Information for Adults
An Adult at risk is anyone over the age of 18 who has care and support needs whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs.
Describing an Adult as “at risk” should never be taken to mean they lack capacity or cannot make their own decisions about their life; instead, the term simply means that they may be more likely to experience exploitation or abuse and may have greater difficulty addressing the situation if abuse does occur
When a local authority has reasonable cause to suspect an adult in its area is at risk of abuse and or neglect, it has a duty to undertake safeguarding enquiries.
An Adult at risk for example, may be someone living with Dementia, physical disabilities, a learning disability, mental health issues, addictions, homelessness and frailty.
The perpetrator of the abuse may be a family member, a partner , a friend, a neighbour, a professional , a formal or informal carer another adult at risk, a stranger, and sometimes it could be a group of people.
Abuse can take place anywhere for example, at the victims home, in someone else’s home, in a public place, on public transport, in the street, at college, at day care, residential homes and at hospitals. More recently abuse is taking place via Social Media.
Legislation & Guidance:
Types and indicators of abuse: Safeguarding adults – SCIE
Making Safeguarding Personal is a person-centred approach, which recognises that adults have a general right to independence, choice and self-determination including control over information about themselves. Making Safeguarding Personal means that adults are encouraged to make their own decisions about how they live their lives and how they manage their safety and are provided with support and information to empower them to do so.
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