Sefton Council is marking Adults Safeguarding Week with the launch of its Safeguarding Adults Board, focused on the protection of adults and promotion of safeguarding across the borough.

Sefton Safeguarding Adults Board’s purpose  is to help protect adults with care and support needs from abuse, harm and neglect. It brings together leaders and representatives from local organisations to ensure that safeguarding arrangements are in place and services in Sefton are high-quality and safe.

Partner agencies include senior representatives from acute hospitals, adult social care services, Merseyside Police, NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS Southport and Formby CCG, Merseyside Fire & Rescue, probation service, public health, Healthwatch Sefton and the voluntary sector.

The Sefton Safeguarding Adults Board replaces the Merseyside Safeguarding Adults Board and provides a focus on Sefton-specific issues and priorities.

The council will be sharing messages throughout the week to improve understanding of safeguarding adults, types of neglect or abuse that would require someone to need safeguarding and how to raise a concern with the department to secure support for the person(s) involved.

Cllr Paul Cummins, cabinet member for adult social care said: “I am glad that Sefton Safeguarding Adults Board has launched in time for Adults Safeguarding Week so we can protect people in Sefton and raise awareness of this crucial issue.

“It can be hard to recognise signs of abuse or neglect and even harder to take action and raise a concern, but we all have a responsibility to each other to speak up if we see signs of abuse or neglect.

“Our fantastic teams will be sharing useful information all week to make it easier to spot abuse and neglect and to explain the process of raising any concerns.”

Nat Hendry-Torrance, designated safeguarding adults manager for the CCGs in Sefton said: “This year’s theme for Safeguarding Adults Week is ‘Creating Safer Cultures’ . This is about how organisations and individuals can take steps to minimise harm occurring in the first instance, while ensuring correct policies and procedures are in place so that safeguarding concerns that are raised, are recognised and responded to effectively.

“As a newly formed board for Sefton, our aim is to protect the most vulnerable members of our society and work together to make Sefton a safe place for all.”

People can find out more about the Sefton Safeguarding Adults Board here.