Organisational abuse

Organisational abuse (or Institutional abuse) is when a person is abused or mistreated within an institution such as a care home or hospital, or by an organisation providing care in the person's own home. It can involve systems, policies, or cultures within an organisation that fail to protect people or actively harm them.

It can include one-off incidents or long-term mistreatment and can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of inadequate resources, structures, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.

The abuse may happen because of a culture that denies or restricts privacy, dignity, choice and independence, and involves the collective failure of a service provider or an organisation to provide safe and appropriate services, and to ensure that the necessary preventative and protective measures are in place.

Detection can prove challenging, particularly when staff modify their behaviour during visits—a practice sometimes referred to as disguised compliance.

Organisational abuse can include:

• a run-down or overcrowded environment.
• an inflexible routine, no choice offered, such as food, drink, dress or activities.  
• insufficient staff or high staff turnover resulting in poor quality care.
• abusive and disrespectful attitudes towards people using the service.
• not offering choice or promoting independence.
• not taking account of individuals religious, belief or cultural background.