More support and information are needed to ensure adults with learning disabilities know how to report concerns about safeguarding and what the process involves in Norfolk.
This concern has emerged in a report just published by Opening Doors, an organisation which supports people with learning disabilities across the county and is run by people with learning disabilities.
It partnered with Healthwatch Norfolk to carry out some work into the issue and an Easy Read report about it has just been published at www.healthwatchnorfolk.co.uk/reports/safeguarding-adults-with-learning-disabilities
Safeguarding, which means protecting people from harm, abuse, or neglect – particularly if they are vulnerable or young – was an area which members of Opening Doors felt was a priority.
They wanted to gather evidence about the issue and created workshops where they could hear people’s views.
What did we find?
In total, 55 adults with learning disabilities took part. Some were members of Opening Doors and some were not.
More than half (53%) said they did not know what safeguarding meant and just nine per cent said they knew how the process worked.
Although some people taking part did know what physical and emotional abuse were, there was poor understanding of organisational abuse, modern slavery, and discrimination.
Fear and worry also stops people reporting a concern, and respondents also wanted to confide in someone they trusted.
There was also feedback that contacting Norfolk County Council by phone and finding the right person to speak to could be challenging if you had learning disabilities.
The Opening Doors team findings included:
A need for awareness training for adults with learning disabilities to make sure they know what safeguarding is.
Encouraging people with learning disabilities to support each other in recognising and reporting abuse.
Norfolk County Council should introduce more accessible ways to report safeguarding backed by better staff training so people with learning disabilities feel heard and supported when raising safeguarding concerns.
In the report, based on the feedback they received, Opening Doors made the following recommendations:
- Provide education so everyone has a better understanding of safeguarding, abuse, and reporting methods. Community group and other organisations could deliver training in Norfolk.
- Address barriers to reporting so it is simpler for people to highlight concerns by phone.
- Make clear, simple, and accessible information available in the places and spaces used by adults with learning disabilities.
- Community development is important, so work should be done with people with learning disabilities to address what the problems are, rather than what people may think they are.
As well as publishing the report, Healthwatch Norfolk is also sending a formal letter to Norfolk County Council, NHS Norfolk and Waveney, and Norfolk Police highlighting the recommendations and asking how each organisation is going to act as a result.
Reaction
Alex Stewart, Chief Executive of Healthwatch Norfolk, said: “The work by Opening Doors has exposed some gaps in the awareness and knowledge of safeguarding among people with learning disabilities in the county.
“It is important that everyone knows the processes around safeguarding, and we would urge that they are made as simple as possible.
“Training backed up with that all-important peer support and making the process of phoning with a concern simpler could all make a big difference if put in place.”
Find out more in the video below:
There is a subtitled version of the video below:
