Organisations across Liverpool will be coming together next week to raise awareness of abuse against vulnerable adults.
November 18-24 is National Safeguarding Adults Week, led by charity the Ann Craft Trust, and teams from Liverpool, as well as three other Merseyside boroughs, will be out and about answering questions about safeguarding and giving advice and information.
In 2017/18, 3,863 safeguarding concerns were raised via Liverpool City Council, and 73 per cent of them progressed to a safeguarding enquiry. The most reported form of abuse in the city is neglect, accounting for 39 per cent of concerns, with 30 per cent of concerns raised about incidents that took place in the alleged victim’s home.
Since 2017, there has been a combined safeguarding board across the Merseyside boroughs of Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral., involving the local authorities, the NHS, emergency services and other organisations that support and offer advice to vulnerable adults.
In Liverpool, teams will be at these venues
- Monday 18 November, 10am-3pm – City centre one-stop shop, St Johns Market
- Tuesday 19 November, 10am-3pm – Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital
- Wednesday 20 November, 10am-3pm – City centre one-stop shop, St Johns Market
- Thursday 21 November, 10am-3pm – Broadway one-stop shop, Norris Green Library Building, Townsend Lane, L11 5AF
- Friday 22 November, 10am-3pm – Toxteth Town Hall, 15 High Park Street, L8 8DX
Martin Farran, director, Adult Services and Health, Liverpool City Council, said: “Keeping adults safe, particularly those who are vulnerable, is something we take very seriously. Any concerns that are raised are looked at carefully and the person is treated with dignity and respect.
“National Safeguarding Adults Week is an important opportunity to raise awareness of what abusive behaviour can be. We all know that physical or sexual abuse or domestic violence is wrong but everyone needs to be able recognise other behaviours that threaten people’s safety and well-being such as financial abuse or neglect.
“The more we all understand, the better we will recognise abusive behaviour and the safer everyone in our community will be.”
Sue Redmond, chair of Merseyside Safeguarding Adults Board, said: “By supporting the national awareness week, we are hopeful that we can raise awareness of safeguarding in Merseyside communities, and the role that everyone can play in preventing abuse and neglect.
“We are supporting staff across our constituent local authorities in highlighting these issues through public venues throughout the week.
“If, by our collective efforts, we are successful in better safeguarding even a small number of people across Merseyside, I feel it will have been worth it. As such, we aim to reach a wide range of people from all backgrounds and ages to say that safeguarding is everyone’s business.”
Concerns about safeguarding that are not emergencies can be raised by contacting Careline, Liverpool City Council’s social care contact centre, on 0151 233 3800.
