People’s experiences of adult safeguarding services - A review of services in Cornwall and the UK

Healthwatch Cornwall report - People’s experiences of adult safeguarding services - A review of services in Cornwall and the UK

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Safeguarding Adults Board commissioned Healthwatch Cornwall to undertake research with adults in our area to understand peoples’ experiences of adult safeguarding services. We have spoken to service users from across Cornwall, who have shared with us their experiences of safeguarding and this information has allowed us to draw out many insights into the services, which are already being used to shape service improvement.

Healthwatch coverThe final report found that 'there is extensive good practice in safeguarding services. However, not all experiences of safeguarding services are equal and there remains a high degree of variability in the support people receive. Moving forward, creating a safeguarding culture and process that gives service users and safeguarding professionals clear expectations on what ‘good’ looks like is vital to making safeguarding truly personal.'

Findings evidence the requirement on professionals to build good relationships and work in partnership with adults, carers and their families. Adults need to be supported by safeguarding professionals they can trust, provided with clear, consistent information on safeguarding, have regular communication about their circumstances and the value the support of advocates and family and friends throughout safeguarding processes. 

Fiona Field, Independent Chair of Safeguarding Adults Board for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly states:

"Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Safeguarding Adults Board were delighted to work with Healthwatch Cornwall to find out about local people’s experiences of adult safeguarding. The report describes many people’s experiences, some very good and others not good enough - these highlight how things need to change to improve the experience of safeguarding processes . It is really important that vulnerable people feel fully involved in their safeguarding experience and that they are kept at the centre of the care. The Board have accepted the report’s recommendations in full and will now be working on the improvements identified in the report. I would like to thank all the individuals who contributed their time and safeguarding experiences across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We have an excellent report that gives us very clear messages about what to improve and why. There will be a follow up piece of work later this year to check that services have improved and that the experience of safeguarding is consistently personal to individuals".

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