What is Safeguarding?
How to report a safeguarding concern
If you are worried that a child or adult is at risk of serious harm and that they are being abused or neglected find out how to report a concern.
What is safeguarding?
Safeguarding means protecting a person’s health, wellbeing and human rights. It means enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. Safeguarding children, young people and adults is a collective responsibility.
Those most in need of protection include, but is not limited to:
- Children and young people
- Adults at risk, such as those receiving care in their own home, people with physical, sensory and mental impairments, and those with learning disabilities.
Types of abuse
Adults
The types of abuse suffered by adults as defined in the Care Act 2014 are:
- Physical
- Sexual
- Psychological/emotional/mental
- Financial and material
- Neglect and act of omission
- Discriminatory
- Organisational
- Modern day slavery
- Domestic violence
- Self-neglect – including hoarding
Children
The types of abuse suffered by children as defined in the Children Act 1989 are:
- Emotional
- Physical
- Sexual
- Neglect
There are many different forms of child abuse and neglect, such a child sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation and child trafficking, and they can all be classified as one or more of the four categories of abuse and neglect set out above.
Other types of harm that adults or children may experience include: – this list is not exhaustive.
- Cyber bullying
- Domestic abuse
- Forced marriage
- Female genital mutilation
- Hate crime
- Radicalisation
- Gangs and county lines
Modern slavery is the recruitment, movement, harbouring or receiving of children, women or men through the use of force, coercion, abuse of vulnerability, deception or other means for the purpose of exploitation. Individuals may be trafficked into, out of or within the UK, and they may be trafficked for a number of reasons including sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic servitude and organ harvesting.
We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in any part of our business activity and, in so far as is possible, to hold our suppliers to account to do likewise.
Domestic violence, also called domestic abuse, includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse in couple relationships or between family members.
Domestic violence can happen against anyone, and anybody can be an abuser.
Use the following link to access further information in:
Downloads
Safeguarding Strategy 2022/25
North East London ICB’s approach to commissioning services that safeguard and protect our local population
Download
Adult safeguarding annual report 2024/25
This report provides a comprehensive overview of safeguarding activity, achievements, challenges, and priorities across our seven boroughs.
Download
Prevent policy 2025
This policy should demonstrate their statutory duties to prevent people being drawn into terrorism.
Download
Safeguarding children annual report 2024/25
This report demonstrates how NEL ICB has fulfilled its statutory duties.
Download
Safeguarding Children and Adults Supervision policy 2022/25
Guidance on how supervision is conducted within the context of safeguarding.
Download
Safeguarding Children declaration
NEL ICB will continue to listen and engage with the local community.
Download
Safeguarding Adults and Childrens Policy 2022/25
To ensure there is a consistent and robust approach to safeguarding children and adults.
Download
Safeguarding standards 2022/25
This policy sets out the safeguarding framework for strategic planning and commissioning provider services.
Download
Child death overview panel learning and messaging
Waltham Forest, East London and City newsletter January 2024
Download
Looked after children annual report 2023/24
An update on how statutory responsibilities have been discharged during the reporting period of 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
Download
Safeguarding adults annual report 2023/24
The objectives from last year’s annual report and how we are measuring up against these
Download
7- minute briefing
What are NHS Designated and Named Safeguarding Professional’s Roles and Responsibilities?
Download
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