Safeguarding in health and social care: Progressive, proactive and preventative actions for practice

There have been many prominent cases and issues in the news which have raised the issue of safeguarding as a very important in society today. These cases have emphasised that serious harm that can occur in the absence of appropriate safeguarding. This means that safeguarding is everybody’s business and safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. This chapter focuses on outlining the difference between a narrow and a wide definition of safeguarding, the significance of this difference and how this is reflected in legislation, key factors that can limit safeguarding issues and concerns, and it details nine actions for effective safeguarding. This provides a clear understanding of what safeguarding is, and also a clear outline of progressive, proactive and preventative actions to limit safeguarding issues and concerns.