Unit name: Safeguarding and Protection in Care Settings
Learning outcome: 4. Understand the national and local context of safeguarding and protection from abuse
Assessment criteria: 4.5 Identify when to seek support in situations beyond your experience and expertise
We have already spoken about how to seek support about safeguarding and the protection of individuals and many of these sources should also be used if you seek support in situations that are beyond your experience and expertise.
You should be aware of the scope of your role in the safeguarding process – it would not ordinarily be your responsibility to investigate suspicions of abuse but you should always report them and follow them up to ensure that they are being dealt with.
Support should be obtained from your manager primarily, however you may be required to escalate concerns to senior management. You may also need to speak to other agencies, using your employer’s whistleblowing procedure, such as the local authority or the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
If you have health or medical concerns, you should seek professional advice from a doctor or other specialist (e.g. nurse, psychologist, dietitian etc.)
If you require support with legal issues, then the Police may need to be contacted.