Today Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and Minister of State for Older People and Housing, Kieran O’Donnell, launched Ireland’s first National Policy Framework for Adult Safeguarding in the Health and Social Care Sector.
This landmark policy framework aims to expand and strengthen adult safeguarding across the health and social care sector to ensure adults at risk are safeguarded effectively against abuse and harm.
It sets out a framework of measures to empower and support people to protect themselves, to reduce the risk of abuse occurring and to ensure concerns or allegations of abuse are reported and responded to quickly and effectively.
The government has today also approved the development of legislation to underpin commitments in the policy framework.
Significant elements of the policy include:
Minister Carroll MacNeill said:
“This Policy Framework sets out our commitment to developing a robust adult safeguarding system across the health and social care service. It provides for a holistic approach to safeguarding with an emphasis on empowerment, prevention and effective response and intervention.
“Everyone has a fundamental right to be safe. Abuse or neglect of any adult at risk of harm is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.
“We are committed to developing adult safeguarding legislation to underpin this policy and my department will be advancing this as a matter of priority next year.”
Minister O’Donnell said:
“As Minister for Older People, I am very pleased that we are publishing the first ever sector-wide policy framework on adult safeguarding for the Health and Social care sector. The framework balances legislative reforms with measures to drive a strengthened culture of safeguarding on the ground in every service.
"To be progressed as a matter of priority, the legislation will provide a comprehensive range of strong safeguards to ensure adult safeguarding operates effectively.
"A strong culture of safeguarding is critically important to improve the daily lived experience of adults at risk who use our health and social care services. I want to see a culture where poor care, poor practice or abusive and inappropriate behaviours are not tolerated and one in which high quality care, transparency and learning is promoted.”
Minister Foley said:
“I welcome the new policy on Adult Safeguarding in the Health and Social Care Sector, particularly due to the protections it will provide for disabled people. We know how important it is to ensure that every individual receiving support from health services and disability services is protected effectively against the risk of abuse and harm when necessary. Safeguarding is everybody’s business. We must all work together to ensure there is a focus on continually enhancing safeguarding across all services and indeed society.”
Amanda Casey, Chief Social Worker in the HSE said:
“I welcome this important national policy. This is another significant step towards embedding human rights at the core of health and social care services.
“This policy framework will require all service providers to take steps to ensure that all adults using their services are treated with dignity and respect, and that they are protected from harm. Policies which support good governance, which identify clear roles and responsibilities, which enable collaboration and cooperation, and which put the voice of the person using the service at the centre are important enablers of culture change across all services.
“This policy provides a roadmap for strengthening adult safeguarding in the coming months and years and the HSE looks forward to working with the Department of Health and with all partners and stakeholders to ensure full implementation across the health and social care sector.“
