Safeguarding adults

If you work or volunteer with adults and you have a safeguarding concern, you can report this to Adult Social Care, using the Safeguarding Adults Concern form. 

All of our policies and procedures can be accessed here.

View our Multi Agency Adults Safeguarding Policy

'Bury's Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is a multi-agency group set up under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The Partnership approach is built on the premise that no single agency can deal with, or be responsible for dealing with, complex community safety issues and that these issues can be addressed more effectively and efficiently through working in partnership. Partners that contribute to the CSP are:

Prevent is about Safeguarding and supporting those who are vulnerable to radicalisation. Prevent responds to the ideological challenge that we face from terrorism and aspects of extremism, and the threats that we face from those who promote these views. At the heart of Prevent is safeguarding children and adults and providing early intervention to protect and divert people away from being drawn into terrorist activity.

You can view a copy of Bury’s Prevent Handbook below.

You can find out more about the Prevent Duty including details of how to make a referral.

Our Safeguarding Against Radicalisation summary can be viewed below to support your learning and development on the Prevent Duty.

• Bury Prevent Handbook
• Safeguarding Against Radicalisation

The Care Act 2014 requires Safeguarding Adults Boards to establish and agree a framework and process to respond to allegations against anyone who works (either paid or unpaid) with adults with care and support needs.

If you have any concerns or require advice regarding an employee who works within and adult care setting in Bury, where there are allegations regarding conduct either outside or inside their working role

Contact:

Complete the PiPOT referral form below (if required) and send to PIPOT@bury.gov.uk

If there are safeguarding concerns, you must complete a referral be made to the Safeguarding Adults Team alongside any PiPOT referrals. 

Modern slavery is an umbrella term encompassing slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking. Some, but not all, cases of modern slavery will involve human trafficking. Human trafficking is when men, women and children are moved and forced into exploitation: the movement could be international but also within the country, from one city to another, or even just a few streets. A person is a victim of human trafficking even if they have not yet been exploited but have been moved for the purposes of exploitation.

The Government’s ‘Statutory guidance for England and Wales (under section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015) highlights the necessary components for human trafficking cases: the action, means and exploitation. These are important to understand and demonstrate when making referrals about suspected cases of modern slavery.

Action recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt, which includes an element of movement whether national or cross-broder; which is achieved by...

Means threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability; for the purpose of..

Exploitation for example: sexual exploitation, forced labour or domestic servitude, slavery financial exploitation, removal of organs.

The most common forms of exploitation are:

• Sexual exploitation: victims may be forced into prostitution, pornography or lap dancing for little or no pay; sexual exploitation may also be non-commercial. Sexual exploitation can also be a feature of other types of exploitation, such as criminal exploitation or domestic servitude, and can take the form of grooming among children in particular.
• Labour exploitation: a victim is forced to work in poor working conditions with little or no pay, and may face violence or threats. If they are foreign nationals, their passports may be confiscated by their exploiters and they may be made to live in terrible conditions (often in houses of multiple occupancy) and under threat of violence (to themselves or family members in the UK or overseas); and also of being reported to the authorities if they have irregular immigration status, or being left destitute and homeless.
• Forced criminality: victims can be compelled to participate in a range of organised criminal activities including pick pocketing, begging, shop lifting, drug trafficking or cultivation, sham marriages, benefit fraud and or other similar activities which are subject to penalties and imply financial gain. Section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act provides for a statutory defence for victims who have been compelled to commit crimes as a result of their exploitation (in the case of adults) or who have committed a crime as a direct result of being a victim (in the case of children).
• Domestic servitude: victims work in a household where they may be ill-treated, humiliated, subjected to exhausting hours, forced to work and live under unbearable conditions, or forced to work for little or no pay. There may often be overlaps between domestic servitude and forced marriage, sexual exploitation and domestic violence.
• Debt bondage: can be present in many forms of exploitation and can take a range of forms. Debts may arise out of the exploitation itself, for example in relation to accommodation or travel fees, with victims having little or no control over their debt and little or no way to pay it back. Costs may be deducted from their wages, leading to further debts being accrued. A person may be forced to work to pay off the debt and it can also be used as a means of controlling a victim and keeping them enslaved.
• Organ harvesting: victims are trafficked in order for their internal organs (typically kidneys or the liver) to be harvested for transplant. While kidneys or the liver are commonly traded, any organ that cannot regenerate and can be removed and re-used could be the subject of this illegal trade.

National Referral Mechanism (NRM)

The UK’s framework for identifying and supporting modern slavery victims is called the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). There are six main stages to the NRM process for victims that enter it and are found to have been victims of modern slavery.

Following identification, potential victims can be referred into the NRM by designated bodies known as first responders. Councils, alongside some other statutory bodies (including the police) and voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations working with victims of modern slavery are first responder organisations. Under section 52 of the Modern Slavery Act, specified first responders have a statutory duty to notify the Home Office when they come across potential victims of modern slavery. When indicators of modern slavery are identified by first responders, all suspected child victims should be referred into the NRM, as well as adults who give their consent to enter the NRM. Where a potential adult victim has not provided their informed consent to be referred, first responders should still notify the Home Office, to help build up a good intelligence base about slavery. The online NRM portal can be used to refer individuals into the NRM and to make ‘duty to notify’ referrals. The system provides optional and mandatory fields to enable a referral to be submitted, and adult cases without consent automatically become duty to notify referrals.

In Bury

Bury’s Serious Violence Duty Strategic Needs Assessment 2023 highlighted there had been a hundred cases of Modern Slavery in Bury since 2017 including year on year increases. With 65% around criminal exploitation and 10% of cases around sexual exploitation with 76% of victims being under the age of 17

If you have concerns:

• If a person is in immediate danger call 999.
• Report an adult safeguarding concern - Bury Council
• If you have any concerns or information about possible victims of Modern Slavery you can report it online to the Unseen Charity or you can call their helpline free on 08000 121 700 which is open 24 hours.

Further information can be found at www.programmechallenger.co.uk

Bury Safeguarding Adults Board launched a Multi-Agency Risk Management (MARM) framework to support anyone working with an adult who may be at risk of death, severe harm, or significant harm due to self-neglect AND where the established processes for single agency / multi agency responses have been unable to reduce the level of risk.

The referring organisation should have attempted all they can to reduce or minimise risk prior to referring to the MARM Strategic Risk Panel.   Each agency maintains its statutory responsibilities and duties to protect the individual. 

This section of the website is designed to assist adults & adults caring for others with care and support needs. Please click the links below to access safeguarding guidance, sources of support and links to resources. 

All adults have the right to live their lives free from abuse, fear and harm.

Some adults have care and support needs which means they may be unable to protect themselves from abuse or neglect. Others may have difficulties making their wishes and feelings known and this can put them at greater risk of abuse or neglect.

Adult safeguarding is about protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. It is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect, while at the same time making sure that the adult’s wellbeing is promoted including, where appropriate, having regard to their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs in deciding on any action. This must recognise that adults sometimes have complex interpersonal relationships and may be ambivalent, unclear or unrealistic about their personal circumstances.

Abuse is any action that violates a person’s human or civil rights. It can take many forms and involve a number of factors. It can occur anywhere and the abuser could be a stranger, a carer, a family member or someone else in a position of trust.

Abuse can happen anywhere, including at home or in public places. It can be a single incident or repeated acts of abuse and neglect.

If you are experiencing abuse, or if you are concerned about someone, you can make a referral to Bury Adult Social Care

Physical abuse can be deliberate or unintentional. It can include: 

• Assault, hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, hair-pulling, biting, pushing
• Rough handling
• Scalding and burning
• Physical punishments
• Inappropriate or unlawful use of restraint
• Making someone purposefully uncomfortable (e.g. opening a window and removing blankets)
• Isolating them or confining them
• Misuse of medication/drugs (e.g. over-sedation)
• Forcible feeding or withholding food
• Unauthorised restraint, restricting movement (e.g. tying someone to a chair)

Signs and indications of physical abuse can include: 

• No explanation for injuries or inconsistency with the account of what happened
• Injuries are inconsistent with the person’s lifestyle
• Bruising, cuts, welts, burns and/or marks on the body or loss of hair in clumps
• Frequent injuries
• Unexplained falls
• Subdued or changed behaviour in the presence of a particular person
• Signs of malnutrition
• Failure to seek medical treatment or frequent changes of GP

Psychological or emotional abuse includes threats of harm or abandonment, humiliation, blaming, controlling, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse.

Types of psychological / emotional abuse:

• Enforced social isolation – preventing someone accessing services, educational and social opportunities and seeing friends
• Removing mobility or communication aids or intentionally leaving someone unattended when they need assistance
• Preventing someone from meeting their religious and cultural needs
• Preventing the expression of choice and opinion
• Failure to respect privacy
• Preventing stimulation, meaningful occupation or activities
• Intimidation, coercion, harassment, use of threats, humiliation, bullying, swearing or verbal abuse
• Addressing a person in a patronising or infantilising way
• Threats of harm or abandonment
• Cyber bullying

Signs and indications of psychological / emotional abuse can include:

• An air of silence when a particular person is present
• Withdrawal or change in the psychological state of the person
• Insomnia
• Low self-esteem
• Uncooperative and aggressive behaviour
• A change of appetite, weight loss/gain
• Signs of distress: tearfulness, anger
• Apparent false claims, by someone involved with the person, to attract unnecessary treatment

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 defines domestic abuse as:

Behaviour of a person (“A”) towards another person (“B”) is "domestic abuse" if:

1. A and B are each aged 16 or over and are personally connected to each other, and
2. the behaviour is abusive.

Behaviour is “abusive” if it consists of any of the following:

1. physical or sexual abuse;
2. violent or threatening behaviour;
3. controlling or coercive behaviour;
4. economic abuse (see subsection (4));
5. psychological, emotional or other abuse;

and it does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct.

The term, 'personally connected' means any of the following:

• They are, or have been, married to each other;
• The are, or have been, civil partners of each other;
• They have agreed to marry one another;
• They are, or have been in an intimate personal relationship with each other;
• They each have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship with the same child;
• They are relatives.

Signs and indications of domestic violence or abuse can include:

• Low self-esteem
• Feeling that the abuse is their fault when it is not
• Physical evidence of violence such as bruising, cuts, broken bones
• Verbal abuse and humiliation in front of others
• Fear of outside intervention
• Damage to home or property
• Noise from the property
• Isolation – not seeing friends and family
• Limited access to money

Coercive or controlling behaviour is a core part of domestic violence. Coercive behaviour can include:

• acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation
• harming, punishing, or frightening the person
• isolating the person from sources of support
• exploitation of resources or money
• preventing the person from escaping abuse
• regulating everyday behaviour.

You can read more information via Bury Council. 

Access local support services.

Children and Domestic abuse

Under The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 children and young people who see, hear or experience the effects of domestic abuse of a parent, person with parental responsibility or a relative, are also a victim of domestic abuse in their own right.

Witnessing domestic abuse of a loved one can be extremely distressing and harmful to a child / young person.

If you are worried about a child / young person who may be exposed to domestic abuse, then it is important that you seek support via Bury MASH Team so the child / young person can also be supported. 

Sexual abuse is a general term used to describe any unwanted sexual activity and includes any act by violence, coercion or manipulation, regardless of the relationship to the victim and may include:

• Rape, attempted rape or sexual assault
• Inappropriate touch anywhere
• Non-consensual masturbation of either or both persons
• Non-consensual sexual penetration or attempted penetration of the vagina, anus or mouth
• Any sexual activity that the person lacks the capacity to consent to
• Inappropriate looking, sexual teasing or innuendo or sexual harassment
• Sexual photography or forced use of pornography or witnessing of sexual acts
• Indecent exposure

Signs and indications of sexual abuse can include: 

• Bruising, particularly to the thighs, buttocks and upper arms and marks on the neck
• Torn, stained or bloody underclothing
• Bleeding, pain or itching in the genital area
• Unusual difficulty in walking or sitting
• Foreign bodies in genital or rectal openings
• Infections, unexplained genital discharge, or sexually transmitted diseases
• Pregnancy in a woman who is unable to consent to sexual intercourse
• The uncharacteristic use of explicit sexual language or significant changes in sexual behaviour or attitude
• Incontinence not related to any medical diagnosis
• Self-harming
• Poor concentration, withdrawal, sleep disturbance
• Excessive fear/apprehension of, or withdrawal from, relationships
• Fear of receiving help with personal care
• Reluctance to be alone with a particular person

Saint Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) provides a counselling and aftercare service to men, women and children living in the Greater Manchester area who have experienced rape or sexual assault, whether this has happened recently or in the past. 

Services include:

• Immediate Crisis Support
• Forensic Medical Examination
• Access to Emergency Contraception
• Sexual Health Screening for Sexually Transmitted Infections
• Access to counselling support for as long as it is needed
• Access to an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor to provide support through any court action taken

You can access the service directly - you do not need to be referred.

Services can be accessed without making a report to the police or support can be provided when contacting the Police. However, if you have reported sexual assault to the Police you should automatically be offered support via the centre as part of their response to sexual violence.

Call SARC now on: 0161 276 6515 (lines open 24 hours a day 7 days per week)

St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre

St Mary's SARC services what we offer (youtube.com)

Financial and material abuse includes theft, fraud, exploitation, pressure in connection with financial matters, or the misuse of someone else's finances.

Types of financial and material abuse can include:

• Theft of money or possessions
• Fraud, scamming
• Preventing a person from accessing their own money, benefits or assets
• Employees taking a loan from a person using the service
• Undue pressure, duress, threat or undue influence put on the person in connection with loans, wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions
• Arranging less care than is needed to save money to maximise inheritance
• Denying assistance to manage/monitor financial affairs
• Denying assistance to access benefits
• Misuse of personal allowance in a care home
• Misuse of benefits or direct payments in a family home
• Someone moving into a person’s home and living rent free without agreement or under duress
• False representation, using another person’s bank account, cards or documents
• Exploitation of a person’s money or assets, e.g. unauthorised use of a car
• Misuse of a power of attorney, deputy, appointeeship or other legal authority
• Rogue trading – e.g. unnecessary or overpriced property repairs and failure to carry out agreed repairs or poor workmanship

Signs and indications of financial and material abuse can include: 

• Missing personal possessions
• Unexplained lack of money or inability to maintain lifestyle
• Unexplained withdrawal of funds from accounts
• Power of attorney or lasting power of attorney (LPA) being obtained after the person has ceased to have mental capacity
• Failure to register an LPA after the person has ceased to have mental capacity to manage their finances, so that it appears that they are continuing to do so
• The person allocated to manage financial affairs is evasive or uncooperative
• The family or others show unusual interest in the assets of the person
• Signs of financial hardship in cases where the person’s financial affairs are being managed by a court appointed deputy, attorney or LPA
• Recent changes in deeds or title to property
• Rent arrears and eviction notices
• A lack of clear financial accounts held by a care home or service
• Failure to provide receipts for shopping or other financial transactions carried out on behalf of the person
• Disparity between the person’s living conditions and their financial resources, e.g. insufficient food in the house
• Unnecessary property repairs

Advocacy helps people to be listened to and to have their rights and choices respected. Advocates work alongside individuals and are on that person’s side. There are many different types of advocacy, both statutory and non-statutory, which all follow the same key principles including independence, empowerment, equality and accessibility.

What is Independent Advocacy?

Independent Advocacy means getting support from another person who is independent from other services, to help you express your views and wishes, and help you stand up for your rights. Someone who helps you in this way is called an Independent Advocate.

What does an Independent Advocate do?

The role of an Independent Advocate depends on your situation and the support you want. But they are there to support your choices.

An Independent Advocate can

• listen to your views and concerns
• help you explore your options and rights (without pressuring you)
• provide information to help you make informed decisions
• help you contact relevant people, or contact them on your behalf
• accompany you and support you in meetings or appointments.

An advocate will not:

• give you their personal opinion
• solve problems and make decisions for you
• make judgements about you.

The support of an Independent Advocate is often particularly useful in meetings when you might not feel confident in expressing yourself. They can:

• support you to ask all the questions you want to ask
• make sure all the points you want covered are included in the meeting
• explain your options to you without giving their opinion
• help keep you safe during the meeting – for example, if you find the meeting upsetting, your Independent Advocate can ask for a break until you feel able to continue.

Bury Advocacy Hub | n-compass

Please access the below information and support services regarding men’s mental health and wellbeing support in Bury. 

Andy's Man Club | #ITSOKAYTOTALK | Andy's Man Club (andysmanclub.co.uk)

Greater Manchester – Dad Matters

More information can also be found via Mental Health Foundation.

MANUP? Mental Health Charity raise awareness about mental health among men, and was founded by a man who wished to change mental health for the better. There is a range of videos and support available which you may find useful. 

Within the Care Act 2014 there is a statutory requirement for Safeguarding Adult Boards (SABs) to undertake Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) - these used to be called serious case reviews.

A SAR is a multi-agency review process for all partner agencies to identify any lessons that can be learned from particularly complex or serious safeguarding adult cases where an adult at risk has died or been seriously injured, and abuse or neglect has been suspected.

The aim of the process is to learn lessons and make improvements, especially in the way we all work together to safeguard adults at risk; it is not to apportion blame to individual people or organisations.

You can view published reports of Safeguarding Adult Reviews here, including the 7-minute briefings for the learning

The Bury Safeguarding Adults Board must arrange a Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) when:

• An adult with care and support needs (whether or not those needs are met by the local authority) in the safeguarding adult board’s (SAB) area has died as a result of abuse or neglect, whether known or suspected and there is concern that partner agencies could have worked together more effectively to protect the adult.

Or/and

• An adult with care and support needs (whether or not those needs are met by the local authority) in the SAB’s area has not died, but the SAB knows or suspects the adult has experienced serious* abuse or neglect and there is concern the partner agencies could have worked together more effectively to protect the individual.

Or

• The SAB has discretion to undertake a SAR in other situations where it believes that there will be value in doing so. This may be where a case can provide useful insights into the way organisations are working together to prevent and reduce abuse and neglect of adults, and can include exploring examples of good practice.

Or

• The SAB can also consider conducting a SAR into any incident(s) or case(s) involving adults(s) at risk of abuse or neglect where it is believed to be in the public interest to conduct such a review.
• In the context of SARs, something can be considered serious abuse or neglect where, for example the individual would have been likely to have died but for an intervention, or has suffered permanent harm or had reduced capacity or quality of life (whether because of physical or psychological effects) as a result of the abuse or neglect.

Proffesionals should discuss the case with their agency’s designated safeguarding lead/officer to help gather the information for the referral.

Please click here to view our published SAR Reports