Safeguarding adults: from realism to ritual

This study employed Augusto Boal ’s model of Forum Theatre to explore how a variety of professional and lay groups understood, related to and engaged with how the Care Act 2014 defines and describes ‘adult safeguarding’. Findings Lay participants responded to the scenario in a variety of ways, upholding the construct valid ity of ‘adult safeguarding’ and the authority of the social worker. Social care and health practitioners sought orderly, professionalised and sometimes ritualistic solutions to the ‘adult safeguarding’ scenario presented, seeking carefully to structure and to manage lay involvement. Inter-pr ofessional collaboration was often problematic. The role of lay advocates was regarded ambiguously and ambivalently. Originality/value This paper offers a number of practice and research recommendations. Safeguarding practitioners could benefit from more effective and reflexive inter-professional collaboration. Both practitioners and service users could benefit from the more thoughtful deployment of the lay advocates encouraged within the Care Act 2014 and associated guidance.
Source: The Journal of Adult Protection - Category: Global & Universal Source Type: research