We're committed to everybody's wellbeing

Are you concerned about a person’s safety, welfare or wellbeing?

The safety and security of our customers is our first priority. We believe everyone has the right to live their life free from fear, violence or harm. We’re committed to working collaboratively with our partners and statutory authorities to prevent or reduce the risk of abuse or the mistreatment of vulnerable adults and children.

As a trusted partner, we’ll play our role in supporting local authorities to deliver their statutory obligations. Put simply, it’s about us being able to identify safeguarding issues and then raise an alert to the relevant local authority and/or safeguarding team.

To ensure we deliver on this commitment, we train all staff at 54North Homes in what to do if we identify issues or concerns.

The Care Act (2014) defines safeguarding issues as the following:

  • Discriminatory abuse.
  • Domestic violence.
  • Financial or material abuse.
  • Modern slavery.
  • Neglect and acts of omission.
  • Organisational abuse.
  • Physical abuse.
  • Psychological abuse.
  • Radicalisation.
  • Self-neglect.
  • Sexual abuse.

Abuse can be:

  • A single act or repeated acts.
  • An act of neglect or an omission to act.
  • Be intentional or unintentional or result from lack of knowledge.

Signs of abuse can include the following:

  • Behavioural problems.
  • Mental health problems.
  • Physical signs, for example bruising.
  • Relationship difficulties.
  • Drug and/or alcohol problems.
  • Financial problems, for example rent arrears.
  • Attempted suicide or self-harm.

If you’re concerned about someone’s safety or wellbeing, please report it directly to your local authority safeguarding team. If you don’t know which local authority this is, you can check here.

If you’re at immediate risk of harm or can see that someone else is, please call the police on 999.  Further information about contacting the police can be found on here.

If you’ve got concerns about the welfare of a child, you can also contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or see their website here.

If you’re a young person and need support, you can contact ChildLine on 0800 1111 or visit their website here.

For more information about our procedures, including full definitions of what constitutes a safeguarding issue, you can read our Safeguarding Adults and Child Protection Policy here.