Safeguarding adults
Adult abuse and neglect
Everyone is entitled to live their life in safety without being mistreated, hurt or exploited by others. Abuse can take different forms, ranging from exploitation and disrespectful treatment to physical harm.
Abuse or neglect can happen anywhere - in your own home, in a care home, in a hospital, at work, at a day centre or educational establishment, in supported housing or in the street. It can be deliberate, or the result of ignorance or a lack of proper training.
Whatever the type of abuse, and wherever it happens, it is not acceptable.
Visit our People First website to find out more information, what to do if you suspect someone is being abused or neglected and different sources of help.
Reporting abuse and neglect
We take reports of abuse and neglect very seriously and will listen to your concerns and provide a prompt response.
If you are concerned that an adult may be at risk of abuse, harm or neglect from either themselves, an individual or an organisation, please contact us on:
- Telephone: Safeguarding helpline 020 7361 3013 (office hours) / 020 7361 3013 (out-of-hours)
- Email: [email protected]
If you’re worried about a child, aged under 18, please visit our safeguarding children website.
Emergencies
If you have an emergency and need immediate help, please call the Police, Ambulance Service or London Fire Brigade on 999. If it isn’t an emergency but you need help fast, call the Police on 101.
The Safeguarding Adults Executive Board
The Safeguarding Adults Executive Board (SAEB) protects and promotes adults' rights to live independent lives, in safety and free from abuse and neglect. The board is independently chaired by Aileen Buckton and covers both City of Westminster and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
SAEB is a partnership of organisations working together to prevent abuse and neglect, and where someone experiences abuse or neglect, to respond in a way that supports their choices and wellbeing.
- Our values
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Courage
SAEB believes that to acknowledge abuse or neglect, to shine a light on it and to face the consequences despite our natural reluctance, takes great courage.
Compassion
The board promotes compassion in our dealings with people who have experienced abuse and neglect, and in our dealings with one another, especially when we make mistakes. It promotes a culture of learning rather than blame.
Accountability
Board members are accountable to each other, and to the people we serve.
- Objectives
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SAEB raises awareness of safeguarding with the help of our community and voluntary groups, especially the Local Account Group and the Safeguarding Adults Reference Group.
People have the right to live free from harm, in communities that:
- have a culture that does not tolerate abuse
- work together to prevent abuse
- know what to do when abuse happens
The board will work with committed staff and partners to put the safety and wellbeing of all our residents first, fully listening to what they have to say, and spearheading best practice.
- Further resources
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Statutory duties of a Safeguarding Adult Board
Under the terms of the Care Act 2014, each Local Authority must set up a Safeguarding Adult Board (SAB), with core membership from the Local Authority, police and the National Health Service (specifically the local Clinical Commissioning Group/s). A SAB has a strategic role and has three core duties; it must:
- Publish a Strategic Plan for each financial year
- Publish an Annual Report detailing the activities of the SAEB
- Decide when a Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) is necessary. SARs are about learning lessons for the future so that practice improvements may be made requires Safeguarding Adults Boards to review deaths or serious incidents where there may have been abuse or neglect, and there is concern that agencies may not have worked effectively together to prevent harm.
Contact details
For general queries and comments about the Safeguarding Adults Executive Board, in Westminster or Kensington and Chelsea, please email [email protected].