Safeguarding Adults and Children

Safeguarding is in place to protect children and vulnerable adults who are at risk of abuse and neglect. It involves identifying people who may be at risk, taking steps to prevent harm from occurring and responding appropriately when harm has occurred. 

Abuse is any form of physical, emotional, or sexual mistreatment or lack of care that leads to injury or harm. There are four types of abuse, and these are:

• Physical abuse - deliberately causing physical harm to a child. This might involve punching, kicking, biting, burning, scalding, shaking, throwing, or beating with objects. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of illness in a child.
• Emotional abuse - repeated verbal threats, criticism, ridicule, shouting, lack of love and affection causes a sever adverse effect on a child’s emotional development. It includes conveying to children that they are worthless, unloved, and inadequate or valued. 
• Sexual abuse - involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether the child is aware of what is happening. It may involve non- contact activities such as involving children in watching sexual activities, looking at sexual images and encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways. Abusers can be men, women, or other children.
• Neglect - a constant failure to meet a child’s basic physical and psychological needs, like to result in a serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect is when a parent or carer fails to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, access to education or protection from physical and emotional harm or danger.
• Domestic abuse – An incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse by someone who is, or has been, an intimate partner or family member. 
• Financial abuse – Someone stealing money or valuables from you. Or it might be someone appointed to look after your money on your behalf is using it inappropriately or forcing you to spend it in a way you’re not happy with. Internet scams and doorstep crime (someone turning up at your door and tricking you out of money) are common forms of financial abuse.