because they
  have a mental or other disability, age or
  illness
• unable to take care of him or herself.
• unable to protect him or herself from harm or
  exploitation
• the people described in answers 1 and 2 MAY be
  vulnerable, but this does not mean that they
  cant look after themselves.

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THANK YOU End of the assessment