Published on:
10
February 2015
People are being urged to act on their instinct if they think an adult is being
harmed, neglected or taken advantage of, says Clackmannanshire Council.
Clackmannanshire Council is supporting the Scottish Government's 'Adult Support and
Protection' campaign, aimed at raising awareness of adult harm and encouraging
people to act on their gut feeling that somebody may be experiencing harm or is at
risk of it.
Adult harm can take many forms, such as physical, psychological, financial, and
sexual harm and neglect. There were I73 adult support and protection referrals in 2012-2013 in Clackmannanshire and 112 referrals in 2013-2014, according to the Forth Valley Adult Support and Protection Committee Biennial Report 2012-14.
The report was discussed at the January meeting of the Housing, Health and Care Committee. It stated that people aged 75+ made up 47% of all referrals in Clackmannanshire during the reporting period and this pattern is replicated in Forth Valley as a whole. There was a higher proportion of women harmed than men, perhaps reflecting the demographics of the older population.
Council Leader Les Sharp said: "If you thought a child was at risk of harm, you would do something about it. It should be no different for an adult. But many people are not aware of adult harm or of the need to act on their concerns about others.
"It's not always easy to tell if an adult is in trouble. But there are signs and situations
to be aware of. For example, a person may have unexplained cuts and bruises, or refuse to talk about injuries. They may be failing to look after themselves or their property, or are confused where their money has gone, or are giving money to people they know for reasons that might concern you. They may appear quiet, withdrawn or nervous around certain people, or get upset at the mention of their relationship, or may constantly be having people - friends or strangers - 'hanging out' at their house.
"Adult harm can affect anybody, but people who can't look after or stand up for themselves can be particularly at risk, whether through factors such as personal circumstances, physical or learning disability, age or illness and injury. We all have a duty to look out for people in our communities.
"People often have an instinctual feeling that someone is being harmed or is at risk; a sense that something is not right. By acting on this, they could help a person who is at risk to overcome the situation and become safe from harm. We know sometimes people don't want to get involved, for fear of being seen to intrude on other people's privacy or that they might be wrong about the situation and subject another person to unfair accusations. But it is vital that they do raise concerns with their local council. And it is safe to do - you don't need to provide your personal details and we will check the situation sensitively and support will be given, if needed.
"The message is simple - if you think an adult is at risk of harm and something feels wrong, you're right to get it checked out. If you see something, say something."
You can report any concerns to the Council by calling 01259 450000 during working hours and out of hours by calling the Emergency Duty Team on 0845 3277 7000.
The Scottish Government's new Adult Support and Protection campaign highlights the issue of 'adult harm' in Scotland; adults who are being harmed, neglected or taken advantage of, or appear to be at risk of it happening.
Adult harm can take many forms:
There are, on average, 300 referrals relating to adult harm received across Scotland each week. On average, one investigation is commenced for every 18 referrals received, and one protection order granted for every 12 investigations commenced.
For more detail, please refer to Adult Support and Protection in Scotland: A detailed review of the 2010-2012 biennial reports, available online at: www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0041/00418395.pdf