What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is everyone’s business.
It means protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse or neglect.
Abuse and neglect can often by prevented if concerns are raised in as early as possible.
Safeguarding is about working together to support adults with care and support needs, who may be experiencing, or are at risk of abuse and neglect.
To make decisions about the risks they face in their own lives and protecting those who lack mental capacity to make those decisions.
The aims of adult safeguarding are to:
- Prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect to adults with care and support needs.
- Safeguard adults in a way that supports them in making choices and having control about how they want to live.
- Promote an approach that concentrates on promoting the wellbeing of the adults concerned.
- Raise public awareness so that communities as a whole, alongside professionals, play their part in preventing, identifying and responding to abuse and neglect.
- Provide information and support in accessible ways to help people understand the different types of abuse, how to stay safe and what to do to raise a concern about the safety or wellbeing of an adult.