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, 319 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 part 2B of the RCGP safeguarding toolkit.

Training resources

RCGP eLearning Resources

eLearning for Health (e-LfH) Resources

About the writer

RCGP have launched a safeguarding hub for general practice.