Warrington Safeguarding Adults Board (WSAB) was set up under the Care Act 2014.

The main purpose of the board is to assure itself that safeguarding arrangements in Warrington and strong and sustainable. The board also makes sure that any partners agencies act together to help protect adults at risk.

Mission Statement of Warrington Safeguarding Adults Board

We'll oversee local arrangements so that safeguarding adults at risk is prioritised and coordinated effectively. We're committed to:

  • Continuous improvement
  • Learning from experience
  • Helping vulnerable adults at risk of neglect and abuse to have a voice and influence
Local arrangements

WSAB is responsible for

  • Establishing policies and strategies which protect adults at risk
  • Responding to emerging issues
  • Developing local intelligence
  • Promoting partnership working
  • Challenging and holding agencies to account for their role in safeguarding and promoting health and wellbeing

The board sets out its priorities in its business plan and reports overall progress and achievements in an annual report.

WSAB is chaired by an independent person. Its members and advisors are senior representatives from a wide range of organisations including members from three statutory organisations:

  • Warrington Borough Council
  • Clinical Commissioning Group
  • Cheshire Police

Subgroups 

WSAB uses a number of subgroups to focus on priority areas for development and to ensure delivery of its objectives.

Each group has its own terms of reference and work plan, the board receives updates on a quarterly basis from each sub group. The WSAB also has links with other strategic boards and partnerships.

Warrington Safeguarding Adult Forum (SAF)

The safeguarding forum is made up of people from a broad range of organisations to share safeguarding information. The SAF enables valuable links to be made with community groups so that the WSAB is influenced by a range of voices from the local community.

Further information and downloads
Community information

Safeguarding Our Community

Notice, Care, Tell

Are there signs that something is not right?

If you or someone you know is at risk of abuse or is being abused or neglected, it is important that you tell someone.

If you don’t speak up, who will?

Download the Safeguarding Adults Leaflet [pdf]

Helping adults to stay safe

When managing your own care needs or letting new people into your life, it is important to consider possible risks, no matter how small, and to have a plan on how to manage those risks.

This information will help you to think about the sorts of issues involved in managing risk, as well as offering advice on how to keep safe.

There are four main ways you can reduce the risk of being harmed:

  • Be aware of local services, support and information
  • Protect yourself
  • Speak up
  • Know your rights

You have a right:

  • to be safe from abuse
  • be treated fairly and with respect
  • to say what care you do or do not want
  • to be given information about your care
  • to be involved in making decisions about your care and your life

How to protect yourself

  • Never give your bank details or pin number to anyone
  • Never sign anything you are not sure about or  if you don’t understand what it is about
  • Do not give away your possessions if you still need them
  • Keep any money or valuables you have at home locked away
  • Never send or give money to someone you don’t know
  • Do not isolate yourself, join local groups or activities or seek out support groups
  • Make sure there is someone you trust who knows your wishes and who you can talk to if you need to
  • Check the ID badge of people who come to your home. If you are worried do not let people inside your home
  • If possible you should have a safety chain on your front and back doors
  • If you have a Keysafe, remember you can change the number if needed
  • If you are suffering from abuse keep notes about what is happening
  • Make sure you do not rely on one person only to support or care for you
  • Gather a few people around you to help watch over your safety
  • Try to make sure people understand what your needs are
  • If you receive care in your own home or you live in a care home and you are worried about any aspect of your care or treatment, please do not stay silent. Make a complaint or speak to someone you trust. If no one visits you, you could talk to a professional or voluntary visitor, for example the chiropodist or hairdresser
  • If you feel uncomfortable with the way someone gives you personal care or the way someone touches you tell someone you trust (this can be your doctor, friend or social worker)
  • Remember you have a right to say no to unwanted and unasked for touches

Recognise the signs of Self-neglect

Self-neglect means a person could be at risk of serious harm by not taking care of their own health and environment, and not taking steps to meet their own care needs. It can also include hoarding behaviour. Hoarding is acquiring or saving lots of things regardless of their value. If you hoard, you might:

  • have very strong positive feelings whenever you get more items
  • feel very upset or anxious at the thought of throwing or giving things away
  • find it very hard to decide what to keep or get rid of. 

Mind.org.uk

Indicators of self-neglect to be alert for:

  • Neglecting health and personal hygiene leading to pressure ulcers or skin damage
  • Neglecting home environment, leading to hazards in the home or infestations
  • Poor diet and nutrition leading to significant weight loss or other health issues
  • Lack of engagement with services/ agencies
  • Hoarding items – wanting to hold on to possessions.
  • Declining or refusing prescribed medication and/or community healthcare support

View the video clip on Self Neglect

Be aware of scams

Things such as Facebook Community Groups, WhatsApp Groups and the Nextdoor social network that send neighbourhood alerts can be great ways of staying in touch with those around you, however it can be difficult to know who to trust.

Please be aware that not everyone out there is trustworthy and some people will take advantage of others

Things to be aware of:

  • Be aware of people offering miracle cures or vaccines for coronavirus – there is no specific treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19). Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms until you recover.
  • Home cleaning services.
  • People impersonating healthcare workers, claiming to be offering ‘home-testing’ for coronavirus – this is a scam and these kits are not currently available to buy.
  • Emails saying that you can get a refund on taxes, utilities or similar are usually bogus and they are just after your personal and bank details.
  • There are lots of fake products available to buy online that say they can protect you or cure coronavirus. These will not help and are designed to take your money.
  • There are new mobile phone applications that claim to give you updates on the virus but instead, they lock your phone and demand a ransom.
  • Your bank or the police will never ask for your bank details over the phone.
  • People offering to do your shopping or collecting medication and asking for money upfront and then disappearing.

Tips to avoid being scammed:

  • Be cautious and listen to your instincts. Don’t be afraid to hang up, bin it, delete it or shut the door.
  • Take your time; don’t be rushed.
  • If someone claims to represent a charity, ask them for ID. Be suspicious of requests for money up front. If someone attempts you into accepting a service they are unlikely to be genuine. Check with family and friends before accepting offers of helps if you are unsure.
  • If you are online, be aware of fake news and use trusted sources such as .gov.uk or NHS.uk websites. Make sure you type the addresses in and don’t click on links in emails.
  • Only purchase goods from legitimate retailers and take a moment to think before parting with money or personal information.
  • Know who you’re dealing with - if you need help, talk to someone you know or get in touch with your local Council on the numbers below.
  • Protect your financial information, especially from people you don’t know. Never give your bank card or PIN to a stranger.

If you think you’ve been scammed, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, if you need advice, call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133. If you are in immediate danger, contact the police on 999.

Contact your bank if you think you have been scammed.

Why not become a Scam Marshal?

A Scam Marshal is any resident in the UK who has been targeted by a scam and now wants to fight back and take a stand against scams. Scam Marshals do this by sharing their own experiences, helping others to report and recognise scams and sending any scam mail that they receive to the National Trading Standards Scams Team so that it can be utilised as evidence in future investigative and enforcement work. Visit www.FriendsAgainstScams.org.uk/ScamMarshals for more information and to sign up.

Coronavirus social media pack (PDF, 525KB)

Coronavirus Scam postcard (PDF, 194KB)

Coronavirus scams awareness letter (Word, 83KB)

Coronavirus social media pack (Word, 1MB)

Notice Domestic Abuse & Coercive and Controlling Behaviour

Home isn’t always a safe place for children or adults and the current restrictions can make home even less safe. 

We need your help.  Friends, neighbours, keyworkers; if you are worried about someone you know or someone you have come across in your role as a keyworker don’t allow the abuse to go unnoticed / unreported. 

What Are the Signs of Domestic Abuse?

They’re not always as obvious as you might think. That’s because domestic abuse is about controlling someone’s mind and emotions as much as hurting their body. Being abused can leave victims scared and confused. It can be hard for individuals to see their partner’s actions for what they really are.  We can all help by keeping an eye out for the signs.

Signs Someone Is Being Abused

Keep an eye out for things like:

  • Unexplained bruises / injuries, and may give other reasons for the injuries which refer to them being accidental
  • Being anxious about using video conferencing; may only use telephone / text
  • Personality changes, like low self-esteem in someone who was always confident / becoming unusually quiet or withdrawn;
  • Constantly checking in with their partner / Overly worried about pleasing their partner
  • Never having money on hand
  • Skipping out on social interaction for no clear reason
  • Wearing clothes that don’t fit the season, like long sleeves in summer to cover bruises
  • Has panic attacks;
  • Has frequent absences from work or other commitments;
  • Stops talking about her/his partner;
  • May never be seen alone, and is always accompanied by their partner;
  • May become more isolated, withdrawing from friends and family;
  • Go along with everything their partner says and does;
  • Check in often with their partner to report where they are and what they’re doing;

Additional Information and Support:

Cheshire is opening the door on unhealthy relationships

  • Are you, or someone you know, in a relationship that doesn’t feel quite right?
  • Is one person in the relationship controlling, manipulative, abusive, or violent?

If so, this is an unhealthy relationship and is defined as domestic abuse.

What happens behind closed doors doesn’t have to stay there. The open the door website has been designed to help you if you, or someone you know, is in relationship that doesn’t feel quite right.

Reporting Abuse and Neglect

If you’re worried that an adult is being abused, exploited or neglected – or is at risk of this happening – you have a responsibility to report it.

Contact our Adult Social Care First Response Team on 01925 443322 or Outside of office hours ring us on 01925 444400.

If you think a crime has been committed, ring the police on 101

If you believe the adult is at immediate risk of harm, call 999

Report abuse of a vulnerable adult

Report abuse of children and young people 

Report domestic abuse 

Additional support and advice in relation to Domestic Abuse:

Refuge’s Freephone 24 hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247

Open the door website

BBC - support and information - domestic abuse 

Safelives

National domestic abuse helpline

Are you able to help others? - Volunteering

Please view this video clip on the important role volunteers can play in safeguarding children, young people and adults. Safeguarding and Volunteering

It provides a simple message to volunteers:

  • if you see something say something
  • as a volunteer you have a safeguarding role
  • some people may volunteer for the wrong reason
  • stay safe

information on how to volunteer locally in Warrington

Useful Sources of Advice, Guidance and Support

The Herbert Protocol – This is an initiative by Cheshire Police to support those caring for anyone with dementia that may be at risk of going missing.  Visit the Cheshire Police website where you can find a document to complete that can be handed to officers in the event of your loved one going missing to help ensure they are found swiftly and safely - 

Keeping People Safe - Suicide risk identification: This flowchart is aimed at volunteers, professionals and community groups who may identify concerns around suicide risk with people they work with or support.  The flowchart aims to offer guidance on questions to ask and steps to take. It also contains useful local and online contacts that individuals can use for support around this issue.

Mental Capacity – This is a document and a video aimed at professionals and Carers to help them to understand the Mental Capacity Act and how it should be followed when caring for someone with difficulty in making their own decisions.  Individuals can either read the document or watch the YouTube video to understand expectations on professionals.  This may support Carers to understand how professionals will try to respond to situations where the individual cannot make a decision themselves.

Counter Terrorism Policing Helpful Advice - This document is intended to assist you to identify and respond to Suspicious behaviour, identify and deal with suspicious Items and respond to a firearms or weapons attack. You can also visit GOV.UK/nactso

Door Step Scams – This is where someone comes to your door and intends to exploit you through gaining access to your home.  We know that perpetrators have been targeting those over 65 years of age and that there are some simple steps you can take to reduce the risk being exploited in this manner.  For more information please visit Age UK Advice.

You will also find other useful guidance videos alongside this on the YouTube page.

Information for professionals

On this page you will find policies and procedures relating to Safeguarding Adults within Warrington alongside practice guidance as it is produced by the WSAB.  If you can’t find something please email safeguardingpartnerships@warrington.gov.uk with your request so we can see what we might be able to provide.

Below you will find things separated out into Policies, Procedures, Practice Guidance or Relevant Board Information.

Policies

North West safeguarding adults policy

    This document provides the principles and expectations on agencies and professionals in Warrington in relation to Safeguarding Adults.  It is a statement of expectations of all WSAB partners and professionals operating within the area.

    These documents provides an overview of the area’s expectations of agencies and professionals when working with cases of self-neglect. You will also find resources designed to support you in practice.

    Procedures

    The documents below represent specific guidance on what happens within Warrington when Safeguarding Adult’s at Risk procedures are implemented. You can either access these as a full download document from the top of the list or simply access the section you wish to view further below. The document offers guidance on how to trigger processes in Warrington alongside things to consider for Safeguarding Strategy Meetings.

    • Section 1 (Introduction) – An overview of the new requirements, MSP and procedure review plans.
    • Section 2 (Abuse and neglect) - Outlines types of abuse, eligibility and responsibilities.
    • Section 3 (Understanding your role and how safeguarding fits in) - Provides an overview of health roles, regulated services, whistleblowing, disciplinary procedures, Carers, Out of areas placements, historic allegations, deaths, SARs, serious incident investigations and Duty of Candour.
    • Section 4 (Identifying and raising a safeguarding concern) - Outlines how to respond to a concern from raising it to preserving evidence.  This includes steps required when the alleged perpetrator is a member of staff or adult at risk. Alongside this it offers a reminder of Information Sharing guidelines.
    • Section 5 (Making decisions about safeguarding concerns) - Outlines how referrals will be responded to including expected processes and alternative responses that can emerge.
    • Section 6 (Planning and undertaking enquiries and/or other investigations) - Provides guidance in relation to how the scope and lead for the enquiry is decided alongside the purpose of strategy meetings/discussions.  This includes information on preparing for a safeguarding meeting.
    • Section 7 (Safeguarding plans and conclusions) - This will offer an overview of plans and how these will be monitored and outcomes reported to the Adult involved.
    • Appendix A (Prompts and other considerations) - Looks at key questions about the planning, others at risk, the adult, the alleged perpetrator and representatives.  This offers an understanding of the things that need to be considered for each aspect.
    • Appendix B (Target timescales) - Outlines the expectations on timescales reporting, investigating and meetings (to be read in conjunction with Section 5.3).

    Practice Guidance

    The document below is the detailed practice guidance designed to be consulted alongside the procedures above. The document has been set up with a detailed contents section so you can click on a sections title and go straight to the section you are interested in.  Each section provides some guidance and reference to relevant legislation for that topic area.

    SAR and Learning Review Documents

    Please find below Warrington’s SAR guidance and all published SAR and Learning document

    Relevant Board Information

    Warrington safeguarding adults board subgroups

    WSAB utilises sub groups to focus on priority areas for development, WSAB has 4 subgroups which are as follows:

    Each of the WSAB subgroups has an individual work plan linked to the WSAB business plan and each subgroup provides a quarterly update to the WSAB on their progress.

    The WSAB also links to and receives information from a range of other forums such as the Safeguarding Adult Forum, the Hate Crime Subgroup of the Community Safety Partnership and the Quality Intelligence and Safeguarding Group.

    Warrington safeguarding adult forum

    The Safeguarding Adults Forum is a non-executive forum with a broader membership than WSAB. This enables members from a range of organisations to exchange information, discuss the work of WSAB, and champion safeguarding within their own organisations and the wider community.   

    Member organisations

    Governance arrangements

    WSAB reports to Warrington health and wellbeing board.  The Health and wellbeing board is a multi agency Board that coordinates health and social care matters across the borough. The annual report is also scrutinised by the council's scrutiny committee which has an important role in improving local services and holding decision makers to account in areas which are important to the local community.

    Internal and external governance arrangements for the Warrington safeguarding adults board are:

    WSAB Training strategy, courses and resources

    The WSAB has a priority to ensure that we have the right people with the right skills in the local area.

    The board is keen to identify the training needs of professionals which will help us to plan for a multi-agency training offer. 

    We're currently in the process of mapping this information out and expect to post a Training Strategy here soon.

    We're also building a repository of topic specific information to support professionals to respond to emerging issues in safeguarding.

    We'll update this page regularly with training resources as and when they become available.

    If you can't find something that you need please email safeguarding partnerships and we'll try our best to help. safeguardingpartnerships@warrington.gov.uk

    On this page you can access a wide range of free or low cost e-learning and resources designed to support work to safeguard children, young people and vulnerable adults. 

    On completion of a course, practitioners should notify their agency training representative to ensure that e-learning is captured on their training record.

    Please note: Warrington Safeguarding Partnership/Warrington Safeguarding Adults Board is not responsible for the content of external websites.

    Open University

    The Open University offers free online courses on their website www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses on a range of subjects, including:

    Future Learn

    Future Learn offers a diverse selection of free courses from leading universities and cultural institutions around the world. These are delivered one step at a time, and are accessible on mobile, tablet and desktop, so you can fit learning around your life.  Find out more on their website www.futurelearn.com  – some examples of recent courses: 

    Safeguarding Children

    Child and adolescent mental health - MindEd E learning: