Dental Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults

Each dental professional has a statutory duty of care to their patients, a part of which is making sure safeguarding measures are in place. Safeguarding training is crucial for anyone working with, or coming into contact with, children and/or vulnerable adults as part of their role, which dental professionals often do. This is why each member of the dental team must be trained in dental safeguarding. Safeguarding means protecting people's health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. Dental professionals are uniquely positioned to spot and identify injuries to the head, eyes, ears, neck, face, mouth and teeth, in addition to noticing other welfare concerns. Dental professionals will also identify risks to oral and general health that stem from poor oral hygiene and dental neglect. In many cases, patients can disclose abuse or other indicators of it. Where a patient appears to have been subjected to suspected deliberate harm, dental practitioners must provide any essential emergency dental treatment and arrange any further medical treatment as necessary. If the patient is in need of urgent medical attention or is in immediate danger, the dental practitioner must call the authorities. With every patient, dental professionals should listen to what is being said, as well as pay attention to non-verbal clues like body language. Dental professionals should always put the patient’s interests first and raise concerns if they believe the patient is at risk. It is also imperative they keep detailed records of their observations, as these can help in the identification of safeguarding concerns.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) stipulate that each person working in a dental practice has an up to date safeguarding training certificate. These have an expiry date as laws and guidance surrounding safeguarding are updated frequently in line with newly identified needs. As such, dental professionals must be aware of these changes and will need to renew their certification. The level of safeguarding training dental professionals require depends on the role they perform. Each person working in the practice will need to take an introductory level safeguarding course, however, Dentists will also need to complete safeguarding training at Level 2. Should you work in a specialist role, you may be required to study a Level 3 and above.

If a dental professional develops a safeguarding concern, it is their duty to share all relevant information with professionals and agencies who must be informed. Dental professionals are often uncertain as to whether their concerns should be acted upon. In these cases, the dental professional should seek advice from a professional with expertise in safeguarding. Dental professionals do not need the consent of the vulnerable adult or child to make a safeguarding referral. If the dental professional does not have the consent of the adult or child, parents or carers to share this information, risk assessments of the at-risk individual should be undertaken and detailed advice sought from the relevant local safeguarding contact.

The 6 Principles of Safeguarding as defined by The Care Act 2014 are: 1. Empowerment - Support individuals and encourage them to make their own decisions and informed consent, 2. Prevention - Take action before harm occurs, 3. Proportionality - Deliver the least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented, 4. Protection - Support and representation for individuals with the greatest need, 5. Partnership - Find local solutions through services that work with their communities. Communities can help prevent, detect and report neglect and abuse, 6. Accountability - Accountability and transparency in safeguarding practice

Dental professionals can quickly and easily recall their safeguarding roles and responsibilities by remembering the 5 R’s of safeguarding: Recognise – Know the signs and indicators of abuse and neglect, Respond – Respond in an appropriate manner, Report – Report your safeguarding concerns to your Safeguarding Lead or Practice Manager, Record – Record everything you see and hear when it comes to a safeguarding incident, Refer – If there is genuine cause for concern, refer them to the correct authority.