Safeguarding
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What is ‘Safeguarding’?
The term ‘safeguarding’ is about protecting from abuse and neglect, and promoting the welfare of, children and ‘adults with needs for care and support’. These groups are less able to protect themselves from abuse and exploitation, and we have specific legal duties under the Children Act 2004 and the Care Act 2014 around reporting concerns and working with others.
How does CBH help to keep children and adults safe?
- Where we have concerns that a child or an ‘adult with needs for care and support’ is at risk of abuse or neglect, we have a duty to seek to share information with Essex County Council.
- We also work in partnership with local agencies in order to help keep children and adults safe from exploitation and abuse. This includes Essex Police, Colchester City Council, Essex Social Care and others. We want to help ensure that people can get the support they need when they need it, and we want to raise awareness around key topics.
Raising a Concern
Ignoring abuse is not an option: Any person with the knowledge or suspicion that a child or an adult with needs for care and support may be at risk of abuse must report their concerns.
You can report concerns by contacting our operational lead Karen Williams, Head of Housing Management, on 01206 282433 or by emailing karen.williams@cbhomes.org.uk.
You can also contact Essex County Council:
- Regarding an Adult – Call 0345 603 7630 (or 0300 123 0778 if ‘out of hours’) or visit Essex Safeguarding Adults Board
- Regarding a Child (anybody under 18) – 0345 603 7627 (or 0345 606 1212 if ‘out of hours’) or visit Essex Safeguarding Children Board
If there is an immediate risk of harm to a child or adult, always call the Police on 999
Domestic Abuse
The cross-government definition of domestic violence and abuse is “any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.”
Click on this link to go to the dedicated section of our website.
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
Child Sexual Exploitation is a type of sexual abuse, when a young person is used by being made or tricked into doing something sexual sometimes receiving something in return like love, affection, money, drugs or alcohol.
Click on this link for more information.
Online Abuse
Online Abuse is any type of abuse that happens on the web, whether through social networks, playing online games or using mobile phones. Children and young people may experience cyberbullying, grooming, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or emotional abuse.
Click on this link for more information.
Modern Slavery
Modern Slavery is the term used within the UK and is defined within the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Act categorises offences of Slavery, Servitude and Forced or Compulsory Labour and Human Trafficking.
Click on this link for more information.
Radicalisation
Radicalisation is the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies associated with terrorist groups.
Click on this link for more information.
Safeguarding – Useful websites
The following websites provide a wealth of information and practical help on a range of topics:
