ROI Adult Safeguarding
SECTION B: Context
Unlike Child Protection, Adult Safeguarding does not have a single piece of legislation under which there are statutory responsibilities on agencies to respond to concerns of abuse.
Key relevant legislation within the Republic of Ireland is as follows:
- National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012
- Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information of Offences against Children and Vulnerable
Persons) Act 2012
The Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015 is soon to become practice and proposes three types of decision making support options to respond to a wide range of support needs that people may have in relation to decision making capacity.
In 2014, the HSE produced the national policy and procedures ‘Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse’.
This policy states:
The Social Care Division is committed to the safeguarding of vulnerable persons from abuse. It acknowledges that all adults have the right to be safe and to live a life free from abuse. All persons are entitled to this right, regardless of their circumstances. It is the responsibility of all service providers, statutory and non-statutory, to ensure that, service users are treated with respect and dignity, have their welfare promoted and receive support in an environment in which every effort is made to promote welfare and to prevent abuse.
All services must have a publicly declared ‘No Tolerance’ approach to any form of abuse and must promote a culture which supports this ethos. All policies and procedures must promote welfare, reflect inclusion and transparency in the provision of services, and promote a culture of safeguarding. A core governance responsibility of all services is to ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures and associated practices are in place and appropriate to the services provided.