Safeguarding
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Safeguarding is everyone’s business!
It is about people and organisations working together to protect people’s health, wellbeing, and human rights and to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults is primary concern and statutory duty of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. We all have duty to protect children and adults from abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
A message from our Chief Executive:
“Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults at risk is everyone’s responsibility. This means that every member of staff at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council or anyone working for the Council as a volunteer, contractor or elected Member or person working in any other capacity, has a duty to report any witnessed, suspected, or disclosed concerns of abuse or neglect.
We have revised our Safeguarding policy and procedures to ensure that staff know what to do if they are concerned about a child or vulnerable adult at risk. We will monitor our progress, make improvements, and work closely with partners to ensure that Safeguarding is embedded in our services.”
William Benson, Chief Executive
Our safeguarding policy sets out how we protect young people, children and at-risk adults who need to use our services.
See what our safeguarding responsibilities are for people who use our services.
How to report a Safeguarding concern:
If you are worried that child or vulnerable adult is suffering abuse, contact Kent County Council to report your concerns:
- If it is an emergency or there is an immediate risk of harm contact the police on 999
- If you are concerned about the welfare of child call 03000 411 111 (text relay: 18001 03000 411 111) or contact the KCC Social Services Team online
- If you are concerned about the welfare of an adult call 03000 416 161 (text relay: 18001 03000 416 161) or contact the KCC Social Services Team online
- If outside of regular hours please call 03000 419 191
If you are child, you can contact Childline or the NSPCC for advice and support on what to do if you or someone you know needs help – they offer telephone, email and instant chat options.
How to get adult social care support
Care and support are the terms used to describe the help some adults need to live as well as possible with any illness or disability they may have. It can include support with things like:
- getting out of bed
- washing and dressing
- getting to work
- accessing education, training and volunteering opportunities
- eating
- seeing friends
- being part of the community.
If you think you have any care and support needs, you are entitled to a care needs assessment.
For more information please visit KCC Adult Social Care and Support.
Support for Carers
If you provide care and support to an adult friend or family member you may be able to get more help to carry on caring and to look after your own wellbeing.
To find out what support you can be offered you can contact Kent County Council to ask for a carer's assessment.
Advocacy - someone to speak up for you
When decisions are being made about our health and social welfare, it can be hard when we don’t feel listened to, when what’s important to us isn’t taken seriously by others, or we just don’t have the words to say what we really feel or want.
Advocates take time to understand your situation, explore the options and help you decide what you want to do and how you want to do it. They support you to look at your choices and reach decisions, but will not make decisions for you. They will only take action if you want them to.
Kent Advocacy, led by The Advocacy People, provides advocacy in Kent. To find out more information and make a referral visit the Kent Advocacy website.
For health complaints regarding advocacy, you can call The Advocacy People 0330 440 9000 or email info@theadvocacypeople.org.uk.
Need help in a mental health crisis or emergency?
Advice, support, and signposting information is also available on the KMPT NHS website.
In a life-threatening emergency please dial 999.
A person with a mental illness may also be able to receive support from social services. Further information on a social care assessment is available from the Rethink Mental Illness website.
Early Help (support for families)
KCC provides a range of services to meet the educational, social, and emotional needs of children, young people and families in Kent through their partner organisations.
For example, they can offer support if:
- you are worried about your child's behaviour.
- you are struggling to cope.
- you are worried about your family finances.
- your child is struggling to cope with bereavement.
- your child is being bullied.
- your child refuses to go to school or college.
- you or your child want to develop new friends and have new experiences.
- you are having difficulties with family relationships.
Please visit the KCC Early Help (support for families) for more information.
Further Information
To find out more information about adult safeguarding, please visit the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board, where you will find range of useful resources including leaflet on how to protect yourself from abuse which is available in number of languages.
To find out more information about child safeguarding please visit the Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership
A leaflet about adult abuse and what to do about it, which has been translated into Ukrainian and Russian is available here Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board