Sometimes adults with care and support needs are unable to protect themselves from the risk or experience of abuse or neglect. 

'Safeguarding' is a term that describes the process for protecting them, and it is covered by law 

To report a safeguarding concern please call 01905 768053 

If you would like safeguarding advice please phone the Adult Safeguarding Team on 01905 843189 (note this number does not accept referrals) 

Professionals can complete an online form to report concerns about abuse or neglect 

If your safeguarding concern is out of normal hours please see the section below to find out more about our Out of Hours Service and when to contact them.  

More about safeguarding and how to report a concern.

If you feel yourself or someone else would benefit from care and support you can contact us to discuss your situation and ways to get support. This may include us referring you for a Care and Support Assessment.
 

The Emergency Duty Team (EDT) provides an out of hours response, on behalf of Worcestershire Social Care Services and Herefordshire Children's Services, to emergency situations that arise outside normal Social Care office hours. 

• telephone 01905 768020 

When is this service available? 

• Friday afternoon from 4:30pm to Monday morning until 9:00am 
• Monday afternoon from 5:00pm to Thursday morning until 9:00am 

This includes all bank holidays. 

After midnight messages left on EDT voice bank activates an EDT social worker's pager. 

What is an emergency situation? 

EDT defines this as 'a situation in which an adult or child is at risk of significant harm and which cannot wait until the next working day for an assessment of the risk and need of provision of services.' 

There are a number of situations in which the Emergency Duty Team will become involved to ensure the safety of an individual and the community. 

We do not: 

• carry out emergency assessments under the Mental Health Act 
• have access to emergency accommodation for adults who claim to be homeless; such cases should be referred to the Emergency Housing Officer in your district 
• provide in-house secure accommodation for children and young people 
• have access to emergency finance. We will refer to the Department of Work and Pensions Emergency Service 
• undertake work that has been started by social care area teams during social care office hours 
• provide an emergency service during social care office hours 

Call 999 or go to A&E if you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe. A mental health emergency should be taken as seriously as a physical one. 

Please consider whether your GP, the Worcestershire Mental Healthline or the NHS 111 service can help before travelling to A&E 

For more information and support available please visit our Mental Health Crisis and Suicide Prevention page

In an emergency always dial 999 and ask for police. If you are not safe to speak - call 999 and then press 55. 

Guidance on the silent calls ("Silent solution"): Silent solution guide PDF (Independent Office for Police Conduct website). 

For more information and where to get support see our domestic Abuse webpage.

Homelessness and housing support is provided by the local district council where you live.

For more information about how to access support please visit our homelessness and housing page.