understanding Safeguarding isn’t just a policy or a checkbox on a compliance form it’s a core responsibility that sits at the heart of every care professional’s role. Whether you work in senior care, disability services, or mental health support, safeguarding means protecting people’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect.

But what does that really mean in practice? And what should every care professional know and do to uphold the highest standards of safeguarding?

 UNDERSTANDING SAFEGUARDING ?

 understanding Safeguarding refers to the actions taken to promote the welfare of vulnerable people and protect them from abuse, harm, or neglect. In the care sector, it often applies to children, older adults, and individuals with physical or mental vulnerabilities.

There are six core principles of safeguarding, outlined by the Care Act 2014:

1. Empowerment  supporting people to make their own decisions.

2. Prevention  acting before harm occurs.

3. Proportionality  responding in an appropriate and measured way.

4. Protection  supporting those in greatest need.

5. Partnership  working with other agencies to ensure safety.

6. Accountability  maintaining transparency in safeguarding practices.

Why It Matters

For care professionals, safeguarding isn’t optional it’s essential. Failing to identify or report concerns can lead to serious consequences, both for the individual at risk and the organisation providing care.

Vulnerable individuals often rely on their caregivers to notice signs others might miss: unexplained injuries, sudden behavioural changes, or a decline in mental wellbeing. By staying alert and informed, care workers can be the first line of defence in preventing harm.

What Every Care Professional Should Know

Here’s what every care worker, nurse, support worker, or manager needs to understand:

1. Know the Signs

Abuse and neglect take many forms, physical, emotional, sexual, financial, and institutional. It’s crucial to recognise even subtle warning signs. These could include:

• Unexplained bruises or injuries

• Withdrawal or fearfulness

• Missed medications

• Unclean living conditions

• Reluctance to speak around certain individuals