Physical abuse is when someone causes another person pain or harm, like kicking or spitting. Look out for bruising, scratches, broken bones - or someone who seems scared of another person.
We all have a responsibility to make sure that we help protect vulnerable adults or children from abuse or neglect.
This is called safeguarding.
Abuse can be physical, sexual, domestic, emotional, financial or organisational.
Abuse can also mean exploiting someone, discriminating against them, or someone neglecting their own or someone else’s needs who depends on them.
Those most in need of protection include:
- Children and young people
- Adults at risk, such as those receiving care in their own homes, people with physical, sensory and mental impairments, and those with learning disabilities.
You can help protect adults and children from abuse and neglect by knowing how to spot the signs and taking action.
Types of abuse
Sexual abuse is when someone is forced to take part in sexual activity. Or when someone speaks to another in a sexual way about their body. They might share sexual videos of them without their consent. Look out for if someone seems quieter than normal and uses words or bad language they wouldn’t normally say.
Domestic abuse is when someone is abused in their home by a family member or a partner. Look out for someone who is controlled over what they say and stopped from seeing their family or friends. They seem scared of someone in their home. They may have bruises.
Emotional abuse is when someone says cruel or hurtful things to control or bully another person. Look out for someone being laughed at all the time and called names, or sometimes not listened to and ignored.
Financial abuse is when someone uses another person’s money or credit cards without permission or takes their benefits. Look out for if someone has no money for food or bills or where money goes missing.
Organisational abuse is when someone or an organisation who is paid to care for people don’t do what they should. Look out for someone not having a choice about when they go to bed or what they eat. They are punished for speaking out.
Discrimination is when someone is unfairly treated because they are thought to be different because of age, race, gender or disability. Look out for someone being called names, not given the services they need or not treated with respect
Modern slavery is when someone is forced to do work they don’t want to do without pay. Look out for someone who is being forced to work and threatened with violence while they are working.
Tenancy cuckooing is a practice where people take over a person’s home and use the property to exploit others.
There are different types of cuckooing:
- using the property to deal, store or take drugs
- using the property as part of County Lines activity, where drugs are moved from one area to another
- using the property for sex work
- taking over the property as a place for them to live
- taking over the property to financially abuse the tenant
Signs include lots of people entering and leaving the property, especially at strange times, increase in anti-social behaviour and litter, and damage to the door, or you can see the door is propped open. Another sign is if you haven't seen the person who lives there recently or, when you have, they have been anxious or distracted
If you suspect someone is a victim of cuckooing, call the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
You can also let us know by calling 0333 320 4555 or via Get in touch | Progress Housing Group
What to do if you have a safeguarding concern
If you think you or someone you know is being abused or neglected, you should tell someone you trust.
This could be a friend, a teacher, a family member, a social worker, a doctor or healthcare professional, a police officer or someone else you trust. Ask them to help you report it.
Supporting people when concerns are raised about abuse or neglect can be very difficult and distressing for everyone involved. Deciding what the right thing to do can be stressful, particularly if the person you are concerned about is reluctant to accept support. If you are not sure what to do, you can always seek advice.
To report a crime
In an emergency, contact the police, call 999.
If the person is not in immediate danger, call 101 or report it online.
Other ways we can help
Please get in touch with us if you have any concerns about safeguarding.
Other safeguarding concerns
Self-neglect is someone not looking after themselves, for example lack of personal hygiene, not eating and not looking after their health; lack of care for their environment; and an unwillingness to seek help or access services to meet health and social care needs.
If you spot that anyone is not taking care of themselves, contact your local authority, or you can ask us to report a safeguarding concern via your Area Housing Office or by calling us on 0333 320 4555.
Hoarding is a recognised disorder where someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them in a chaotic manner, usually resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter.
It can take over the person's life, making it very difficult for them to get around their house. Hoarding could also be a sign of an underlying condition, such as OCD, other types of anxiety, depression and dementia.
The person hoarding is usually reluctant or unable to have visitors or even allow tradesmen in to carry out essential repairs, causing social isolation and posing a safety risk.
The clutter poses further health risks, as it can:
- make cleaning very difficult, leading to unhygienic conditions and encouraging rodent or insect infestations
- be a fire risk and block exits in the event of a fire
- cause trips and falls
- fall over or collapse on people, if kept in large piles
If you spot that anyone is hoarding, contact your local authority, or you can ask us to report a safeguarding concern via your Area Housing Officer or by calling us on 0333 320 4555.
For peer support in Merseyside, Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire, visit http://hoardershelpinghoarders.com/
Safeguarding
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