Safeguarding is everybody’s business.
Safeguarding adults: “Safeguarding means protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.” Care Act 2014
Safeguarding children means: “Protecting children from abuse and maltreatment. Preventing harm to children’s health or development. Ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care.” NSPCC.
Family and friend carers can help prevent neglect, abuse or harm. Carers Support is working in partnership to prevent neglect, abuse or harm.
No-one should have to live with abuse or neglect. It is always wrong, whatever the circumstances. Don’t assume that someone else is doing something about the situation.
What can you do?
- If you, or the person you are concerned about, are injured, call an ambulance or a doctor.
- If you think a crime has been committed, contact the police.
- Contact West Sussex Adults’ Services for advice. Call: 01243 642121. You can do this without giving your name.
- Contact MASH for advice for children on 01403 229 900. You can stay anonymous if you wish.
Abuse or neglect can be deliberate or unintentional and can happen anywhere!
- at home;
- in a care home, hospital or day service;
- at work or at school or college; or
- in a public place or in the community
Safeguarding Adults is the process of protecting adults with care and support needs from abuse or neglect. West Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board has lots of information that can help. Safeguarding adults means:
- Helping adults at risk who have care and support needs (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs) and are experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect; and
- As a result of those care and support needs adults are unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect.
Children of any age can experience problems at times, and parents or carers can’t always meet their needs by themselves. When children do require some extra support it’s always best to put help in place as soon as it is needed, before things worse. We want all children and young people in West Sussex to have happy, safe lives. Worried about a child or young person? Here’s the link
- People and organisations need to work together to prevent risks, experience of abuse and neglect.
- We all need to have regard to the views, wishes, feelings and beliefs of the individuals involved in deciding on any actions.
For more information, visit http://www.westsussexsab.org.uk/