Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk is primary concern and a statutory duty of this 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.
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.
Raise an adult safeguarding concern about yourself or someone else
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 Personal
Making 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).
Care needs assessment and carer’s assessment
If you think you have any care and support needs you are entitled to a free care needs assessment by Kent County Council (KCC). The care needs assessment looks at how your needs impact on your wellbeing and the outcomes you would like to achieve in your daily life. KCC will assess your care and support needs with you and decide if they are at the level where you need support. For further details, please visit Care needs assessments - Kent County Council.
If you give unpaid care to someone who is over the age of 18, you can ask for a carer's assessment. Caring for someone covers lots of different things, including; helping with their washing, dressing or eating; taking them to regular appointments; and keeping them company when they feel lonely or anxious. Visit Request a carers assessment - Kent County Council for further information. If you are a young carer aged under 18, please visit Young carers - Imago.