What will happen next
We will
· Ask you to give brief detail about what happened and who did what
Any information you give will be used sensitively and will be shared on a confidential basis with other agencies that might need to help.
· Give immediate help and support to the person you care for to keep them safe and to make sure that the abuse stops.
· Act I their best interest. If they find it difficult to understand what is happening, they can have the support of an advocate as well as your support.
· Support you in helping the person you care for understand what is happening and to say what they want to happen where this is appropriate.
· Investigate what you have told us and we will keep you and the service user up to date on what is happening.
· Ask how you wish to take part in any investigation and in any planning to safeguard the service user from abuse or neglect in the future
More Information
If you are worried about an adult that you think might be at risk of abuse or neglect you can contact the local Adult Social Care Service on;
Staffordshire Tel: 0845 6042719
Shropshire Tel: 0345 6789021
Telford and Wrekin Tel: 01952 385667
Out of Hours;
Staffordshire Tel: 0845 6042886
Shropshire Tel: 0845 6789040
Telford and Wrekin Tel: 01952 676500
In an emergency ring the police 999
Caring for someone who is being abused or neglected
Carers, relatives and friends are often vital to preventing or stopping the abuse or neglect of the person that they care for. We will always listen to what is being reported and take it seriously.
What is ‘safeguarding’ and what is abuse?
Safeguarding is about making someone aware of their rights, protecting them and preventing abuse.
Abuse is any action that harms another person.
What to do if you think someone is suffering abuse or neglect.
No-one should ever have to tolerate abuse.
If you think that the person you care for may have suffered any form of abuse by another person you should immediately tell their care coordinator, named nurse or any other professional working with them.
Their contact details should be on the care plan.
They will work with you, the service user and anyone else who can help. This may include the police or other services.
If you need immediate help to stop abuse that is outing someone at immediate risk, contact the police.
Who can be abused?
Anybody can be abused but it happens more often to people who:
· Are older, frail or have dementia
· Have physical disabilities
· Have learning difficulties/disabilities
· Have mental health problems
· Depend on others to help them.
What forms can abuse take?
Physical Abuse - This is when someone is hurt physically, this includes shaking, rough handling or giving too much or not enough medicine.
Domestic Abuse - This is when family members abuse a relative and includes the following types of abuse: psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional.
Financial Abuse - This is when someone takes money or belonging, makes someone buy something that they do not want, use someone’s money to pay for their own things.
Emotional Abuse - When someone threatens, harasses or causes someone emotional distress, for example, by regularly shouting, ridiculing or deliberately ignoring them.
Sexual Abuse - This includes any unwanted sexual touching or behaviour.
Discriminatory Abuse - This is when someone treats a person unfairly because they think they are different from them.
Neglect - When someone does not give a person the things needed to keep them safe.
Self-Neglect - This includes a wide range of behaviour including neglecting to care for personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding.
Who abuses?
It could be someone already known to the person, a stranger, a relative, friend, neighbour, paid carer, volunteer or a member of staff.
Where may abuse occur?
Abuse can take place anywhere, including:
· The home, whether a person lives alone or with someone else
· A care home or nursing home
· In day care
· In hospital
· Any place where support services are being provided
· In a public place.