Southampton City Council fact sheet
Who might be at risk?
People who are vulnerable and are unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation due to a physical disability, mental ill-health, a learning disability, age or frailty.
What is meant by abuse?
People who need care and support need to trust and depend on everyone they rely on for help. Abuse is anything that harms another person and might include:
• Physical abuse such as hitting, pushing, locking someone in a room
• Verbal abuse such as shouting and/or swearing
• Emotional abuse such as bullying, taunting or humiliating someone
• Sexual abuse such as inappropriate touching, forcing someone to take part in any sexual act against their will
• Financial abuse such as misusing, withholding or taking someone’s money
• Neglect such as not providing necessary food, care or medicine
• Discrimination such as ill treatment due to the person’s age, gender, disability, religious beliefs or race which may include harassment
No abuse is acceptable. If you believe a crime has been committed your local police should be contacted.
Who might abuse?
Abuse can happen anywhere and can be carried out by anyone such as:
• Family, friends, neighbours
• Paid staff, carers, volunteers
• Other service users or tenants
• Strangers
What you can do if you think someone is being abused or someone is abusing you
Don’t assume that someone else is doing something about the situation.
• If anyone is injured get a doctor or ambulance
• Make a note of your concerns, what happened and any action you take then tell your Social services office
• If you think a criminal offence has been committed, contact the police straight away.
What will happen next?
Working with other organisations, Social services will find out as much as possible about what has happened. We will do a number of things which might include:
• Talking to you and other people involved to find out what has happened
• Planning what to do to protect the person being abused
• Supporting the person and their carers through the process
• Being available to offer support in the future
If we suspect a crime the police will carry out an investigation, working alongside other agencies.
Further help and advice
A leaflet for people with learning disabilities called Adult Abuse is Wrong is also available from Social services.
Social services
During office hours contact your local office:
Southampton Tel: 023 8083 4567
Portsmouth Tel: 023 9289 3800 (older people) Tel: 023 9220 0132 (adults)
Hampshire phone numbers are listed in the telephone directory under Social services.
Outside office hours
Social services operate an out of hours service for urgent problems that happen outside normal office hours. The emergency duty teams can be reached on:
Southampton City Council Tel: 023 8083 3344
Portsmouth City Council Tel: 0845 600 4555
Hampshire County Council Tel: 0845 600 4555
Commission for social care inspection Tel: 023 8082 1300
Police contact your local police station or Tel: 0845 045 45 45
Useful contact numbers
Elder abuse response helpline – For advice and support Tel: 080 8808 8141
Voice UK – support for people with learning disabilities who have been abused Tel: 0845 1228695
Respond helpline – for people with learning difficulties Tel: 0808 8080700
Saneline – help and advice for people with a mental illness Tel: 0845 7678000
Rape Crisis – provide advice, information and counselling services for men and women who have been raped or sexually abused at anytime in their lives Tel: 023 8063 6312 Minicom: 023 8063 6314
Contact Name
Last updated: 25 June 2008