- Summary
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Safeguarding means protecting people's health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk is primary concern and statutory duty of Sevenoaks District Council. We all have duty to protect children and adults from abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
We have a corporate Safeguarding Group that meets every two months. The staff who attend the group are the Designated Safeguarding Officers for the Council and if you need to contact them please call 01732 227000 or email safeguarding@sevenoaks.gov.uk. Our staff have regular training on all strands of safeguarding from Children and Vulnerable Adults to Prevent (counter terrorism), Modern Slavery and Mental Health.
Our Safeguarding Policy for children and adults at risk sets out the procedures that will be followed if there are concerns or allegations of abuse or neglect towards a child or adult at risk. We have a duty to report safeguarding reports and concerns to the relevant investigative authority and in this case would be Kent County Council (KCC) Adult and Children Social Services or when immediate help is needed the Police.
If you are worried that child or adult is suffering abuse, contact Kent County Council to report your concerns.
If it is an emergency or there is an immediate risk of harm contact the police on 999.
If you are child, you can contact Childline or the NSPCC for advice and support on what to do if you or someone you know needs help – they offer telephone, email and instant chat options.
Useful links
Visit the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board for resources available in number of languages.
To find out more information about child safeguarding, visit the Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership.
Making Safeguarding PersonalMaking Safeguarding Personal (MSP) is about professionals working with adults at risk to ensure that they are making difference to their lives. Considering, with them, what matters to them so that the interventions are personal and meaningful. It should empower, engage and inform individuals so that they can prevent and resolve abuse and neglect in their own lives and build their personal resilience. It must enhance their involvement, choice and control as well as improving quality of life, wellbeing and safety. We will always endeavour to adhere to the MSP principals when providing support or assistance to an individual.
We also work closely with the Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership and Kent & Medway Adult Safeguarding Board.
Independent advocacy referral forms
You can make a referral for independent advocacy (under the Care Act 2014) for adults who are subject to a safeguarding enquiry or Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR).
The 'What happened?' form can be completed for people with learning disabilities, either on their own or with help to describe something that happened to them.