Safeguarding Vulnerable People

If you are concerned that a vulnerable adult or child is at risk of abuse then please contact your local authority. If you live in one of the following areas where we deliver a contract; Somerset, Swansea, Birmingham, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire, then please
click here for the contact details of your local authority.  

If you believe you or someone else is in immediate danger or that a crime has been committed, your first step should be to alert the emergency services by dialing 999.

An adult at risk may be someone who is aged 18 years or over;

  • Who may be in need of care and or support (whether or not a statutory body is meeting any of those needs)  due to frailty in old age, physical disability, sensory impairment, mental ill health, learning disability, personality disorder or other disability, or illness, or as a result of misuse of  substances or alcohol; or
  • Who is limited in their capacity to make decisions and is in need of care and support; and
  • Who as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against abuse, neglect or exploitation or the risk of it.


Or all children (those under 18 years of age) without exception have the right to protection from abuse.

Definition of Abuse

“Any act or failure to act, which results in a significant breach of a vulnerable person’s human rights, civil liberties, bodily integrity, dignity or general well being, whether intended or inadvertent, including sexual relationships or financial transactions to which a person has not or cannot validly consent or which are deliberately exploitative”   Safeguarding Adults and Children Against Abuse: Council of Europe 2002

We believe that everybody has a right to live their lives free from violence, coercion, intimidation, fear, neglect, oppression and physical, sexual, emotional or mental abuse and are committed to providing services that uphold this right.  In order to achieve this we do the following:

  • Have robust Safeguarding Policy and Procedures in place (click here to view).
  • In providing Independent Living and Carers Support Services we will support people to be aware of their rights and responsibilities and the implications of their choices including any risks (click here to view Managing Risk Versus Service User Choice Policy).
  • Provide mandatory safeguarding training for staff every two years
  • Provide information for people on keeping safe (click here to view).
  • Work with commissioners and other agencies to flag up actual or potential risk of abuse of adults at risk and children, and assist in investigations wherever possible.
  • Promote a culture where to do nothing is not an option!