What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding is the action we can take to stop abuse and neglect from happening.

You can help prevent abuse or neglect. If you are worried about someone, report your concern as soon as possible.

Types of abuse and neglect

Abuse can be:

physical – being hit, slapped, kicked, pinched or any action which results in pain or injury
psychological or emotional – being shouted at, ridiculed, bullied, threatened or intimidated
neglect – ignoring someone's medical, physical or emotional needs, such as withholding food or drink or not providing adequate care
financial – when someone misuses or steals money or property
sexual – direct or indirect involvement in sexual activity without consent
organisational – includes neglect and poor practice in a hospital, care home or in someone's own home
discriminatory – hate crime or harassment because of race, gender, sexuality, age, disability, or religion
modern slavery – includes sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and forced labour, drugs trade, benefit fraud, and forced marriage
domestic abuse – one or more incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse in couple relationships or between family members
self-neglect – when someone is unable or unwilling to care for themselves. It can include neglect of personal hygiene, health and living conditions.

If you report a safeguarding concern to us, we will:

listen to the person at risk to find out what they want to happen
support the person to have an advocate (someone to represent them) if they need one
respond professionally and sensitively, taking your concerns seriously
talk to the police if a crime may have been committed
talk to other agencies that need to be involved
agree the best way of helping, including other types of support

There is more detailed information about our responsibilities on the East Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board website.