Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, Waltham Forest and Havering Councils and other organisations including the Police and health service will begin using the same London-wide guidelines for safeguarding.
The new guidelines will be used by all organisations with a responsibility forprotecting vulnerable adults and are aimed at improving communication and sharing of information to ensure any signs of abuse are reported and investigated immediately. Using the same reporting methods will also make sure every case is handled in the same way and there is less risk of early signs of abuse being missed.
It is estimated that 140,000 adults in the UK who are frail, have a disability or mental illness, are abused or neglected each year. If people are being harmed by someone they rely on, it can be difficult to tell others so that the harm can be stopped. Everyone needs to be alert as to how people they know are being treated. The Police, health staff, social care professionals, the London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance and other local organisations work in partnership to protect adults at risk of abuse. They do this by encouraging people to make authorities aware of abuse, sharing information and investigating reports and incidents where necessary. Find out how you can help make sure elderly or vulnerable adults including neighbours, friends or family members are protected.