Multi Agency Working Argumentative

In this essay, I will be evaluating the role of multi-agency working to reduce the risk of abuse of adults, with reference to legal frameworks, regulation, working strategies and procedures. The multi-agency policy & procedures was for prevention of abuse of vulnerable adults in the need of safeguarding. The multi-agency police apply to all vulnerable adults in need of safeguarding and all agencies will have contact with vulnerable adult in need of safeguarding. A multi-agency working is different models of multi-agency working together for the benefits of vulnerable adults. The important of multi-agency working together is that they are able to share information in order to protect vulnerable adults and prevent them from harm. The organisations which are both paid and unpaid are joining forces to work more cooperatively towards the preventative of abuse and harm for vulnerable adults. When working with other agencies is very effective for improving the outcomes for vulnerable adults.

By coming together and sharing information would raise concerns will increase the likelihood of protecting vulnerable adults and promoting their welfare which would mean fewer children have to face the terrible circumstances of what some other vulnerable adults have experienced. The safeguarding multi agency working policy includes a clear statement of the vulnerable adult’s right to live a life free from abuse and neglect and this message is actively promoted to the public. Each local authority has established a multi-agency partnership to lead safeguarding adults work. This outlines the multi-agency framework within planning, implementation and monitoring of safeguarding adults work. Each partnership agency has a clear policy that there are zero tolerance of abuse within the organisation and preventing abuse and neglect within service delivery. The purpose of the Multi-agency purpose is to describe the common values, principles and law that underpin the protection of vulnerable adult in need of safeguarding and to be able to define the different types of abuse, signs, symptoms and indicators.

They would also need to ensure that the information claims and incidents of an abuse is collected and monitored and reviewed in order to inform future practise. The multi-Agency Policy says that all agencies and individuals that have contact with vulnerable adults in need of safeguarding have a duty to protect them from abuse or any kind of maltreatment. If abuse is reported to or suspected by any person in any agency the response should be quick and in line with the Multi-Agency Procedures. The Multi-agency response would be to take the matter seriously and to be timely sensitive and maintain confidentiality as appropriate to each situation.

I f an abuse is reported the agencies would need to communicate between each other and to be consistent with the service principles and practise of each agency and policy. The multi-Agency also promotes the human rights and every citizen’s access to law and also ensuring they support the rights of individuals by respecting their self-determination and informed choice. The multi-agency also ensure they acknowledge risk as part of the vulnerable adults choice and decision-making to ensure the risk assessments are completed and that they are recorded and reviewed in order for the risk to be minimised. Multi-Agency ensure they are sensitive to every individual’s identity including culture, beliefs and ethnic background, gender, disability, age and sexuality to avoid any discrimination towards the vulnerable adults.

The principles and procedures of the Multi-Agency is that the most important consideration is the appropriate protection of the vulnerable adult in need of safeguarding and the appropriate protection takes alongside the need to ensure that vulnerable adults have self-determination and independence of choice. All the staffs who is involved in the Multi-Agency has the duty of care and must take professional and personal responsibility for responding to any concern about possible abuse. Moreover, all staff has a duty to share information appropriately and ensuring to act and cooperate with colleagues across all the agencies, consistent with this policy and the information sharing agreements and protocols. Any action being taken by the multi-agency must reflect a commitment to anti-discriminatory practise, to ensure that services are culturally appropriate, and to promote human rights. Multi-agency must ensure that all possible action taken must be with the knowledge and consent of the vulnerable adult concerned.

Those working in the Multi-Agency ensure that the staffs and volunteers have the appropriate support, training and supervision to carry out their role within this procedure and any internal procedures in a competent manner. To ensure that the staff can take actions which is required by the procedures and be able to investigate into an incident and ensure a meeting should be taken between relevant agencies. When those in the multi-agency are investing, alerted they would need to ensure they take the allegation seriously and their comment to be treated confidentially but their concerns may be shared if they or others are at risk. If they are a vulnerable adult they would be given immediate protection from risk and danger. All vulnerable adult are dealt with fairly and in a non-discriminatory manner and they would be kept informed of action that has been taken and it’s outcome as far as possible. However there are barriers to the multi-agency for example there could be a lack of commitment by one or more agency, which would mean information can be missed and vulnerable adults can be in danger due to the one or more agency that are not committed could result in mistakes.

Another barrier within the agency is that there would be different types of priorities between each of the agencies which can result in an argument of which priority is more important than which. Another barrier is the lack of charity over roles and responsibility which is staffs can have an argument and disagreement on what roles the staff to take due to the fact many staffs might want to take an important role. This would lead to the staffs and members to conflict over the roles and responsibility they want to take which can cause a lot of problems and which could mean the staff paying less attention on vulnerable adult. Working with a Multi-agency has been said to be difficult due to the fact a recent study about working and safeguarding adults found that working with multi –agency was viewed as time consuming, hard to coordinate and with the multiple agencies involved a difficult means by which to reach an agreement in decisions making.

The problems about multi-agency was that it was said to be time constraints meaning there wasn’t enough time to do the certain things they can do. When working within multi-agency is that there was a heavy workloads; indicating that there was a lot to do. The staff also had different shift patterns and working days which would have made it more difficult for them to communicate and coordinate. The multi-agency would involve the working with families and carers; multi-agency meetings is an effective way of bringing together those professionals who are working closest with a family and this can be a small and informal the family is central in deciding who attends and how the plan is

formulated. The family would also decide alone with the professionals supporting them the frequency of their meeting and families find it easier to having a lead professional, this is someone who acts as their first point, they tell and inform this first point so it’s less confusing and it can then be echoed by other professionals supporting the families. Multi-agency would ensure that families are feeling supported and listened to and ensure there isn’t any communication errors and time delays for everyone’s input and to make sure this is done fast no time should be wasted. Overall, the multi-agency is there in ensuring the protection of vulnerable adults and ensuring they are not being abuse or being discriminated upon. The multi-agency ensures they work together for the greater good for the vulnerable adults.

Bibliography:

Miss Harris PowerPoint
http://www.rutland.gov.uk/pdf/Multi%20AgencySafeguarding%20Adults%20Policy.pdf