Organisational or institutional abuse

Organisational abuse occurs when a setting such as a hospital, care home or mental health hospital, or an organisation like a care agency, fail to provide a standard of care and treatment which causes harm to a person. Examples of this include not providing sufficient staff which results in poor quality care, not offering people a choice (for example a choice of food, clothes, or activities), and a lack of dignity and respect (for example not treating people kindly, calling them names or not giving them privacy when they request it).

Organisational abuse is different to neglect in that it is more of a culture throughout the organisation; with lots of people being affected

Indicators of Organisational Abuse can include:

• inflexible and non-negotiable systems and routines
• lack of consideration of dietary requirements
• name calling; inappropriate ways of addressing people
• lack of adequate physical care, for example, an unkempt appearance
• withholding care or medication