Supporting sexual safety

Everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, deserves equal access to opportunities and services, and their safety should always be protected. It is a basic human right for people to express their sexuality and, where needed, people should be empowered, offered support and protection when they use health and social care services.

The Care Quality Commission's (CQC) (2020) report regarding sexual safety through empowerment considers how adult social care services can keep people who use them safe from unwelcome sexual incidents. It also examines how service providers can offer support to people so as to express their sexuality. The report reveals that the CQC received and analysed 661 statutory notifications of 899 sexual incidents or incidents of alleged sexual abuse that took place over a 3-month period in 2018 in adult social care services in England. The data cited are only incidents that have been reported; these statistics should be the catalyst necessary to stop such abhorrent abuse from continuing or at the very least reducing incidence.