Advice, Rights & Accessible Support Guide
This one-page guide brings together practical information about recognising abuse, neglect and exploitation; reporting concerns; disability-related risks; accessible communication; adult and child safeguarding rights; care settings; education; advocacy; record-keeping and what to do if concerns are not acted on.
What safeguarding means
Safeguarding means protecting people’s health, wellbeing and human rights and helping them live free from abuse, neglect, exploitation and avoidable harm. Good safeguarding should be person-centred, proportionate and accessible.
Safeguarding is not about removing someone’s independence because they are disabled. Protection should be balanced with dignity, choice, communication, autonomy and the person’s rights.
Disabled children, disabled adults, neurodivergent people, people with learning disabilities, sensory impairments, long-term conditions or mental health needs may face additional barriers to being heard or obtaining help. Dependency on another person for communication, medication, transport, personal care, money or equipment can also create opportunities for abuse or control.
Terminology: “vulnerable adult” is still widely understood, but adult safeguarding law in England generally refers to an adult with care and support needs. Having a disability does not automatically mean an adult lacks capacity or is unable to make their own decisions.
Disabled children and young people
Disabled children and young people have the same right to protection, care, education, dignity and respect as every other child. Safeguarding must consider the child’s individual communication and support needs.
Why concerns can be harder to recognise
- speech or communication differences may make disclosure difficult
- behaviour showing fear or distress may be attributed to a diagnosis
- the child may depend on adults for intimate or personal care
- injuries may be incorrectly explained as disability-related
- the child may have fewer opportunities to speak privately to a trusted adult
- bullying, exploitation or peer abuse may be hidden
- the child may not recognise grooming or unsafe behaviour
Changes worth noticing
- sudden fear of a person, place or activity
- withdrawal, shutdowns or unusual distress
- new sleep problems or nightmares
- unexpected aggression or self-injury
- regression or loss of previously used skills
- unexplained injuries or repeated accidents
- sexualised behaviour or knowledge not expected for age/development
- avoiding school, transport, respite or a particular carer
Do not automatically dismiss a change as “part of the disability”, autism, behaviour or sensory needs. A change can have many causes, but safeguarding should be considered where something is different, unexplained or concerning.
In England, Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 is the current multi-agency statutory guidance. Schools and colleges must also follow Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026, which came into force on 1 September 2026.
GOV.UK – Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026
GOV.UK – Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026
Adult safeguarding in England
The Care Act 2014 adult safeguarding duties focus on adults who have care and support needs and may be unable to protect themselves from abuse or neglect because of those needs.
Section 42 safeguarding duty: where a local authority has reasonable cause to suspect that an adult has care and support needs, is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect, and because of those needs is unable to protect themselves, the authority must make, or cause to be made, whatever enquiries it considers necessary to decide what action should be taken.
Person-led
Safeguarding should take account of the adult’s views, wishes, feelings, beliefs and the outcomes they want wherever possible.
Preventive
Action should not wait until avoidable harm has become severe if reasonable support can reduce risk earlier.
Proportionate
The response should be appropriate to the risk and should avoid unnecessary restrictions on the person’s rights and independence.
Types of abuse, neglect and exploitation
Safeguarding concerns can involve one incident, repeated behaviour, deliberate abuse, neglect, poor professional practice or unsafe systems.
Physical abuse
Hitting, pushing, rough handling, inappropriate restraint, physical punishment, misuse of medication or deliberately withholding mobility support.
Psychological or emotional abuse
Threats, humiliation, intimidation, blaming disability-related needs, isolation, bullying, coercion, controlling behaviour or making someone feel worthless.
Sexual abuse
Sexual activity, contact, exposure, images, coercion or exploitation without valid consent. Grooming and exploitation can affect children and adults, including online.
Neglect and acts of omission
Not providing food, fluids, medication, healthcare, hygiene, supervision, warmth, personal care, disability support or safe living conditions.
Financial or material abuse
Stealing money, misusing benefits, controlling accounts, scams, fraud, pressuring someone to sign documents, or taking money intended for their care.
Domestic abuse
Physical, sexual, emotional, economic or controlling and coercive behaviour by a partner, ex-partner or family member. Disabled victims can experience disability-specific forms of control.
Discriminatory abuse
Harassment, abuse, humiliation or unequal treatment linked to disability or another protected characteristic.
Organisational abuse
Neglect or poor practice within a hospital, care home, supported living service, day service, respite service or other organisation, including unsafe routines or cultures.
Modern slavery and exploitation
Trafficking, forced labour, domestic servitude or other exploitation where someone is controlled for another person’s benefit.
Self-neglect
Serious neglect of personal hygiene, health, nutrition or surroundings, including hoarding. The safeguarding response depends on the individual circumstances and ability to protect oneself.
Disability-specific abuse and coercive control
Abuse against a disabled person can involve ordinary forms of abuse plus behaviour that targets their disability or dependence on support.
Examples can include
- withholding, damaging or moving mobility or communication equipment
- controlling access to medication, food, personal care or healthcare
- refusing to interpret or preventing access to communication support
- preventing someone attending appointments alone
- threatening institutionalisation or withdrawal of care
- using benefits or care money for someone else
- deliberately triggering sensory distress or worsening a health condition
- isolating someone from family, friends, advocates or professionals
Dependence does not remove rights
A person may depend on the person harming them for washing, dressing, medication, transport, communication or housing. This can make it harder to disclose abuse or leave safely.
Services should avoid assuming that a caring relationship is automatically safe simply because the alleged abuser is also providing essential support.
What to do if a child may be at risk
Act on the concern
- Immediate danger: call 999.
- Concern about abuse or neglect: contact the children’s social care team at the child’s local council. You can report a suspicion; you do not need to investigate it yourself first.
- Possible crime but not an emergency: contact police on 101 or use the relevant police reporting service.
- If the concern relates to a school or college: report it through the setting’s safeguarding process and designated safeguarding lead, unless doing so would itself create a risk or the concern involves the person to whom you would normally report.
- Keep a record: note what you saw, heard, were told and what action you took.
If a child tells you something: listen, stay calm, take them seriously, avoid promising secrecy, do not interrogate them, and record their own words as accurately as possible. Explain that you may need to tell someone whose job is to help keep them safe.
GOV.UK – Report child abuse
GOV.UK – Find the child’s local children’s social care team
What to do if an adult may be at risk
- Immediate danger: call 999.
- Safeguarding concern: contact the adult safeguarding service at the local council where the adult lives.
- Possible crime: contact police. Safeguarding action and a criminal investigation can happen alongside each other.
- Care provider involved: concerns can also be raised with the provider and, where regulated care is involved, information can be given to the Care Quality Commission.
- Record what was reported: keep the date, time, name of the service, reference number and what you were told would happen next.
The adult’s wishes matter. Adult safeguarding should normally involve the adult in decisions and seek to understand what they want to happen. However, there can be circumstances where action or information-sharing is justified despite a person not wanting a referral, for example because someone else is at risk, a serious crime may have occurred, coercion is suspected or the person may lack capacity for the relevant decision.
GOV.UK – Find your local council
Care Quality Commission – Safeguarding people
Mental capacity, consent and best interests
An adult should not be treated as unable to make a decision simply because they are disabled, autistic, have a learning disability, have a mental health condition or communicate differently.
Important Mental Capacity Act principles
- presume capacity unless it is established otherwise
- give all practicable support to help the person make the decision
- an unwise decision does not by itself prove lack of capacity
- anything done for a person who lacks capacity must be in their best interests
- choose the least restrictive effective option
Capacity is decision-specific
Someone may have capacity for one decision but not another, or may be unable to decide at one time but able to decide later. Communication support may be essential before assessing capacity.
Do not confuse communication difficulty with lack of capacity. A person may communicate through AAC, signs, gestures, eye gaze, pictures, behaviour, BSL or another method.
Accessible safeguarding communication
A safeguarding process can fail if the person is unable to understand questions or communicate what happened. Accessibility is therefore part of safe practice, not an optional extra.
Communication support
- easy-read or plain-language information
- pictures, visual timetables or social stories where appropriate
- British Sign Language or other interpreters
- AAC and communication devices
- large print, audio or Braille
Meeting adjustments
- quiet rooms
- extra processing time
- breaks
- shorter appointments
- questions in writing in advance where suitable
People who can help
- independent advocates
- trusted supporters
- speech and language professionals
- communication professionals
- specialist disability services
NHS and publicly funded adult social care services in England must have regard to the Accessible Information Standard, which requires a structured approach to identifying, recording, flagging, sharing, meeting and reviewing disability-related communication and information needs.
Safeguarding in schools and colleges
Schools and colleges in England must follow statutory safeguarding requirements. Every setting should have safeguarding policies and a designated safeguarding lead (DSL) or safeguarding arrangements appropriate to the setting.
Concerns can include
- physical, sexual or emotional abuse and neglect
- child-on-child abuse
- bullying and discriminatory harassment
- online sexual abuse, grooming or exploitation
- domestic abuse affecting the child
- unsafe conduct by a member of staff or volunteer
- children going missing from education
- harm hidden behind changes in behaviour or attendance
Disabled/SEND pupils
Staff should consider additional barriers that can make abuse or neglect harder to identify or report. A pupil’s behaviour, communication differences, attendance or distress should not automatically be explained by SEND without considering whether something else may be wrong.
If the concern is about an adult working with children, do not rely only on an informal conversation. Use the school or college allegation/low-level concerns procedure and safeguarding process. Serious concerns may also require referral to children’s social care or police.
Safeguarding in care, health and support services
Harm can occur in care homes, supported living, hospitals, home care, respite, day services, transport or community support. Poor care may be a safeguarding concern even where there was no intention to harm.
Warning signs in services
- unexplained injuries or repeated falls
- rough handling or inappropriate restraint
- missed or incorrect medication
- dehydration, weight loss or untreated pain
- poor hygiene or pressure damage
- people left without communication aids or mobility equipment
- frequent unexplained staff shortages
- people appearing frightened of particular staff
- restrictions imposed for staff convenience rather than assessed need
Where concerns can go
- the provider or registered manager
- the local authority adult or child safeguarding service
- the commissioning council or NHS body where relevant
- the Care Quality Commission for regulated services
- the police where a crime may have occurred
Online safeguarding
Disabled children, young people and adults can be targeted through social media, gaming, messaging, dating platforms, online communities, financial scams or private groups.
Possible online harm
- grooming and sexual exploitation
- sextortion or threats involving images
- bullying and hate abuse
- financial scams and pressure to transfer money
- coercion to share passwords or private information
- impersonation
- radicalisation or manipulation
Support rather than blame
Someone who has been groomed, scammed or exploited may feel ashamed or fear losing internet access. A supportive response makes disclosure more likely. Preserve relevant messages where safe, report harmful users or content, and involve safeguarding or police services where appropriate.
Information sharing and safeguarding
Data protection law does not prevent appropriate information-sharing where sharing is necessary and lawful to protect a child or adult. At the same time, information should be handled carefully and shared only with people or organisations who need it for a legitimate safeguarding purpose.
Children: updated statutory information-sharing guidance was published on 10 September 2026. It says the new Information Sharing Duty under section 16LA of the Children Act 2004 is due to come into force on 30 September 2026. This page was reviewed on 15 September 2026, so check GOV.UK for the current commencement position when using this guide later.
GOV.UK – Information sharing to safeguard children and young people
If someone discloses abuse or neglect to you
Recording a safeguarding concern
A clear factual record can help professionals understand risk and avoid important information being lost.
Useful information to record
- date, time and location
- what happened or what was observed
- the exact words used in a disclosure where possible
- injuries, distress or changes noticed
- who was present
- relevant messages, photographs or records already available
- who you reported it to and when
- reference numbers and agreed next steps
Keep fact and opinion separate
Write what you actually saw, heard or were told. If you include an opinion or concern, label it clearly as your concern rather than presenting it as an established fact.
Do not question a child or vulnerable person repeatedly to create a fuller statement. Repeated questioning can increase distress and may interfere with later professional interviews.
Evidence should never come before safety. Do not confront an alleged abuser, secretly enter unsafe places, or delay reporting because you are trying to gather more proof.
Advocacy and the right to be heard
Independent advocacy can help a person understand the process, express what they want, participate in meetings, challenge decisions and make complaints.
Care Act advocacy
In England, where an adult has substantial difficulty being involved in certain Care Act processes, including some safeguarding processes, and there is no appropriate person to support their involvement, the local authority may have a duty to arrange an independent advocate.
Independent Mental Capacity Advocate
An IMCA has specific statutory roles for some people who lack capacity, including certain serious medical treatment, accommodation and safeguarding situations. This is different from general advocacy.
If you report a concern and feel it is not being taken seriously
Safeguarding decisions can be complex, but concerns should not simply disappear because one person disagrees with them or because a disabled person is difficult to interview.
- Ask for the decision, reasons and next steps in writing where possible.
- Ask who is responsible for the safeguarding decision and how risk was assessed.
- Provide any important new information, especially changes in risk or further incidents.
- If the concern involves a service, use its safeguarding escalation or complaints procedure as appropriate.
- For children, contact children’s social care again if risk continues or increases. Schools should have escalation routes through their safeguarding arrangements.
- For adults, contact the council safeguarding team again if circumstances change or important information was missed.
- Contact police directly where you believe a crime has happened or someone is in immediate danger.
A complaint is not a substitute for urgent safeguarding action. If someone is at immediate or escalating risk, use the safeguarding or emergency route rather than waiting for a complaints process to finish.
Official and recognised support links
These links provide current safeguarding guidance, reporting routes or specialist support.
NSPCC helpline for adults concerned about a child: 0808 800 5000. Childline: 0800 1111. Check the organisations’ websites for current opening arrangements and other ways to make contact.
Important reminder
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Disabled adults, children and young people deserve safety, dignity, accessible communication, equal treatment and support without judgement.
A person should not have to communicate in a conventional way, have visible injuries or provide perfect evidence before a genuine safeguarding concern is taken seriously.
Right First Time UK supports disability inclusion, accessible safeguarding, early action, fair treatment and protection from abuse, neglect, exploitation and avoidable harm.