Adult Social Care Glossary, v 0.6

Care and Support Statutory Guidance 14.17 Organisational abuse Including neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home, for example, or in relation to care provided in one's own home. This may range from one off incidents to on-going ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.

Types of organisational or institutional abuse:
Discouraging visits or the involvement of relatives or friends
Run-down or overcrowded establishment
Authoritarian management or rigid regimes
Lack of leadership and supervision
Insufficient staff or high turnover resulting in poor quality care
Abusive and disrespectful attitudes towards people using the service
Inappropriate use of restraints
Lack of respect for dignity and privacy
Failure to manage residents with abusive behaviour
Not providing adequate food and drink, or assistance with eating
Not offering choice or promoting independence
Misuse of medication
Failure to provide care with dentures, spectacles or hearing aids
Not taking account of individuals' cultural, religious or ethnic needs
Failure to respond to abuse appropriately
Interference with personal correspondence or communication
Failure to respond to complaints

Harm that is caused to people by poor care or support provided by an organisation, caused not just by the actions of individuals but by the way the organisation works (such as their routines or structures). It can happen in care homes, hospitals, schools and other places.