Safeguarding Adults

What is adult safeguarding?

Adult safeguarding ensures that vulnerable adults are able to retain independence, well being and choice – and live their life free from abuse and neglect.

Please download our leaflet for more information about Safeguarding. Also available in this section of the site are the new Safeguarding Adults Procedures.

Other documents which are available to download on this page include:

Who is responsible for safeguarding adults?

Adult safeguarding should be of concern to every agency involved in social care and health. Every agency providing services to vulnerable adults has a role in safeguarding vulnerable adults, however councils are charged with the leading role.

In Wirral the Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board makes sure that a wide range of agencies, services and people work together to safeguard vulnerable adults.  These partners include health, housing, police, hospital, care quality commission, voluntary sector and people who use services and carers.

Wirral's Department of Adult Social Services provides safeguarding adults training to both it’s own staff and staff from other partner organisations who work with vulnerable adults.

Keeping safeguarding person-centred

How we respond to abuse is influenced by the seriousness of the abuse, the relationship between the alleged perpetrator and the vulnerable adult and the views of the vulnerable adult.

The needs of the vulnerable adult are the most important part of safeguarding. The purpose of safeguarding is to enable people to retain their independence, well-being and choice and to access their right to a life free from abuse and neglect.

In Wirral we take a person-centred approach, which is also sensitive to a person’s cultural needs.  The focus is always on the empowerment and well-being of the person. It is our aim to listen to the person, ensure that their voice is heard, and strike a balance between protecting individuals and promoting their safety, whilst recognising people’s rights to independence and choice, and supporting and enabling individuals to take risks.