Types of Levels of harm and related indicators/examples abuse and seriousness Level Lower Level Harm Significant Very significant Harm Critical May not meet the threshold for Section 42 Likely to meet threshold for Section 42 enquiry Serious criminal matter – enquiry. Outcomes may include advice, Immediate discussion with information, signposting to other agency, police required. Likely to assessment of need, care management/care result in urgent request for coordination, risk management, s.42 enquiry staff training, disciplinary or complaints procedures. Physical Error causing Isolated incident not Inexplicable marking Inappropriate Grievous bodily no/little harm, e.g. involving a staff or lesions, cuts or restraint harm/assault with weapon skin friction mark member grip on a number Withholding of food, leading to irreversible due to ill-fitting Inexplicable very light of occasions drinks or aids to damage or death hoist sling marking found on independence Minor events that one occasion Inexplicable still meet criteria fractures/injuries for Assault ‘incident reporting’ Sexual Isolated incident Verbal sexualised Sexualised touch or Attempted Sex in a relationship of teasing or teasing or masturbation without penetration by any characterised by unwanted harassment valid consent means (whether or authority, inequality or attention, either Isolated incident of Being subject to not it occurs within a exploitation, e.g. staff verbal or touching teasing or low-level indecent exposure relationship) without and service user (but excluding unwanted sexualised Contact or valid consent Sex without genitalia) which attention (verbal or sexualised Being made to look at consent (rape) has NOT been by gestures) directed behaviour which pornographic material Voyeurism committed by a at one adult by causes distress to the against will/where person in a another whether or person at risk valid consent cannot position of trust, not capacity exists - be given where this is not no harm or distress of a serious nature caused and the effect on the vulnerable adult is low.
Types of abuse and seriousness Levels of harm and related indicators/examples Level Lower Level Harm May not meet the threshold for Section 42 enquiry. Outcomes may include advice, information, signposting to other agency, assessment of need, care management/care coordination, risk management, staff training, disciplinary or complaints procedures. Significant Very significant Harm Likely to meet threshold for Section 42 enquiry Critical Serious criminal matter – Immediate discussion with police required. Likely to result in urgent request for s.42 enquiry Physical Error causing no/little harm, e.g. skin friction mark due to ill-fitting hoist sling Minor events that still meet criteria for ‘incident reporting’ Isolated incident not involving a staff member Inexplicable very light marking found on one occasion Inexplicable marking or lesions, cuts or grip on a number of occasions Inappropriate restraint Withholding of food, drinks or aids to independence Inexplicable fractures/injuries Assault Grievous bodily harm/assault with weapon leading to irreversible damage or death Sexual Isolated incident of teasing or unwanted attention, either verbal or touching (but excluding genitalia) which has NOT been committed by a person in a position of trust, where this is not of a serious nature and the effect on the vulnerable adult is low. Verbal sexualised teasing or harassment Isolated incident of teasing or low-level unwanted sexualised attention (verbal or by gestures) directed at one adult by another whether or not capacity exists - no harm or distress caused Sexualised touch or masturbation without valid consent Being subject to indecent exposure Contact or sexualised behaviour which causes distress to the person at risk Attempted penetration by any means (whether or not it occurs within a relationship) without valid consent Being made to look at pornographic material against will/where valid consent cannot be given Sex in a relationship characterised by authority, inequality or exploitation, e.g. staff and service user Sex without consent (rape) Voyeurism
hsab-levels-of-need-guidance-v4-110817.docx