Adult safeguarding inequalities in Northern Ireland: a mixed methods exploratory study

Abstract

Abuse of adults is recognised as a serious social and public health issue. Adult Safeguarding (AS) has become the central policy and practice response aimed at protecting adults whose personal characteristics or life circumstances place them at risk of harm. Research on Adult Safeguarding at local, national, and international levels is limited in scope and quantity. Where available, the focus primarily addresses individual (micro) and interpersonal factors. This study aimed to address this gap by employing an ecological framework and utilising a mixed methods approach to examine the relationship between area-level deprivation and the rates and outcomes of Adult Safeguarding interventions in Northern Ireland. Findings evidenced that the rate of AS screening and adult protection plans decreased as area-level deprivation decreased. This linear pattern was not evident with AS investigations. Females and individuals aged 65 years and older had consistently higher rates of AS screening, investigations and adult protection plans across deciles. Three primary themes were identified from the AS stakeholders' participation in three focus groups and one mini focus group. They included individual factors that may increase the rates of AS screening and interventions, as well as structural factors and neighbourhood characteristics in areas of both high and low deprivation. This study evidences that AS factors beyond the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim influence referrals and outcomes. The findings can potentially inform policy and practice in Northern Ireland with the potential for broader application.

Thesis is embargoed until 31 December 2027.

Date of Award	Dec 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	Northern Ireland Department for the Economy
Supervisor	Lisa Bunting (Supervisor), Lorna Montgomery (Supervisor) & Nicole Gleghorne (Supervisor)