Safeguarding
If you have immediate concerns for the safety and wellbeing of an adult, child or young person, please phone 999 and report this to the police immediately.
We believe that every person has a right to protection, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender and nationality. There are various practices to protect everyone, and these practices are commonly referred to as safeguarding measures. We actively work to safeguard children, young persons and vulnerable adults from harm, and we will respond appropriately if this occurs. This can be through liaising and working with other agencies, such as the police and social services, to protect our customers.
What is safeguarding, and who is at risk?
Adults at risk often have some form of vulnerability that can be preyed on, such as a disability or an illness that infringes on their ability to do something. This can be an illness such as dementia, which can reduce an individuals awareness and allows them to be taken advantage of.
Children and young persons are classified as vulnerable groups and need additional safeguarding measures to protect them from abuse and mistreatment.
Vulnerable adults, children and young persons need to be safeguarded from various harm, which can be, but not limited to;
- Emotional abuse
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Financial abuse
- Self-harm
- Neglect
Signs that vulnerable adults, children and young persons need safeguarding support, but not limited to:
- Being constantly tired
- Having poor hygiene and being noticeably dirty/smelling
- Recurrent injuries that they might try to conceal
- Having clothing that is too small/big for them
- Being constantly hungry or having a noticeable change in dietary intake
- Being behind in educational aspects compared to their peers
This list is not exhaustive; to find out more, click here.
Who to report safeguarding concerns to?
To find local services which deal with any concern over the welfare or wellbeing of a child or young person, to find out the local council area, click here and report your concerns to us immediately:
0300 123 2221
You can also report concerns to:
- NSPCC is a national helpline to which you can report any incidence of child abuse.
- Stop in Now offers live chat options, as well as support and advice on what to do if you suspect a child or young person may be at risk of abuse.
