I attended the Adult Safeguarding Board meeting yesterday. Annie Callanan, who is a qualified social worker chairs the Board. She is a qualified social worker and has operated in senior positions in Social Care and Health at both a local and national level.
It is extremely important to challenge and support each other and work as partners to make real improvement across all services. I would be particularly interested to see a focused piece of work around care homes and how residents have been safeguarded during the pandemic.
Holding those who are at risk of abuse is the focus as well as prevention and early identification of adults at risk of abuse.
Abuse can take many forms including:
- Physical abuse - this includes being hit, shaken, kicked, being locked in a room or inappropriate restraint.
- Sexual abuse - this includes an adult being made to take part in a sexual activity when they have not given, or are not able to give their consent.
- Psychological abuse - this includes being shouted at, ridiculed or bullied, threatened with harm, blamed or controlled by intimidation or fear.
- Financial or material abuse - this includes theft, fraud, financial exploitation and pressure in connection with financial matters or misuse of someone else's finances.
- Neglect - this includes the failure to provide essential care and support needs that results in someone being harmed.
- Discrimination - this includes ill treatment, harassment, threats or insults due a person's age, gender, sexuality, disability, race or religious belief.
- Modern slavery - this includes human trafficking and forced labour.
This list is not exhaustive.
If you think a crime has been committed, you should contact the police on 999 if urgent or 101 if not an emergency.
If the safeguarding concern is urgent you can ring Croydon Adult Support on 020 8726 6500.
