Wiltshire’s Safeguarding Adults Board (WSAB)
Our Safeguarding Adults Board is made up of professionals from the local authority, the police, health services and other local organisations. Members work together to prevent abuse and neglect where possible and safeguard vulnerable adults across our county.
Every area in the country has a legal duty to have a Safeguarding Adults Board. Wiltshire’s Board members work alongside the people who use our local services to protect adults who are at risk. Someone might be at risk because they have dementia, a learning difficulty, an illness or a disability – whatever the reason the Board wants to make sure their views are heard and they are protected from harm.
The Board’s members are:
This site provides information about how to stay safe and well and how to protect people with care and support needs from abuse and neglect. On these pages you will find:
- Information and advice for people with care and support needs on how to report a concern
- Advice for relatives, friends and those who care for people who are vulnerable
- Information for professionals working in social care, health, the police and other agencies to help you safeguard adults at risk
What is safeguarding?
Safeguarding means protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. It applies when an adult:
- has needs for care and support
- is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and
- as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it
Effective safeguarding involves organisations working together to prevent the risks and experience of abuse or neglect, while ensuring that the views and wishes of an individual are at the heart of decisions that affect them wherever it’s possible.
Accessing information
If you are having difficulty reading the information here please find below the content of our webpages in easy-read, text-only format.
Multi-agency policy and procedures
Safeguarding in the UK is governed by the Care Act 2014. Under this legislation local authorities are required to:
- make enquiries, or ensure others do so, if it believes an adult is, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect
- set up a Safeguarding Adults Board
- arrange, where appropriate, for an independent advocate
- cooperate with each of its relevant partners and supply information
- carry out safeguarding adult reviews
These duties apply in relation to any person who is aged 18 or over and at risk of abuse or neglect because of their needs for care and support. To support those who work with adults at risk the Board’s Policy and Procedures document set outs the roles and responsibilities of different organisations and those agencies should work together to effectively safeguarding adults. Please download our local policy and procedures document to ensure you know what is expected of you and how we can work together to safeguarding adults with care and support needs.
WSAB Policy and Procedures – updated in July 2019
New Safeguarding Leaflet
The Board Service User Reference Group brings together a group of adults with a special interest in safeguarding who help us increase awareness and understanding of what it means to safeguard a vulnerable adult in our communities. The group have designed a leaflet which is here for you to use to help us reach out to adults with care and support needs who might be at risk of abuse or neglect.
You can download the leaflet here or contact us to request copies at LSAB@wiltshire.gov.uk
The service users group is supported by Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living. If you would like to join the group contact Zoe Millington on 03001233442.