Six key principles of safeguarding and their importance
The UK healthcare system is committed to ensuring that the principles and duties of safeguarding children, young people, and adults at risk are historically, consistently, and conscientiously applied and continuously monitored. Protecting a citizen's health, well-being, and human rights entails allowing them to live free from abuse, harm, and neglect. It is an integral part of providing high-quality healthcare and improving the patient experience.
All organisations in the UK should ensure that they implement safeguard policies and procedures so that every child and adult, regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, has a right to equal protection from all forms of abuse.
What are the 6 principles of safeguarding in the UK?
To achieve the goals of safeguarding, we must adhere to some fundamental safeguarding principles. In this article, we will be discussing the 6 key principles of safeguarding.
Safeguarding should be everyone's responsibility, and for that, we need to first understand the six principles of safeguarding, which include - Empowerment, Prevention, Proportionality, Protection, Partnership, and accountability. By following these six principles of safeguarding, we can ensure that the vulnerable are not abused. Here are the 6 principles of safeguarding in detail:
1. Empowerment:
The main motto of safeguarding is to protect everyone and enable them to live their lives on their terms. Empowering means encouraging and inspiring vulnerable children and adults to speak for themselves and take their own decisions.
So, before getting any treatment or providing any services, we must get the consent of the patient and give them a chance to make their own decision. However, in some cases, adults and children might not have the courage to do that. In such cases, the safeguarding officers need to encourage and motivate vulnerable people so that they have the choice to make their own decisions. In a nutshell, this principle involves supporting individuals to make informed decisions and providing them with the necessary resources and tools to do so.
2. Prevention:
There is a proverb that says "Prevention is better than cure," which means it is always better to take preventive actions before any harm or abuse occurs. As a result, prevention is one of the 6 key principles of safeguarding.
Every organisation and institution must proactively safeguard the children and adults under their care. In order to achieve this, they must spread awareness, identify potential risks, and explain the signs of harm to the people. Thus, every organisation should be more proactive than reactive regarding the safeguarding of children and adults.
3. Proportionality:
Among the 6 principles of safeguarding, proportionality is another key principle that ensures the actions that need to be taken on account of risk. Individuals will get to know about what intrusive methods we are using, how the investigation is going, and what kind of action an organisation takes to safeguard vulnerable children and adults. However, in order to put this principle into action, risk monitoring and identification are required. The response to any potential risk should be appropriate and proportionate to the level of risk presented.
4. Protection:
Protecting adults, children, and other vulnerable people from abuse, harm, and neglect is a major focus of safeguarding. It ensures the well-being of all individuals, regardless of differences.
Under this principle, everyone should recognise the types of risks that can occur and the methods of safeguarding that can be used to deal with those risks. Furthermore, to protect vulnerable adults and children, every organisation should raise awareness and implement a safeguarding system. The principle of protection is centred on providing support and representation for those in greater need, particularly when it comes to working with children in health and social care settings.
5. Partnership:
This principle of safeguarding emphasises the collaboration between the different organisations and the local community. Many organisations work with the local community and vulnerable children and adults to ensure their safety and well-being. The local community can keep in contact with vulnerable children and adults to ensure their safety and security. In short, a local service working in collaboration with communities can play a critical role in detecting, preventing, and reporting neglect and abuse. This could be children, young adults, or adults who are facing abuse and neglect.
6. Accountability:
Whether you are a safe keeper, carer, doctor, parent, relative, or friend, you must recognise and identify abuse and keep vulnerable children and adults safe from harm. Whenever you witness any maltreatment or abuse, you need the courage to speak up for each other and report that to the authorities. This will ensure the safety of vulnerable people.
How and why were the 6 principles of safeguarding created in the UK?
The main aim of safeguarding in the UK is to protect everyone, including children and adults, from any sort of harm, abuse, or neglect. By safeguarding the children and adults, the goal is to improve their lifestyle, motivate them to fight against what is wrong, and protect themselves. If a nation has to progress, it should ensure that its people are safe and sound, including those who are vulnerable. For this reason, it is important to have some laws in place to safeguard the vulnerable.
Why are the 6 principles of safeguarding important in the UK?
The 6 principles of safeguarding are crucial in the UK because they help safeguard children and adults. It not only guarantees the safety of the individual in the UK but also promotes safety and empowers people. Apart from safeguarding adults and children from abuse, harm, and neglect, it is also important for the below-mentioned purposes:
1. Preventing abuse, harm, or neglect before it could happen to any individual.
2. Raising awareness about basic human rights and empowering people to fight for their rights.
3. Respond to abuse and harm as soon as possible.
4. Providing safeguarding training and imposing the laws where needed.
5. Connecting with organisations and the local community that work in collaboration with vulnerable adults and children.
6. Ensuring the best care and support for children and adults.
These are some of the reasons why the government of the UK has created the 6 principles of safeguarding.
Nurses Group Homecare is the best care provider in Yeovil, UK. We provide our carers with training regarding safeguarding the rights of adults and children in the UK. To learn more about our offers, visit our service page.