Safeguarding Adults Week: What Every Carer Needs to Know

Safeguarding Adults Week is a national moment to recognise the importance of keeping people safe from harm, neglect, and exploitation.

Paid carers usually learn the basics of safeguarding as part of their induction and ongoing training — what to look out for, how to report concerns, and how to protect someone’s dignity and choices.

But unpaid carers often don’t get the same clarity or access to information. They’re left to figure things out alone — even though many of them encounter safeguarding concerns daily.

Unpaid carers aren’t only family members. They’re also neighbours worried about an older resident repeatedly wandering or seeming confused, friends noticing someone becoming isolated or controlled, or community members who see someone at risk of mate crime or exploitation.

Safeguarding isn’t just a care-sector topic. It’s a community responsibility, and making it accessible is more important than ever.

💛 What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding is about protecting a person’s right to live in safety — free from abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

It can include physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, coercive control, sexual abuse, self-neglect, organisational abuse, and discrimination.

Safeguarding isn’t about blame — it’s about spotting signs early and getting the right support in place.

💛 Paid carers: “We learned this in training…”

Paid carers often know the processes — raising concerns, recording observations, escalating issues, following procedures. But even paid carers can feel unsure, especially with subtle concerns like financial manipulation or family-based coercive control.

💛 Unpaid carers: “No one ever explained this to me”

Millions of unpaid carers support loved ones with no training. They encounter worrying behaviour, exploitation, scams, burnout, coercion, and self-neglect but aren’t taught what safeguarding is or how to get help.

Safeguarding shouldn’t be a mystery. Every carer — paid or unpaid — deserves to know where to start.

💛 Peopleoo: A safe space for safeguarding conversations

Safeguarding concerns can feel heavy and frightening. That’s why Peopleoo is designed as a safe, trauma-informed space.

On Peopleoo, you can:
• talk openly with people who understand care 
• use “post your voice, not your name” to stay anonymous 
• add sensitive content warnings 
• share concerns safely 
• get support from professionals, retired experts, and unpaid carers 

💛 Making safeguarding personal

Safeguarding is about listening, respecting wishes, supporting choices, and empowering people to live safely and independently.

💛 Signs to look out for

Look for unexplained injuries, fear, withdrawal, financial changes, isolation, poor living conditions, self-neglect, coercion, or anything that triggers your gut instinct.

💛 What to do if you’re worried

• talk to someone you trust 
• contact your local safeguarding adults team 
• speak to a GP or social prescriber 
• call 999 if someone is in immediate danger 

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. If something feels wrong, it’s okay to ask for help.

💛 Peopleoo is here as your safe space to talk it through.