Safeguarding adults in Brent: Bridging the gap

Brent Safeguarding Adults Board and Healthwatch Brent have been working on a project to ensure that residents are aware of safeguarding and how to protect themselves and their community. 

Please read this article to find out about the purpose and aims of the engagement programme. 

What have we been doing? 

In April and May, we hosted safeguarding focus groups for key community groups – namely Barham Library Memory Cafe, Brent Autism Care Navigation service, and Free the Forgotten. It was important to speak to different groups, as we could understand experiences from a wide range of residents. We were also able to see if a certain hardship was more common in a particular community. 

To make the sessions accessible, the Chair of the Brent Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) and Healthwatch Brent’s Community Engagement Officer visited the groups at their usual community venue.   

Another component of the programme is bridging the gap between safeguarding practice and understanding, in which the chair of the SAB meets with members of the public. The attendees were able to voice their challenges and experiences directly with the chair. In turn, the chair will share feedback with other members of the Safeguarding Adults Board so that they can improve how services respond to safeguarding issues. We hope that the result will be services, professionals and the public working together to make Brent a safer environment.  

Some of the points discussed were:

• Many people informed us that after their hospital discharge, they were not asked about the next steps and if they had a suitable living condition or someone to support them in their recovery.

• Majority expressed that they would like healthcare professionals and services to be more involved in keeping environments safe.

• Some people at the focus groups were carers, so they prioritise the safety/wellbeing of their client or family member over their own.

• The parents and carers also expressed concerns about a lack of support while caring for a child with special education needs.

• Housing and anti-social behaviour from neighbours were also highlighted as key safeguarding issues by the community groups.

• Safeguarding is holistic (it affects every area of a person's life) and it can start from a small challenge.

What are our next steps? 

The Chair of the Safeguarding Adults Board will be contacting key decision makers and staff members. 

We will be hosting follow-up sessions to provide the communities with more advice and a platform to voice ongoing concerns.  

Get in touch 

We would love to work with you and your community group to promote safeguarding into our borough.   

For more information or to arrange a safeguarding focus group, contact us on info@healthwatchbrent.co.uk or call us on 020 3869 9730.