UNIVERSITY OF BEDFORDSHIRE

BA HON HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Title: A case study of a65-year-old widower Mr. Atkins

Student number:

Submission date:
Introduction

"Safeguarding" means ensuring that an adult's right to a life free of abuse and neglect is not
violated. When it comes to protecting the well-being of vulnerable adults, it's all about working
with each other to avoid abuse and neglect while also attending to the adults' preferences,
emotions, and beliefs when making decisions about what to do (Koubel, 2016). Securing an
adult's right to a secure and healthy life free of abuse and neglect was also established by the
2014 Care Act. To protect the well-being of people at risk, organizations that work with children
and adults do everything they can to work with other groups in the same field to solve any
problems that may arise (Betts, et al., 2014).

A client (Mr Atkins) needs to be safeguarded from self-neglect, psychological manipulation,

illicit substance misuse, and other issues that might compromise his health if effective
safeguarding tactics and remedies are not implemented quickly enough. This case study is for Mr
Atkins. Healthcare professionals (adult social workers) protect service users from the dangers
mentioned above (Griffith, 2015).

A vulnerable adult is described as a person over the age of 18 who relies on others for help with
fundamental activities or who has a severe disability in the capacity to speak and so has a
diminished ability to defend themselves from attack, abuse, or neglect. Children under the age of
18 and older adults who are particularly vulnerable are the most prevalent targets of safeguarding
practices. Everyone has a role to play in protecting children and the elderly from harm, and there
are a variety of procedures in place to help guard against abuse (Koubel, 2016).

Health and social care professionals are needed to assist Mr Atkins, a vulnerable adult who has
been abused and neglected by friends and family members. Mr Atkins' abuse and neglect need
the assistance of an adult social care agency for this case study. When working with individuals
over 18, an adult social worker is responsible for offering professional social work or
occupational therapy guidance, conducting evaluations, and reviewing outcomes person-centred
(Gunnell & Bennewith, 2005). An adult social worker can help further limit his risk factors by
protecting Mr Atkins from potential risk factors that might affect his health and help him in
obtaining high-quality healthcare. For vulnerable people like Mr Atkins, these are the
responsibilities of an adult social worker (Betts, et al., 2014). However, below further explains
the role of a professional adult social worker.

Social work arose as a receptive skill in the mid-20th century, and by the late 1950s, it had
become a full-fledged job. The social work profession was not officially acknowledged until the
1932 census. In order to ensure the safety of vulnerable individuals, social workers recreate an
essential role in conducting comprehensive assessments of vulnerable people before developing
therapeutic interventions and carrying them out. Social workers also work with at-risk older
adults to protect their well-being during challenging times (Koubel, 2016).

As an adult social worker, one must get to know the service user on a comprehensive basis to
establish the best strategy to engage with them toward successful development. Mr Atkins'
personal, contextual, and cultural methods are examined in this phase by the adult social worker
to understand more about Mr Atkins' dependent care backgrounds, connections, and work
experiences and the challenges he has faced in each system. For Mr Atkins to have a better grasp
of his situation, the areas he wishes to focus on, and the qualities he brings to therapy, he must
first undergo an analysis. The adult social worker will better understand how to work with Mr
Atkins to build an effective care plan after the evaluation is complete (AGCAS editors, 2019). 

An adult social worker create and implement a treatment Plan for vulnerable people like Mr
Atkins by developing a treatment strategy to help him survive, recuperate from, or adapt to his
current position. Mr Atkins and the adult social worker collaborate to identify the objectives and
criteria for Mr Atkins' well-being. To assist Mr Atkins in achieving his goals, treatment
programs often include one-on-one personal treatment programs and group or family
psychological counselling tailored to a particular difficulty he is facing. Treatment strategies
must be adaptable. New issues or crises are brought to light whenever an objective is achieved.
Referring Mr Atkins to other services, such as service organizations and medical specialists,
might also be part of the plan (Jacques, 2011).

Also, when it comes to developing and executing a plan of care, there is often more involved
than simply "psychological treatment." In many cases, Mr Atkins will benefit from being linked
to assistance programs and government organizations such as local charities, healthcare and
employability assistance, and government-sponsored benefits such as safety net programs by a
social worker (Pengelly, 2016). It is the job of an adult social worker to refer Mr Atkins to
medical specialists for more treatment and support services tailored to Mr Atkins' needs so that
he can be more productive in his wellness activities.

Furthermore, social work professionals evaluate and Monitor improvement: As soon as therapy
begins, the adult social worker evaluates Mr Atkins regularly to ensure that he is progressing
toward his objectives following the criteria outlined when his intervention was developed. To
determine how the adult social worker can keep helping Mr Atkins and whether or not the
existing approaches are working, the goals must be established (Pengelly, 2016). For example,
the care plan may need to be adjusted if new issues or evidence are revealed during therapy, if
objectives have been fulfilled, or if a crisis occurs during treatment. The key is to stay adaptable
to assist Mr Atkins in achieving his purposes most efficiently (Flynn, 2011). After assessing the
duties of a social worker, there is a need to evaluate the safeguarding risks and concerns for the
vulnerable adults like (Mr. Atkins) as explained below

Mr. Atkins experiences some level of psychological abuse. Psychological abuse is the act of
causing damage to someone's psychological condition. Examples include: isolating Mr Atkins
because there was no record of effective communication between Mr Atkins and his family
members; depriving Mr Atkins of formal contact regarding his situation with anyone else;
humiliating Mr Atkins because he was harassed and verbally abused by his friend Joe
overpayment of bills in his own home; Mr Atkins being overly controlled by Joe because of his
health and wellbeing status not being disclosed (Flynn, 2011).

Mr. Atkins experiences some level of physical abuse. This involves beating, shoving, whipping,
drug abuse, physical constraint, or imposing inadequate penalties. The absence of assistance,
care, and protection led to Mr Atkins falling from the stirs, which may have caused severe and
long-lasting injuries. Even while the bruises and wounds he sustained due to his accident may
not seem very serious in the short term, the long-term consequences might be disastrous. It is
possible that Mr Atkins' diabetes was made worse by physical abuse because he could not get
care and treatment, family support, or social services while he was isolated (Tracy, 2012).

Mr. Atkins experiences financial or Material Abuse. Among the offences listed are deception,
extortion, and exploitation; coercion in the creation of wills, assets, or any transactional forgery;
abuse or mismanagement of property and eliminating benefits, among other things. Mr Atkins
was extorted and used by Joe, who persuaded him that he was expecting a significant monetary
payoff and borrowed £500 from him, which he refused to repay, embezzling and using Mr
Atkins to make choices against his will (Curtice, et al., 2011).

Mr. Atkins experiences neglect and Acts of omission. This involves failing to provide sufficient
healthcare, psychosocial, or support programs, disregarding physical and therapeutic care
requirements, and denying essentials of life such as medicine and correct nourishment, among
other things. Following the case study, Mr Atkins was subjected to self-neglect since his family
members could not notice his predicament and were unwilling to speak with him. Mr Atkins had
not had a shower at the time of the incident and had lost his sense of personal cleanliness,
evident in his demeanour. It was always a source of pride for him to have dreadlocks, but they
are now twisted and rigid. There is little evidence that he has tried to clean his room, which has
deteriorated over time (Tracy, 2012). After evaluating the risks experienced by Mr. Atkins, there
is a need to assess available action plans by an adult social worker as explained below.

Vulnerable individuals are often exploited and mistreated. The brutal murder of Steven Hoskin in
Cornwall in 2006, for example, prompted calls for more security to be provided for vulnerable
people in the UK, such as Mr Atkins, who was murdered in his home. In the same way that Mr
Atkins allowed Joe to live with him in his house and afterwards grew unkind to Mr Atkins, he
was cruelly tortured and murdered by those he let into his home after they purported to be his
friends, so it was with Joe. People who work for social services and in the medical field didn't
know what was going on with Hoskin, which showed that the system didn't do an excellent job
of protecting him (Curtice, et al., 2011).

In this scenario, an adult social worker can assist Mr Atkins in navigating challenging times and
ensure that he is protected from additional abuse and neglect. They have to help Mr Atkins in
achieving better results in his life. They retain professional contact with Mr Atkins and serve as
advisors and advocates on his behalf. They may have to use their professional judgment to make
hard decisions that Mr Atkins may not always agree with, as in some cases (Gunnell &
Bennewith, 2005). To safeguard Mr Atkins from abuse and neglect several working practices
and strategies are discussed below.
Keeping patients safe is a responsibility that all health and social care workers share.
Professionals from several fields work together to protect individuals from danger. To ensure Mr
Atkins is safe, it is necessary to look into his current position and find out whether there are any
gaps in his medical treatment. Those who are in danger should be safeguarded as quickly as
possible. There should be an ongoing connection between the two when it comes to protecting a
person. As a result, the following sections will talk about working with adults in the United
Kingdom to keep them safe from abuse (Jacques, 2011).

Several working methods and tactics developed by government and non-government

organizations have been used to reduce the number of incidents of abuse in health and social
care. Healthcare facilities at the national and local level are required to adhere to a code of
conduct to safeguard the rights of patients and their families. Individuals like Mr Atkins are
protected from abuse and neglect thanks to laws and legislation such as the Care Protection Act,
the Data Protection Act, the Sexual Offence Act, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Population Act,
etc. (Brammer, 2015).

Predicting Mr Atkins' likelihood of abuse is another approach to keeping him safe by

recognizing abuse risk variables. Risk factors, such as Mr Atkins's poor health and low
socioeconomic status, are discovered and examined. If it seems that he is at risk, he receives
additional care and protection as necessary (Brammer, 2015). Adult social workers, for example,
are informed about the warning signs of abuse and self-harm so that they can quickly identify
and intervene when necessary. Many seminars and training sessions are held regularly to keep
them informed of any changes or new rules and maintain the general welfare of service
consumers. To empower and protect service users, relevant agencies work together,
communicate with them, and engage them in the decision-making process (Limber & Small,
2003).

However, there is an effectiveness of the existing working practices and strategies. As a result of
current working practices and strategies such as communicating effectively in healthcare and
criticism policies and proper techniques of all information and data and a whistle-blowing policy,
vulnerable people like Mr Atkins can be protected from all forms of abuse, including sexual
assault. To ensure that individuals are getting high-quality services in a secure setting, higher
authorities do frequent inspections and provide training courses. There are a few drawbacks and
flaws to these methods, and a few adjustments are still needed to make them even more
successful (Peate & Potterton, 2011).

As a broad phrase, "abuse" is not well covered by current tactics. It is difficult to verify the
crimes of specific perpetrators, while others go unreported because people are afraid to talk
about them. In many care facilities, individuals are still subjected to prejudice or neglect because
of their socioeconomic status or other cultural considerations. There is still a lack of protection
for vulnerable individuals like Mr Atkins, who are at risk of being abused in their own homes.
There are still areas in the system that needs to be improved to ensure the safety and
empowerment of service users, notwithstanding the efforts of health professionals and other
service providers (Stevens, 2013).

Furthermore, there are possible improvements in existing working practices and strategies to
safeguard Mr Atkins from abuse and could be better if the following steps and tactics were taken:
The concept of "abuse" has to be clarified in corporate laws and regulations so that all large and
little acts of abuse or injury to others are encompassed, regardless of their severity. Make
installing CCTV cameras inwards, private rooms, reception areas, and other people's places must
be done. There will be strong evidence that people were abused or neglected (Pengelly, 2016).

A 24-hour hotline must be established so that people in need or the family members of those they
care about may reach out for assistance, encouragement, and safety. To ensure the public's
safety, it should be made mandatory to preserve a record of all those who have been found guilty
of abuse. Both reform and reinforcement of legislation about domestic violence protection are
required. When there are hearings about abuse or damage, they should be taken more seriously,
and the person who did it should be punished very harshly (Stevens, 2013).

It is possible to significantly raise the efficacy of existing practices and tactics by implementing
these changes or reforms. Individuals may be given a more secure and safe environment devoid
of the danger of abuse (Mandelstam, 2008). 
Finally, it can be deduced that there are some groups of people, such as older individuals,
children under the age of 18, females, and disabled people, who are at a greater risk of being
abused physically, cognitively, sexually, or monetarily, whether in health and social care
facilities or private settings such as their own homes. In this case study, it is the responsibility of
health care providers, such as adult social workers, to cooperate and collaborate with the
authorities and other responsible agencies to protect vulnerable people like Mr Atkins by
guaranteeing that they are provided with a safe and secure place. Different laws, regulations,
rules, and tactics have been developed to empower these individuals. Still, much more must be
done to prevent people from being mistreated, mistreated against, or ignored.
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