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Safeguarding vulnerable adults

Who to contact about a neglected or abused adult, what is abuse, what happens when a referral is made, will anyone find out and where to get more information.  

Who would I contact if I suspected a vulnerable adult is being abused or neglected?

If you are concerned that someone is being abused or is at risk of abuse, or if you have a concern about a specific incident relating to abuse, you should contact the safeguarding adults team. 

You can contact the team with any enquiries:

Email: safeguardingadultsteam@eastriding.gcsx.gov.uk

Telephone: (01482) 396940

Fax: (01482) 396969

You can also contact us via our website:

 East Riding Safeguarding Adults Board (external East Riding website) 

All referrals to the safeguarding adults team will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence.

In an emergency outside of hours contact the emergency duty team on: 

Telephone: (01377) 241273.

If you feel that there is an immediate risk to an individual, please contact the emergency services by dialling 999.

Please note: Concerns regarding someone needing care/help at home would not be considered as safeguarding.

If you are concerned that someone cannot look after themselves at home, a referral needs to be made to one of our adult care management teams. Please see accessing social care.

What constitutes abuse?

Abuse is the violation of an individual's human and civil rights by any other person or persons.  It can vary from the seemingly trivial act of not treating someone with dignity and respect - to extreme punishment, cruelty or torture.

The commonly recognised forms of abuse are:

  • physical
  • emotional
  • financial
  • sexual
  • neglect
  • institutional.

More information on types of abuse is available on the safeguarding adults board website.

Safeguarding Adults Board - types of abuse (external East Riding website)

What happens when a referral is made to the safeguarding adults team?

When the safeguarding team receive an alert, the first step is to ensure the safety of the person involved and of any other people who may be involved. For example, if the incident is related to a care home, other residents must be made safe.

The referral then goes for decision making with the police to consider any criminal prosecution and to agree an investigation plan.

Once the investigating officer has been allocated the case, they will make contact with all relevant parties to arrange interviews and to update carers/families of progress.

On completion of the investigation a case conference is held to share the findings of the investigation and to ensure any recommendations or actions required are followed.

Will anyone find out that I have made a referral to safeguarding adults team?

All referrals are dealt with in confidence and anyone making a referral has the right to remain anonymous. 

Employees making a referral should be protected within the whistle blowing policy.

Where can I find more information regarding the protection of vulnerable adults?

The safeguarding adults board have a website with all information regarding:

  • types of abuse
  • help and Contacts
  • guidelines and Procedures
  • vetting and Barring scheme
  • mental Capacity Act
  • training and Development
  • latest News and Publications

East Riding Safeguarding Adults Board (external East Riding website)

You can find a number of leaflets with information about the Mental Capacity Act. These can be found on the websites below.

Department of constitutional affairs (external website)

Department of Health - Mental Capacity Act 2005 (external website)

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards – A guide for relevant person’s representatives (external website - pdf 135kb opens in new window)