Safeguarding adults

What is safeguarding?

  • Safeguarding is about keeping people safe from harm and abuse. Safeguarding is everyone's business. It helps protect children and adults who may not be able to protect themselves. Everyone has the right to feel safe and be treated with care and respect. This page explains safeguarding. It covers its meaning, how it works, and what to do if you're worried about someone's safety. Our vision for Harrow is to make it a place where all people are safe and free from harm and abuse.

The Harrow Safeguarding Adults Board (HSAB)

The HSAB is a partnership of a few agencies. They work together to keep adults safe from abuse and neglect. The board includes the police, health services, and other partners. The board makes sure everyone works together to protect adults at risk.

  • They check safeguarding in their area.
  • Share information.
  • Make plans to improve safety and care.

Their goal is to make sure all adults are treated with dignity, respect, and are kept safe. The HSAB does not offer direct adult safeguarding services.

The care journey: safeguarding

 

Report a safeguarding concern

If you think a vulnerable person is at immediate risk of harm, call 999. For everything else, you can contact our Safeguarding Adults team (SAT). You can contact us if you are concerned about:

  • The safety or well-being of an adult in Harrow
  • An adult in Harrow who has suffered abuse or neglect

Refer an adult for safeguarding

 

You can also contact the SAT by:

Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR)

The SAR looks at situations where something went very wrong. An example being, if an adult at risk was badly harmed or died. The review checks what happened, what could be done better, and how to improve. It’s not about blaming anyone. It’s about learning to make care and support safer for everyone.

Request a review

The SAR referral form is in line with the Care Act (2014). The referral form should only be completed if:

  • It is suspected that an adult with care and support needs has died. This is because of a known or suspected serious abuse or neglect.
  • The victim is alive but has suffered serious abuse and neglect. There are concerns about how local agencies have failed to look after the adult.

Before you complete the form, you should discuss the issue with your organisation's HSAB member. This is if your agency is a board member). They should help ensure the form is correctly completed.

Request a review

 

Do not use this form to report adult safeguarding concerns. To get support for a vulnerable adult, see report a safeguarding concern.

SAR publications

These include the recommendations from the reviews. The HSAB is responsible for publishing these reviews. They help organisations learn from past cases and improve how they safeguard adults at risk. These reports often include details about:

  • What went wrong and why.
  • How agencies like health services, social care, and the police worked together.
  • Steps to improve practices and policies.

Harrow SAB - SAR A

  • Hoarding and resistant service users.
  • Elective home education and young carers.
  • Potential perplexing presentations.

Harrow SAB - SAR B

  • Mental Capacity.
  • Carers and Adverse Childhood events.

Harrow SAB - SAR C

  • Home invasion. Formerly known as ‘Cuckooing’.
  • Multi-agency professionals' meetings.
  • Cross-agency information-sharing.
  • Impact of COVID. Multi-agency review of repeat prescription requests.

Brent SAB - SAR G

Brent SAB completed SAR G in 2024. Harrow's adult safeguarding agencies took part in the review. Key areas of learning include:

  • Professional curiosity and placement suitability. Multi-agency risk management.
  • Hospital care and discharge management.
  • Consideration of mental capacity and the person’s voice.
  • Responses to mental health and learning disabilities.
  • Effectiveness of enquiries in reducing the risk of neglect.
  • Resourcing, environmental issues, and agency decision-making.
  • Cross-borough communication on enquiries. Including care management reviews and contract monitoring.

View the Brent safeguarding adults review.

HSAB Strategy, Policies and Procedures

These documents outline our approach to responding to concerns about adults at risk.

HSAB Annual Reports