National Safeguarding Week – 16th to the 22nd November 2020
Thursday, 12 November 2020
National Adult Safeguarding Awareness Week is taking place from 16th to the 22nd November this year. We will be using this opportunity to share resources with you relating to a number of adult safeguarding themes. We have a different theme every day, starting with Prevention and Safeguarding in local communities on Monday, and covering loneliness and social isolation, Safeguarding and mental health, fraud, scams and cybercrime, domestic abuse, homelessness and the Family Approach during the rest of the week. Some of the resources will be for you and your colleagues to use as professionals, some messages will be for the individuals you work with.
The impact of Covid 19 and lockdowns make it even more vital this year for all of us to remain aware of people who may be at risk of abuse and neglect, but who may not be in the sight of services who could support them. There is excellent work being done across services and communities on the Isle of Wight to promote and ensure safeguarding for people with care and support needs. However, we know that some people can be reluctant or unable to reach out for support, particularly during this time, and may be at risk as a result. We are also aware that many more people may be taking on informal caring responsibilities as a result of the pandemic, who could benefit from advice and support of which they may not be aware, to keep themselves and the person they care for safe.
So, let us use the opportunity that National Adult Safeguarding Awareness Week 2020 provides to shine a spotlight on the importance of safeguarding, so that everyone in our community knows how to access the help and advice that they may need.
Teresa Bell, Isle of Wight Safeguarding Adult Board Chair