Good practice safeguarding in general practice
Publication date: 03 June 2019
The RCGP is working towards the vision that the safeguarding of adults and children will be embedded into every day routine general practice and become a normal part of our ongoing holistic care.
GPs as well as all primary care staff, play a key role in safeguarding people of all ages by providing care throughout their lifetime. Patients and their families allow us into their lives, often at times of great distress, to support and help them. This is a great privilege but also gives us great responsibility. It is when we get into the realms of safeguarding that these two roles, privilege and responsibility, most clearly meet. Combining these roles enables us to be powerful advocates for our most vulnerable patients.
The RCGP is working towards the vision that the safeguarding of adults and children will be embedded into every day routine general practice and become a normal part of our ongoing holistic care.
Our short Good Practice Safeguarding Video demonstrates the important role every practice team member plays in safeguarding patients.
National standards and policies
Adult Safeguarding: Roles and Competencies for Health Care Staff
The Royal College of Nursing adult safeguarding library outlines the professional standards that all staff at healthcare organisations will need to meet if they are to be involved in adult safeguarding. The guidance aims to safeguard anyone over the age of 18 at risk of abuse, harm or neglect because of their need for care and or support, who is unable to safeguard themselves.
Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competencies for Healthcare Staff
Published in January 2019, the Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competencies for Healthcare Staff intercollegiate document provides a clear framework which identifies the safeguarding competencies for all staff, clinical and non-clinical, who work in any healthcare setting.
The safeguarding intercollegiate documents provide a robust framework to ensure that primary care staff are equipped for their safeguarding duties.
The RCGP supplementary guide to safeguarding training requirements (PDF file, 534 KB) for all primary care staff provides a brief summary of the safeguarding training requirements for all who work in a primary care setting (clinical and non-clinical staff).
Domestic abuse
Domestic violence is an abuse of human rights and a major public health problem because of the long-term health consequences for people who have experienced it. Many people experiencing abuse believe that their GP can be trusted with disclosure and GPs can offer practical support to protect people who disclose abuse.
Please find below a range of domestic violence resources.
- IRIS is a practice based training, support and referral programme that can be commissioned locally. IRIS provides domestic violence and abuse training for general practice teams and specialist support for those experiencing DVA.
- Responding to domestic abuse: a resource for health professionals is an excellent resource for all health professionals. We advocate that all GPs/GP trainees consult this document directly for learning and guidance.
- Guidance for health professionals on domestic abuse looks at important aspects relating to preventing an identifying domestic violence and abuse and supporting those affected.
- The Hideout is a website for children and young people who are experiencing domestic abuse.
- SafeLives have a Pathfinder Toolkit for GPs as well as a series of Spotlights on groups of domestic abuse victims who may be 'hidden' from services or who may face additional barriers to services.
- Counselling Directory provides information on domestic violence such as spotting the signs of a violent relationship and the psychological effects that come with it. It allows visitors to find a counsellor close to them for domestic violence support.
- Mind is a useful resource to assist patients who have disclosed they have suffered from domestic violence.
- Respect run a phone line for perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse and for men experiencing domestic violence and abuse.
For detailed and specific guidance on recording domestic abuse information (including MARAC – Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference) in the patient record, go to Section 3 of the Adult Safeguarding Toolkit.
Training resources
RCGP eLearning Resources
- Group Learning Matters: Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults
- Safeguarding people with a vulnerability to radicalisation
- First5 Library: Consulting with patients
- Adult safeguarding toolkit
- Child safeguarding toolkit
eLearning for Health (e-LfH) Resources
- Safeguarding Adults (SGA) Programme
- Safeguarding Children & Young People (SGC) Programme
- Standard 10: Safeguarding Adults Course
- Standard 11: Safeguarding Children Course
- Healthy Child Programme (HCP) 04 – Safeguarding
- Geriatric Medicine (MCE) Elder Abuse / Safeguarding older adults
- Mental Capacity Act and Adult Safeguarding
- MindEd Thematic View - Safeguarding and legal issues
- MindEd Healthy Child Mental Health Framework - Healthy Child 0-5: Safeguarding
- Statutory and Mandatory Training (SMT): Safeguarding Adults - Level 1
- Statutory and Mandatory Training (SMT): Safeguarding Adults - Level 2
- Statutory and Mandatory Training (SMT): Safeguarding Children - Level 1
- Statutory and Mandatory Training (SMT): Safeguarding Children - Level 2
- Disability Matters Learning Packages – Universal: Safeguarding Basics
- Safeguarding Basics: Safeguarding Matters
- Excellence in Practice; Disability Matters: Safeguarding Matters
- Looking after children and young people with additional needs: Safeguarding Matters
- Disability Matters for General Practice: Safeguarding Matters
- Disability Matters for Perpetual Fostering: Safeguarding Matters
- Travel & Leisure - Aspire Disability Matters eLearning: Safeguarding Matters
- Community - Birmingham PHAB Camps Mixed Camps: Safeguarding Matters
- Birmingham PHAB Camps Breakfree and Freedom: Safeguarding Matters
- Birmingham PHAB Camps PACE: Safeguarding Matters
- Disability Matters for Equipment Advisors: Safeguarding Matters
- Contact - For Families with Disabled Children Contact – Rights & the World Around Me - Safeguarding Matters
About the writer
RCGP have produced an adult safeguarding and child safeguarding toolkits for general practice.
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