It is National Adult Support and Protection Day on Saturday 20 February 2021 - an annual reminder to act on any concerns about vulnerable adults who you suspect may be at risk from harm, neglect or exploitation.
East Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) is supporting both the awareness raising day and the ‘Seen Something? Say Something’ campaign, urging people to take action if they have concerns.
This year, with many people isolated from friends and social groups due to the measures in place to manage the pandemic, it is more important than ever that people are encouraged to ‘say something’ if they are worried about someone who may be at risk.
Caroline Sinclair, Interim Chief Officer of East Dunbartonshire HSCP, said, “Since the beginning of the pandemic we have received a 56% increase in adult protection referrals, thanks to concerned families, friends, carers and members of the public raising the alarm when a vulnerable person is in danger of being harmed, neglected or exploited.
"We are fortunate in East Dunbartonshire to have so many people looking out for each other within our communities and by ‘saying something’, many vulnerable people have been protected.
“However, during lockdown people struggling to look after themselves continue to be at risk of all types of harm including neglect and physical, sexual and financial abuse. National Adult Support and Protection Day is a timely reminder to us all of our duty to say something if we are concerned and we want people in East Dunbartonshire to know that they can report their suspicions to us and we will take them seriously.”
If you are worried about an adult at risk of harm and would like to report it, you can do so by sending an email or making a phone call (anonymous if you wish), to allow sensitive enquiries to be made and protective measures taken where appropriate.
The contact details you need are:
- The Council’s Social Work Team on 0141 355 2200
- Social Work Team on socialwork@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
- Police Scotland on 101.