National Standards for Adult Safeguarding – joint standards by HIQA and the MHC

All adults have a right to be safe and to live a life free from harm. Harm can come in many forms, and it affects people differently. But harm always impacts on the rights we are all entitled to enjoy.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the Mental Health Commission (MHC) have developed National Standards for Adult Safeguarding to help health and social care services reduce the risk of harm, promote people’s rights, health and wellbeing, and to empower people to protect themselves.

Having National Standards for Adult Safeguarding in place allows for a consistent approach to preventing and responding to harm if it does occur. The standards outline a way of working for health and social care services and support the development of a culture where safeguarding is embedded into practice rather than being viewed as a separate activity.