Report abuse of an adult (safeguarding)

What to do in an emergency

What is abuse?

Abuse can be sexual, psychological, emotional or financial. It includes domestic violence, neglect and modern slavery. 

You can learn more about types of abuse if you're considering raising a safeguarding concern. 

How to report the abuse of an adult

If you're a member of the public

You can report the abuse of an adult to Suffolk County Council. We call this raising a safeguarding concern.

Make a safeguarding referral online using our Suffolk Adult Care Portal. You'll need to create an account, which is quick and easy.

Please use this form for less urgent referrals only.

For urgent referrals contact Customer First quickly and securely.

If it's an emergency, call 999.

Anonymous referrals

You can make a referral without using the portal if you prefer to remain anonymous.

If you're a professional

You can make a safeguarding referral using the same form as members of the public.

If you need guidance on whether to make a safeguarding referral, contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 606 1499.

What happens after raising a concern?

• We will do all we can to make sure the person and/or persons are safe and protected
• If a crime is taking place, we'll contact the police
• Depending on the circumstances we won't necessarily contact you. Each situation is different, and we will consider the person at risks wishes, seeking their consent to share information
• Your concern will be taken seriously and passed to the most appropriate team

Self-neglect and hoarding

You can complete a referral form if you think an adult with care and support needs may be at risk from self-neglect and/or hoarding:

Complete the referral form after reading the:

• Self-neglect pathway (Word, 51KB)
• Self-neglect risk assessment tool (Word, 1.7MB).

Reporting the abuse of a child or young person

Find out about reporting a child at risk of harm, abuse or neglect (safeguarding).