Safeguarding adults in care is an essential - but sometimes challenging - responsibility for agency nurses and care assistants.
We're all human, and in some cases our own instinctual behaviour can get in the way of our ability to safeguard.
This is normal - the important thing is to be aware of when it could be happening, so we can fix it.
Here, as part of our ongoing safeguarding superheroes series, we'll call out four major barriers to safeguarding that can come from within ourselves, so we're ready to recognise them.
4 human behaviour barriers to safeguarding
1. Fear of speaking up
The thought of facing backlash or repercussions can send shivers down even the bravest care professional's spine.
If you see something that isn't right and needs changing, don’t overthink it and talk yourself out of saying something. It’s fairly common that as soon as you take the first step, others will follow.
Be the leader and a champion for those in your care.
2. Lack of awareness
Every care professional needs to hone their skills, and safeguarding is no exception. Awareness of how to spot safeguarding concerns is like a muscle you flex - the more you train it, the stronger it becomes.
If you feel you could brush up on your safeguarding knowledge, take our Safeguarding Adults L1&2 (Adult Support & Protection) inc Preventing Radicalisation course on Florence Academy for free.
The online course covers everything from understanding your own role and responsibilities when it comes to safeguarding, to recognising indicators of abuse, to documenting safeguarding concerns effectively.
3. Communication and collaboration challenges
If you're not a member of the permanent team of the service, it can be tempting to not get involved in safeguarding.
But even if you're on staff for just one shift, your duty is always to uphold the safety and wellbeing of everyone in your care.
If you spot a safeguarding concern, take a deep breath and speak to your team mates to find out the proper process for raising it.
4. Attitudes, values and cultural sensitivity
As agency nurses and care assistants, it's important to make sure every person in our care is heard and respected.
By mastering the art of communication and building trust with individuals from diverse backgrounds, we become real-life safeguarding superheroes who can decode a wider range of safeguarding situations.
Florence Academy's free Equality, Diversity and LGBT+ course for care professionals can help. The course covers what you should do if you have concerns about equality and diversity practices in your care setting, including how to use any local whistleblowing policies or procedures and other related policies such as Bullying at Work and Dignity at Work.
Now we're aware of the human behaviours that affect safeguarding, what about the barriers to safeguarding that exist outside ourselves? Find out more about how to tackle these here.
Find more about how Florence's governance team supports you professionally here, including how to report an incident to our team.
You might also be interested in:
- Six tips to de-escalate challenging situations on shift
- How to set yourself up for success on shift in 5 steps
- Working full time for the NHS vs an agency: which path to choose?
