Adult at Risk Abuse

What is Adult at Risk Abuse?

Adult at Risk of Abuse is one of the three threads under safeguarding. However, Adult at Risk and Elder Abuse are managed jointly under legislation and the Wales Safeguarding Procedures.

An adult at risk is defined by the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 as “an adult who:

• Is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect
• Has needs for care and support
• As a result of those needs is unable to protect themselves against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.”

 According to the Wales Safeguarding Procedures:

“the use of the term ‘at risk’ means that actual abuse or neglect does not need to occur before practitioners intervene, rather early interventions to protect an adult at risk should be considered to prevent actual abuse and neglect…”.

Abuse can be physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, financial or neglect. The abuse can take place in any setting, whether in a private dwelling, an institution or any other place. A number of these can be linked to other topics that are covered on this website, including (but not limited to) VAWDASV, Modern Slavery and Exploitation, and criminal exploitation.

Prior to the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014 adults at risk were known as vulnerable adults, a term frequently still referred to within the criminal justice system. An adult may be identified as being at risk due to mental capacity (including dementia), physical or emotional health and wellbeing, being an unpaid carer or other protected characteristics.

The victim must be 18 years old or older. If they are under 18 then the abuse falls under the category of child abuse.