We work with other agencies including the police and health services to protect the most vulnerable. If you're concerned that a child, young person or vulnerable adult is at risk of, or experiencing, abuse or neglect, or you yourself are a victim of abuse, you should report it straight away so that the appropriate services can take the appropriate action to prevent harm.

You can do this by:

• speaking to your Personal Advisor
• calling the Adult Social Care First Response Team on 01925 443322
• calling the police on 101 if you believe a crime has been committed
• calling 999 if you believe the adult is at immediate risk of harm

Am I, or a person I care for, an 'adult at risk'?

The Care Act 2014 describes an “adult at risk” as someone who is:

• 18 years or over, and
• has needs for care and support, and
• is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect, and
• as a result of those care and support needs, is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect

What is abuse and neglect?

Abuse or neglect can be single or repeated acts of abuse, be done deliberately or unintentionally, and be as a result of a failure of others to protect people from abuse.

It can occur in many forms, for example:

• Physical abuse – such as hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, or restraint
• Domestic abuse – including psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse or ‘honour-based violence’. Find out more about domestic abuse support and information.
• Sexual abuse – such as rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, or innuendo
• Psychological abuse – including intimidation, bullying, shouting, swearing, taunting, threatening or humiliating someone.
• Financial or material abuse – including theft, fraud, forcing someone to do something in relation to their financial arrangements (for example wills, property, financial transactions), misusing or taking their money, possessions or benefits.
• Modern slavery – including slavery (including domestic slavery), human trafficking and forced labour.
• Discriminatory abuse – such as harassment, slurs or similar treatment
• Organisational abuse – organisational neglect and poor care in an institution such as a hospital, care home or care agency. This could be a culture of bullying, poor organisation, denying people choice, and lack of dignity and respect for service users.
• Neglect and acts of omission – including ignoring medical, emotional or physical-care needs, failing to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or educational services, and withholding necessities, such as medication, adequate food and drink and heating.
• Self-neglect – this covers a wide range of behaviour neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding.

What kinds of people abuse others?

Anyone can abuse, including a person you might least expect. Abusers can include spouses/partners, carers and care workers, family members/relatives, friends, neighbours, volunteer helpers, professional workers and strangers.

What happens next?

Adult Social Care will:

• listen to your concerns seriously
• they will involve relevant agencies to investigate the concerns and protect the adult
• they will coordinate necessary actions
• they will treat the adult with dignity and respect

Wherever possible the adult’s wishes and feelings will help determine what needs to happen.  All information will be treated confidentially.

Complaints and compliments

It’s ok to complain or say you're not happy about any part of the care you receive, including your carers, social workers, youth workers or teachers.

If we don’t know about it, we can’t help - and by speaking out you might even make things better for other children and young people too. We always try to deal with complaints and compliments as quickly as we can and where possible we use them to improve our services.

Our complaints system gives you a chance to give your views to help make our services better. It provides valuable information to enable the council to plan and review the services it provides in Warrington. The children and young people’s complaints policy and procedure sets out how we do this.

If you wish to make a complaint or compliment please call the complaints manager free on 0800 011 3644 or email childrenscomplaints@warrington.gov.uk.

You can also write to: FREEPOST Warrington Borough Council Children’s Customer Service Manager, Lower Ground Floor New Town House, Buttermarket Street, Warrington WA1 2NJ.