What is safeguarding?

Everyone has the right to live a happy safe life, free from abuse and neglect.

Safeguarding is about working together to support adults to make decisions about the risks they face in their own lives and protecting those who lack the mental capacity to make these decisions.

Safeguarding children means protecting children from physical, emotional, sexual abuse or neglect. It also means improving their life chances by supporting children to grow up to be confident, healthy, and happy adults.

How do you safeguard someone?

	Someone, whether that’s our colleagues, a member of the local community, friend or family member needs to let us know about the suspected abuse or neglect.
	We will first speak to you to understand your situation and understand your wishes.
	We will then work with you, offering advice and guidance to help you to make informed decisions
	We will get your consent before referring you to Adult Safeguarding (unless there is a risk of harm to you or others, in which case we may need to make a referral without consent)
	We will work with Adult Safeguarding, you and any other services identified to make sure you receive the support that you need
	We will refer children at risk of abuse and neglect to Childrens Safeguarding Partnerships in accordance with ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023’.

How to recognise if someone may need safeguarding

Anti-social behaviour	Home environment	Possessions	Mental health
Are they specifically being targeted with anti-social behaviour because of their characteristics?	Is it in an unkempt state, do they no longer take pride in cleaning their home?	Is the home hoarded or cluttered as they cannot part with personal possessions?	Do they not seem themself, are of low mood, anxious, or at risk of harming themself or others?

Money matters	Self-neglecting	Domestic abuse	Children
Do they have little or no food, unpaid bills, unaccounted spending and not managing to get by?	Are they not taking medication, not eating, not taking care of their personal appearance, or unkempt in appearance?	Are they are shouted at, mocked and belittled in front of others, called names, accused of things that they may not have done, called names and threatened with physical harm or being left?	Are they being physically, emotionally or sexually abused, living in fear, in neglected homes, going without food, money, bedding and warmth?