It's National Safeguarding Adults Awareness Week (21-27 November) and the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board (KMSAB) want to raise awareness on how to spot the signs of abuse and how to report concerns.
The awareness week’s themes are:
- Monday – exploitation and county lines
- Tuesday – self-neglect
- Wednesday – creating safer organisational cultures
- Thursday – elder abuse
- Friday – domestic abuse in tech-society
- Saturday and Sunday – safeguarding in everyday life
Whether it’s a sudden change in the appearance or behaviour of a friend or family member or concerns about an aspect of someone’s care in a residential home or hospital, such information could be vital in helping authorities protect adults from exploitation and abuse.
This year the theme is responding to contemporary safeguarding challenges and covers how organisations and individuals can take steps to minimise harm occurring in the first instance, while making sure correct policies and procedures are in place so that any safeguarding concerns raised, are recognised, and responded to effectively.
Andy Rabey, chair of the KMSAB, said: “Responding to contemporary safeguarding challenges through awareness raising and early interventions are vitally important ways in which we can help to prevent the abuse of vulnerable adults.
“We all have a shared responsibility to look after each other and it is crucial that we are all aware of the signs of abuse, in its many forms and how to support each other to get help.”
For information on the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board and how to report abuse, visit www.kmsab.org.uk
Find more information about Safeguarding Adults Awareness Week.