This Week is National Safeguarding Adults Week

This week we’re marking National Safeguarding Adults Week. As part of our blogs series, we take a look into what the week is all about.

In the above video, Fiona Bateman, Independent Chair of Barnet Council's Safeguarding Adults Board, introduces a webinar on the importance of National Safeguarding Adults Week.

This week is the first ever National Safeguarding Adults Week, intended to raise awareness on the importance of safeguarding the health and wellbeing of adults – especially those with needs for support and care.

Led by the Ann Craft Trust, a charity for safeguarding adults and young people at risk of abuse, each day the campaign will focus on a different issue. 

This includes themes such as:

• Modern Slavery
• Domestic Abuse,
• Self-Neglect
• Safeguarding Adults in Sport and Activity
• Transforming Care for those with learning disabilities, autism and mental health issues

The purpose of the week is to promote awareness about when somebody is at risk and to help people to spot the warning signs and to know how to respond.

It is important to recognise that abuse can come in many forms and that spotting and reporting abuse is key.

The organisation Stop Adult Abuse have produced a helpful myth-buster highlighting common misconceptions about safeguarding. And you can access resources from the Ann Craft Trust, which cover the themes mentioned in the bullet points.

Here at Meridian Wellbeing, we recognise the vital importance of National Safeguarding Awareness Week.

Our hope is that this week leads to some much-needed conversations about how we can support those at risk and with care needs.

By highlighting the importance of promoting understanding and education about safeguarding issues and how to respond to them, we hope we can all work together to build a society where everybody has dignity.