Adult, Child and Domestic Abuse

Abuse of adults at risk is one form of abuse inflicted by people who abuse their relative power over others. There are of course other forms of abuse anyone can come across in the course of their work in particular child abuse and domestic abuse Everyone has a responsibility beyond that of the particular client or service user group they specialise in to be aware of risk to anyone they come across and to know where to refer concerns on to where these are outside their area of responsibility.

There are also times when individual situations cross the boundaries i.e. some instances of physical abuse in adult safeguarding may also be cases of domestic abuse but where the victim's vulnerability is related to their lack of capacity to make themselves safe; a child may have a parent who may be seen as vulnerable due to their mental capacity and hence their ability to keep their child safe. This guidance seeks to link to the work carried out in respect of domestic abuse, safeguarding children and adult safeguarding. There are lessons to learn from each other and experiences to share.

Detailed joint guidance for adult and children's workers on their responsibilities for safeguarding is available to download at the bottom of this page.  It includes information on what to look out for, who to report to and also guidance on what to do if an adult discloses to an adult worker abuse that they experienced as a child.

• Guidance for Children's and Adults Services in responding to Safeguarding Concerns