1. Home
  2. Adult social care and health
  3. Providers and professionals
  4. A guide for personal assistants
  5. Working with Adult Social Care clients
  6. Safeguarding and mental capacity of clients
Print all pages


Safeguarding and mental capacity of clients

Safeguarding

Safeguarding means protecting someone’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. There are many different types of abuse.

Everyone has a duty to report abuse or neglect. This is called reporting a safeguarding concern.

You can view the Sussex Safeguarding adults policy and procedures which cover East and West Sussex and Brighton and Hove,

If you are worried that a client is being abused, neglected or exploited, phone Health and Social Care Connect (HSCC) on 0345 60 80 191.

We also provide training on identifying safeguarding concerns on the East Sussex Learning Portal.

Mental capacity

Mental capacity is the ability to make your own decisions. If someone appears to lack mental capacity, Adult Social Care will do a mental capacity assessment. If this shows the person does not have mental capacity, a person or organisation will be appointed to manage their affairs.

The Mental Capacity Act is the law we must follow. It has five key principles:

  1. Assume people have capacity.
  2. Provide support for people to make decisions for themselves.
  3. Remember people who make unwise decisions may still have capacity.
  4. Actions taken must be in the best interests of the person who lacks capacity.
  5. The less restrictive option must be considered first.

If you support a client who lacks capacity, it is important to remember that they may have capacity to make some decisions. Any actions taken on their behalf must be in their best interests. For more information see: Mental capacity.