Safeguarding

What is safeguarding?  

Safeguarding is about making sure children and vulnerable adults are protected from being abused, neglected or exploited.  

Safeguarding is everyones responsibility. When we are informed about safeguarding concerns at WATMOS or where we suspect abuse might be taking place, we work closely with other agencies and professionals to ensure our residents are kept safe from harm and get the right support.  

You can find out more about our approach in to safeguarding in our Safeguarding policy .  

Abuse, harm and neglect can happen to anyone and it can take different forms .  

Types of A buse    

Physical Abuse

This takes place when someone is hit, shaken, slapped or kicked, scalded or burned, locked in a room or inappropriately restrained, has medication withheld or is given too much medication. Physical abuse may or may not cause physical injury.  

Sexual Abuse

This involves someone being made to take part in sexual activity when they haven’t given consent, have been pressured into giving consent or are not able to give consent.  

Sexual abuse of children takes place when a child is forced or persuaded to take part in sexual activities. The abuse can be committed by adult men or women or other children. It includes:  

  • Causing or inciting a child to watch or engage in sexual activities  

  • Encouraging a child to behave in sexually inappropriate ways  

  • Involving a child in looking at sexual images or videos or in the production of them  

  • Grooming a child.  

Children and young people may not understand they are being sexually abused.  

Emotional or psychological abuse

This is behaviour that has a harmful effect on a person’s emotional health or any kind of cruelty. It can include some one being shouted at, being made to feel frightened or pressured into decisions, threats of harm, abandonment, humiliation, isolation, blaming, controlling, intimidation , coercion, verbal abuse, cyber bullying and isolation to take away a vulnerable person’s choices.  

For children, it may be persistent emotional ill treatment making them feel they are worthless or unloved or conveying to them that they are inadequate or only valued to meet the needs of another person. The child may not be given opportunities to express their views, be deliberately silenced or fun made of what they say or how they communicate. It also includes seeing the abuse of others including domestic abuse.  

Financial Abuse

This involves controlling a person’s ability to acquire and use their own money and financial resources. It could include preventing someone from working and/or taking control of all household income so the person cannot meet their own needs or pay for household bills. It can also include stealing money, benefits or possessions, fraud, or putting pressure on a person to change their financial arrangements such as wills, property or misuse of Power of Attorney.  

Neglect of Acts of Omission

This involves not giving someone the care that they need. Neglect is failing (deliberately or unintentionally) to provide help or support that is necessary for daily activities or meeting basic physical or emotional needs.  

Modern Slavery

This is the severe exploitation of other people for personal or commercial gain. It can include human trafficking, slavery, forced labour and domestic servitude. Warning signs can include transport arriving at the same time of day or night to drop off or pick up people and overcrowding of homes by people who are not members of the family.  

Discriminatory Abuse

This involves poor treatment or harassment because of someone’s age, gender, sexuality, disability, race or religious belief.  

Self-Neglect

This covers a range of behaviours such as not caring for your own personal hygiene , health or home surroundings (including hoarding) although this may be a personal choice. Self-neglect can involve a person not eating or refusing help with their care needs which has a significant effect on their wellbeing.  

Domestic Abuse

This is controlling or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse by a current or former partner or family member aged16 or over regardless of the gender or sexuality. It can include physical, psychological, sexual, financial and emotional abuse, honour-based violence, female genital mutilation and forced marriage and coercive control . You can find more about domestic abuse here : Domestic Abuse

Report Abuse or a Safeguarding Concern

If you are being abused or suspect someone you know if being abused you can report it in the following ways:  

To the Police - If you or some one else is in immediate danger call 999 or call 101 to report other incidents or concerns.  

Report it to a health or social care professional such as a social worker, doctor or nurse. 

Report it to your local council :  

If you report a concern to us we will always:  

  • Listen to you and take your concerns seriously  

  • Keep you informed of any action we are going to take  

  • Take any appropriate steps to ensure you are not in immediate danger .