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Safeguarding Around the Edges

04 Oct 24

Safeguarding means protecting a citizen’s health, wellbeing and human rights; enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It plays a fundamental part in delivering high quality care to service users.

HPFT’s Safeguarding team held its annual safeguarding conference and the theme this year was ‘Safeguarding Around the Edges.’

More than 80 members of staff attended the conference opened by Karen Hastings, Head of Social Work and Safeguarding, HPFT, who spoke about the importance of multi-agency working. She also talked through the diverse programme which covered some of the less commonly discussed topics in safeguarding –but nonetheless still important and very much part of the national picture.

Karen Hastings at a lectern addressing a room of people

Scams and fraud awareness, cuckooing (where people take over a person’s home and use the property to facilitate exploitation) and spiritual and ritual abuse were just some of the sessions delivered.

The National Crime Agency presented on financially motivated sexual extortion which is a growing issue among young people both in the UK and internationally. The Prevent lead from Hertfordshire County Council spoke about misogyny and violence against women and girls in the context of extremism.

A video was also shared about George*, one of our Experts by Experience, who co-produced the film about his life with mental illness, radicalisation by the Far Right and how he came through this with support from mental health services. 

The conference concluded with a reminder to delegates from the HPFT Safeguarding Team about the importance of professional curiosity in all they do and how asking the right questions can mean the difference between people getting the right support or not.

*Not his real name

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