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

Please click here  to view our 7 minute briefings & learning from safeguarding adult reviews. 

'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

GOV.UK Page

The GOV.UK Prevent page provides a simple overview of the programme, the types of support available and how to get help:

Get help if you’re worried about someone being radicalised - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

ACT Early

Information about Prevent and spotting the signs of radicalisation, including a referrals helpline, as well as resources such as videos and case studies:

https://actearly.uk

The following link contains information around online and local suicide prevention training.

Suicide Prevention Training | Bury Directory

Additionally the Bury Directory contains an overview on suicide including support and getting help which can used to support the people you work with.

Suicide - An Overview | Bury Directory

Further resources are available on the Bury Directory.

Bury has developed its own local suicide prevention model, inspired by the Zero Suicide Society’s transformation approach, to reflect the unique needs and strengths of our community. The Bury Suicide Prevention Jigsaw brings together the essential “building blocks” needed to move towards zero suicides in our borough. Each piece of the jigsaw represents a key factor in suicide prevention-ranging from early intervention and community support to crisis response and lived experience involvement.

Suicide Prevention Jigsaw | Bury Directory

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.

The Home Office have published new guidance on support for survivors of modern slavery after they have received a positive conclusive grounds decision in the National Referral Mechanism. The guidance details how support will change at this stage, what a recovery needs assessment is and how it is used, and how the Home Office will decide when survivors should exit support.

Policy change as of 13/02/2026:

• A decision has been taken to allow any potential victim who was referred into the NRM as a child, but has not had their Conclusive Grounds (CG) decision upon turning 18, to provide their consent to remain in the NRM verbally or in writing.
• Similarly, all adults in the NRM (including those who were referred into the NRM as a child), may withdraw from the NRM verbally or in writing.
• These changes have been introduced to standardise consent policy for all potential victims, and is designed to support victims who are unable or hesitant to complete and sign a written form.

• For a potential victim to provide their decision verbally, they must do so through a professional in a First Responder Organisation.
• Professionals will need to have a conversation with the potential victim (only once they have turned 18 if transitioning to adulthood), ensuring that they understand the impact of their decision and it is informed.
• The professional should then sign and return the relevant consent/withdrawal form to the appropriate Competent Authority.
• These forms contain support for professionals on having these informed conversations with potential victims.

To confirm, a potential victim may still complete the relevant form themselves to consent to the NRM / to withdraw from the NRM in writing and return this to the relevant Competent Authority. Allowing potential victims to provide decisions verbally aims to make consent and withdrawal processes smoother by creating an alternative avenue for providing decisions.

More information about how this will work can be found at the ‘Child to Adult Transition Pathway’ at Modern Slavery: statutory guidance for England and Wales (under s49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015) and non-statutory guidance for Scotland and Northern Ireland (accessible version) - GOV.UK.

• In England and Wales, the MSVCC support provider should contact young people around six weeks before their 18th birthday to discuss the support available through the MSVCC and what it offers.
• Before this happens, the SCA will ask the professional supporting the young person, usually the Local Authority or the ICTG service, to confirm that the young person agrees to their name and phone number being shared with the MSVCC provider.
• If the young person does not agree to this, the MSVCC will not reach out to them.
• The conversation may also take place via the professional’s contact number, provided the young person is present.
• Calls may come from an “unknown number” to safeguard the young person.
• Professionals are encouraged to support the young person during and after this discussion, so they can make an informed decision about whether they wish to remain in the NRM and access adult support, if eligible, once they turn 18.

 Information Pack for Young People in the NRM Turning 18

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

A person does not need to be sleeping rough to be legally homeless.

The Housing Act 1996 defines a person as homeless if they either:

• have no accommodation available to occupy

• are at risk of violence or domestic abuse

• have accommodation but it is not reasonable for them to continue to occupy it

• have accommodation but cannot secure entry to it

• have no legal right to occupy their accommodation

• live in a mobile home or houseboat but have no place to put it or live in it

Chapter 6 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance covers the definitions of homelessness and threatened homelessness.

Shelter have a handy page with lots of useful information around homelessness and duty of the local authority. Shelter have also produced a briefing.

For local homelessness information and support check out Bury Homelessness

SAB Homelessness Procedure

Achieve Recovery Services

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) is the lead provider of substance use treatment and recovery service in Bury.

Achieve focus on delivering innovative and high performing substance use treatment and recovery with partners using a proven approach that will promptly identify and support people affected by alcohol or drug use into appropriate treatment. Achieve are committed to improving health and social outcomes for service users and families allowing more people to make a meaningful recovery from drug and alcohol use.

Achieve work collaboratively with a wide spectrum of local health and social care providers with specific focus on relationships with mental health services, criminal justice agencies, the third sector and other organisations who are involved in the promotion of recovery and rehabilitation.

Achieve have teamed up with The Big Life Group which can support service users to rebuild their lives and work towards an optimistic future.  Families and young people in particular can be especially affected by a family member living with a substance misuse problem, so Achieve also work with Early Break, an organisation dedicated to supporting families and giving children and young people a voice, and work with them to improve family life.

If you are worried about your own, or someone else’s substance misuse issues, you can contact us on 0161 271 0020 or achieve.referrals@gmmh.nhs.uk. GPs and other health professionals can also refer individuals to us via these contact details.

Referral form: Achieve Bury | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT 

Opening times:

Monday - Friday: 9am to 4.30pm

Monday to Friday (phones answered until 5pm) and 9am to 6.30pm alternate Mondays.

Assertive Outreach Team

The Assertive Outreach Team (AOT) can do the following:

• Help and support those that do not typically present at Achieve i.e. those with high complex needs/ frequent attenders/ homeless/ those struggling to engage and motivate them into accessing treatment.
• Be a bridge and seamless path into structured treatment with Achieve by supporting individuals and making the pathway into treatment simpler and more effective.
• Collaborate and work alongside partner agencies as a means of offering enhanced support to the individual i.e. joint home visits
• They aim to outreach where possible by attending drop ins and carrying out home visits, alongside telephone calls and email, as a means of being more accessible for individuals.

Referrals can be sent to the Assertive Outreach Team by e-mail to: achieve@thebiglifegroup.com

Please include the person’s name, DOB, address, any risk issues, primary problem substance, and that consent has been obtained from the individual (we will be unable to make contact if consent has not been obtained)

Please provide as much information as possible is provided when referring into AOT.

You can also contact the team by telephone; the number is 0161 871 2623 (covered by the Admin Team).

They also provide free drug and alcohol training.

Training:

• The session is interactive and is 2 hours long (with a break) and can be delivered face to face or online. There will be time after the training session for any questions
• The course will give you an understanding of:
• The effects of alcohol and drugs on the mind and the body
• Categories of substances
• The nature of addiction and dependency
• Overview of possible treatment options

They also provide FREE Naloxone training - a medication used to reverse opioid overdose

If you would like training, please contact achieve@thebiglifegroup.com.

What is Mental Capacity? 

Mental capacity is about being able make a decision and understand what will happen as a result of making that decision.

Everyone should have the right to make choices about their own life. But sometimes injury, illness or disability can affect a person’s ability to understand difficult choices and make decisions.

Someone’s mental capacity could be affected by having:

• a brain injury;
• dementia;
• a stroke;
• a severe learning disability.

Every situation is different. In some cases, a person’s mental capacity might only be affected for a short time for example if they are unconscious after an accident, but then they get better. Or it may change from time to time, meaning that they are able to make decisions one day but not the next. Or they might be able to make day-to-day decisions about shopping and meals, but be unable to make bigger decisions, about their money or where to live.

Every person’s situation is different.

How does the Mental Capacity Act support people to make decisions?

The main purpose of the Mental Capacity Act is to keep people safe and ensure that they have the right to make their own decisions, as far as possible. It sets out a way of carrying out assessments which helps to decide if a person lacks mental capacity.

It does this in three ways:

1. By making sure people make decisions for themselves wherever possible (empowering them);
2. By protecting people who lack mental capacity by having a process which is flexible and can adapt to their particular needs;
3. By allowing people to plan ahead for a time in the future when they might not have mental capacity any more.

The MCA helps to make sure that people make their own decisions for as long as possible.

Who is the Mental Capacity Act for?

The MCA is a law that applies to people over the age of 16.

There is a two stage test to help decide who the Mental Capacity Act applies to.

Stage 1. Does the person have an illness or disability of their mind or brain?

If so,

Stage 2. Does that mean that the person lacks the mental capacity to make a particular decision?

How is it decided if someone has mental capacity?

The Mental Capacity Act provides a set of questions to help decide if a person lacks mental capacity. If the answer is no to one or more of the following questions, the person lacks capacity.

1. Can they understand information given to them?
2. Can they retain that information long enough to be able to make the decision?
3. Can they weigh up the information available to make the decision?
4. Can they communicate their decision? This could be by talking, using sign language or even simple muscle movements such as blinking an eye or squeezing a hand.

When should capacity be assessed?

We can all have problems making decisions from time to time, but the Act covers situations when there is concern that a person cannot make a particular decision at a particular time because their mind or brain is affected by illness or a disability.

The decision may be about a day to day part of their life or a long term decision about where to live or whether to have medical treatment.

Their lack of capacity may not be a permanent condition.

Are any decisions not covered by the Mental Capacity Act?

Some decisions cannot be made for another person. This is because the decision is either so personal, or because it comes under other laws.
Decisions that cannot be made include:

• agreeing to a marriage or a civil partnership;
• agreeing to having sex;
• agreeing to the person’s child being placed for adoption;
• voting at an election.

Making decisions - A guide for people who work in health and social care

Making decisions - A guide for advice workers

Making Decisions – An Easy Read Guide

What is a pressure ulcer?

A pressure ulcer, often known as a pressure sore or bed sore, is damage to the skin and a deeper layer of tissue under the skin. This happens when pressure is applied to the same area of skin for a period of time and cuts off the blood supply. It is estimated that nearly half a million people in the UK will develop at least one pressure ulcer in any given year.

Pressure Ulcers and Safeguarding

Government Guidance - Safeguarding adults protocol: pressure ulcers and raising a safeguarding concern - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What are the early signs of a pressure ulcer?

• Change in skin colour, for example: skin turning redder or darker
• Heat
• Discomfort or pain
• Blisters
• Skin damage

Think SSKIN:

Surface: Are your support surfaces, for example, your bed, cushions and chair, suitable to prevent pressure ulcers? Your nurse or carer can explain different types of equipment and answer any questions you may have.

Skin inspection: Check your skin for pressure damage at least once a day. Look for redness or skin that is darker than normal. Do any areas of your skin feel hot or painful? Also watch out for blisters, dry patches or cracks in the skin.

Keep moving: Moving and changing position reduces the risk of pressure ulcers. Change your position as often as you can, with help from your carers if needed, even if you have a special mattress or cushions.

Incontinence or moisture: Wet or damp skin increases the risk of pressure ulcers developing. Keep your skin dry and clean. Use a barrier cream if it is recommended by your nurse or other healthcare professional.

Nutrition and hydration: Eating well and drinking plenty of fluids reduces the risk of developing pressure ulcers. If you have difficulties eating or drinking, speak to your nurse or carers.

Pressure Relieving Devices and Fire Safety

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. Below you can find information about all ten categories of abuse. 

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)

General SARC animation

The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse have developed a new hub of helpful resources for adult survivors of child sexual abuse and this is accessible here: https://selfhelp.csacentre.org.uk/.

This is a signposting hub that brings together vetted and reliable resources in one freely accessible place, with the aim of making it easier for adult survivors to find information that meets their specific needs. Self-help resources are not a substitute for specialist support, but they can help people to understand what they are going through, feel less alone, and build skills that support healing and recovery.

There are many resources some of which include: 

• Sexual intimacy after sexual assault
• From Report to Court - A handbook for adult survivors of sexual violence
• Coping after sexual violence
• Flashbacks: Information for survivors
• Healing from sexual violence
• Panic attacks: information for survivors of sexual violence
• Relationships: information for survivors of sexual violence
• Trauma: information for survivors of sexual violence
• A Self Help Guide for Males Who Have Been Sexually Abused
• Reclaiming Self-Worth and Identity After Abuse

Modern Slavery includes human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude. Other examples may include sexual exploitation, such as escort work, prostitution and pornography and debt bondage – being forced to work to pay off debts that realistically they never will be able to. 

Modern slavery refers to situations of exploitation in which a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power. Modern slavery is a serious crime that violates human rights. Anyone can become a victim of modern slavery, and in all types of exploitation victims can be women, men, girls, or boys. 

Signs and indications can include: 

• Signs of physical or emotional abuse
• Appearing to be malnourished, unkempt or withdrawn
• Isolation from the community, seeming under the control or influence of others
• Living in dirty, cramped or overcrowded accommodation and or living and working at the same address
• Lack of personal effects or identification documents
• Always wearing the same clothes
• Avoidance of eye contact, appearing frightened or hesitant to talk to strangers
• Fear of law enforcers

Video: Modern Slavery is closer than you think: Understanding Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

Discriminatory Abuse includes abuse, such a harassment, slurs or hate crime based on a person's race, sex, disability, faith, sexual orientation or age. 

Types of Discriminatory Abuse: 

• Unequal treatment based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex or sexual orientation (known as ‘protected characteristics’ under the Equality Act 2010)
• Verbal abuse, derogatory remarks or inappropriate use of language related to a protected characteristic
• Denying access to communication aids, not allowing access to an interpreter, signer or lip-reader
• Harassment or deliberate exclusion on the grounds of a protected characteristic
• Denying basic rights to healthcare, education, employment and criminal justice relating to a protected characteristic
• Substandard service provision relating to a protected characteristic

Signs and indications can include: 

• The person appears withdrawn and isolated
• Expressions of anger, frustration, fear or anxiety
• The support on offer does not take account of the person’s individual needs in terms of a protected characteristic

Victim Support

Age UK

Stop Hate UK

Stop Hate Crime Resources

If you identify as LGBT+, you can contact Galop

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

Organisational abuse is a form of harm that arises from poor working practices, inadequate care, or systemic failures within an organisation, rather than from a single individual’s actions. It can occur in hospitals, care homes, schools, children’s homes, foster care, religious organisations, youth groups, prisons, or even in a person’s own home. The abuse may be intentional or unintentional, but it results in the violation of individuals’ rights, dignity, and well-being, often affecting multiple people simultaneously.

Types of organisational or institutional abuse can include:

• Discouraging visits or the involvement of relatives or friends
• Run-down or overcrowded establishment
• Authoritarian management or rigid regimes
• Lack of leadership and supervision
• Insufficient staff or high turnover resulting in poor quality care
• Abusive and disrespectful attitudes towards people using the service
• Inappropriate use of restraints
• Lack of respect for dignity and privacy
• Failure to manage residents with abusive behaviour
• Not providing adequate food and drink, or assistance with eating
• Not offering choice or promoting independence
• Misuse of medication
• Failure to provide care with dentures, spectacles or hearing aids
• Not taking account of individuals’ cultural, religious or ethnic needs
• Failure to respond to abuse appropriately
• Interference with personal correspondence or communication
• Failure to respond to complaints
•  

Signs and indications can include: 

• Lack of flexibility and choice for people using the service
• Inadequate staffing levels
• People being hungry or dehydrated
• Poor standards of care
• Lack of personal clothing and possessions and communal use of personal items
• Lack of adequate procedures
• Poor record-keeping and missing documents
• Absence of visitors
• Few social, recreational and educational activities
• Public discussion of personal matters
• Unnecessary exposure during bathing or using the toilet
• Absence of individual care plans
• Lack of management overview and support

Age UK

Citizen’s Advice

Samaritans

Neglect and Acts of Omission include ignoring medical or physical care needs, and the withholding of necessities, such as medication and adequate nutrition.

Types of neglect and acts of omission: 

• Failure to provide or allow access to food, shelter, clothing, heating, stimulation and activity, personal or medical care
• Providing care in a way that the person dislikes
• Failure to administer medication as prescribed
• Refusal of access to visitors
• Not taking account of individuals’ cultural, religious or ethnic needs
• Not taking account of educational, social and recreational needs
• Ignoring or isolating the person
• Preventing the person from making their own decisions
• Preventing access to glasses, hearing aids, dentures, etc.
• Failure to ensure privacy and dignity

Possible signs and indications of neglect and acts of omission can include: 

• Poor environment – dirty or unhygienic
• Poor physical condition and/or personal hygiene
• Pressure sores or ulcers
• Malnutrition or unexplained weight loss
• Untreated injuries and medical problems
• Inconsistent or reluctant contact with medical and social care organisations
• Accumulation of untaken medication
• Uncharacteristic failure to engage in social interaction
• Inappropriate or inadequate clothing

Age UK

Citizen’s Advice

Self-Neglect includes situations where a person is declining support with their care needs, hygiene, health or their environment, and this is having a significant impact on their overall wellbeing.

Types of self neglect: 

• Lack of self-care to an extent that it threatens personal health and safety
• Neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings
• Inability to avoid self-harm
• Failure to seek help or access services to meet health and social care needs
• Inability or unwillingness to manage one’s personal affairs

Possible signs and indications of self neglect can include: 

• Very poor personal hygiene
• Unkempt appearance
• Lack of essential food, clothing or shelter
• Malnutrition and/or dehydration
• Living in squalid or unsanitary conditions
• Neglecting household maintenance
• Hoarding
• Collecting a large number of animals in inappropriate conditions
• Non-compliance with health or care services
• Inability or unwillingness to take medication or treat illness or injury

Self-neglect at a glance - SCIE

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

Access Mental health - NHS to read about common feelings, symptoms and behaviours, learn about mental health conditions, advice, help and services. 

Mental Health Support for Men 

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. 

The Bury Directory contains an overview on suicide including support and getting help.

Suicide - An Overview | Bury Directory

What is it?

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is a law that sets out how you'll be supported to make decisions, or how decisions will be made for you. For example, if your ability to make certain decisions is affected by:

• A mental health problem
• An illness
• An injury
• The effects of medication

The Act tells you:

• What you can do to plan ahead
• How you can ask someone else to make decisions for you
• Who can make decisions for you if you haven't planned ahead

What are my rights under the Mental Capacity Act? 

• You have the right to make your own decisions if you have capacity and are aged 16 or over. There are some exceptions. For example, decisions about treatment for mental health problems if you're detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.
• You'll be assumed to have capacity, unless you've had an assessment showing you don't.
• You should receive support to make your own decisions before anyone assumes you don't have capacity, especially from health and social care professionals. You shouldn't be labelled as lacking capacity just because you've made a decision that others don't agree with.
• Any decisions made for you must in your best interests and restrict your freedom as little as possible.

Making decisions about your health, welfare or finances. Who decides when you can’t?

Making decisions - A guide for family, friends and other unpaid carers

• The Mental Health Act 1983 applies if you have a mental health problem. It sets out your rights if you're sectioned under this Act.
• The Mental Capacity Act applies if you have a mental health problem and you don't have the mental capacity to make certain decisions.

These are the key differences between the Acts:

The Mental Health Act 1983: 

• Applies if you have a mental health problem, such as depression or bipolar disorder.
• You cannot be detained under this Act unless you meet the conditions for sectioning under the Mental Health Act 1983. See our pages on sectioning for more information on when you can be sectioned.
• If you're detained under this Act, the health professionals must follow this Act when making decisions for you. They don't need to follow the best interests checklist in the Mental Capacity Act.
• Applies to treatment you're given for your mental health problems, such as antipsychotic medication. This means you can be given the treatment regardless of whether you agree to it. And regardless of whether you have the mental capacity to agree to it.

Mental Capacity Act 2005: 

• Applies if you don't have the mental capacity to make a decision that needs to be made. For example, about healthcare or residential care. Health professionals should assess your mental capacity before an important decision can be made on your behalf. But in an emergency, health professionals may need to make a decision for you before they can assess your capacity.
• Any decisions made about you must follow the best interests checklist in the Act.
• If you cannot be sectioned under the Mental Health Act, you can still be detained and stopped from leaving a place. This would involve the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards procedure under the Mental Capacity Act, or by a court order.
• If you don't have capacity to make decisions about treatment, the Act can be used to give you treatment for physical health problems. These may have nothing to do with your mental health problem. If you're not sectioned, treatment for your mental health problem could also be given if you're in hospital and do not object, or haven't refused in the past. Or via an advance decision, attorney or deputy.

The government has changed the law called the Mental Health Act following a review. 

The government want to make changes so people do not stay in hospital unless they need to and to make changes to stop people being taken to a police or prison cell when waiting for care and treatment.

These changes are written into a new act: 

Mental Health Act 2025

Mental Health Act: easy read 

Achieve is for anyone in Bury who is experiencing problems with drugs and/or alcohol, for anyone who.

• Is worried about their drinking or drug use

• Feels their drinking or drug use is out of control

• Is experiencing medical or mental health problems because of their drinking or drug use

• Think their drinking or drug use could be having negative effects on their family and friends

• Is worried about a person they care about and their drinking and drug use

Please see the below document for further information regarding Achieve. 

Click Here

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.

It is mandatory that professionals discuss the case with their agency’s designated safeguarding lead/officer to help gather the information for the referral and that internal sign off has occurred prior to submission.

Please click here to view our published SAR Reports