Safeguarding is about protecting children, young people, and adults at risk from abuse or neglect. It is everybody’s responsibility. Swansea University is committed to providing a safe environment for students, staff and visitors and recognises its additional safeguarding responsibilities to children under the age of 18 and to adults at risk.
Safeguarding definitions:
- Child/U18: Anyone under the age of 18.
- A young person: is a term which refers to individuals aged 16 and 17, who remain legally defined as a child, but who possess more legal rights than those aged under 16.
- Child at Risk: The definition of a child at risk means a child who:
- is experiencing or is at risk of abuse, neglect or other kinds of harm
- and has needs for care and support (whether the local authority is meeting any of those needs).
- Adult at Risk (sometimes known as a vulnerable adult): The definition of an adult at risk means an adult who:
- is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect,
- has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs), and
- as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
Examples might include individuals who:
- have learning disabilities;
- has mental health problems including dementia;
- is an older person with support/care needs;
- is physically frail or have a chronic illness;
- has a physical or sensory disability;
- misuse drugs or alcohol;
- has autistic spectrum disorder.
Abuse
Abuse can be physical, sexual, psychological, emotional or financial and includes taking place in any setting, whether in a private dwelling, an institution, or any other place.
- Abuse involves the mistreatment of a child or adult at risk.
- Abuse can be caused by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent harm, and can be perpetrated by adults and/or children.
Neglect
Neglect means a failure to meet a person’s basic physical, emotional, social or psychological needs, which is likely to result in an impairment of the person’s wellbeing (for example, an impairment of the person’s health or, in the case of a child, an impairment of the child’s development).
- Neglect is likely to result in the serious impairment of an individual’s health or development.