All adults should be able to live free from fear or harm and have their rights and choices respected.

What is adult abuse?

Abuse may be physical or sexual. It may involve taking money without permission. It may include bullying or humiliating, or not allowing contact with friends and family. It may involve withholding food or medication.

Abuse can be the result of a single act or may continue over many months or years. Abuse can be accidental, or a deliberate act.

Anyone can be an abuser – a relative, a partner, someone paid to provide care and services, a volunteer, a neighbour, a friend or stranger.

Which adults are vulnerable to abuse?

Some adults are less able to protect themselves than others and some have difficulty making their wishes and feelings known. This may make them vulnerable to abuse. They may also be vulnerable because they are in need of community care services due to mental health problems, physical or learning disability, age or illness.

In York we are working together with North Yorkshire County Council to protect vulnerable adults from abuse. We are committed to preventing the abuse of adults and responding quickly when abuse is suspected.

How can I report adult abuse?

If you are being abused, or you suspect someone else is being abused, you can contact us or the police at any time. Contact us through our customer advice centre, or North Yorkshire Police on tel: 0845 60 60 24 7.

You will be asked to provide as much information as you can about the person you are concerned about. You should also give your name so that we can keep you informed. We will not share your name without your permission.

We will then investigate your concerns and take appropriate action.

You can also share your concerns with a doctor, nurse or health worker, housing officer or advice centre (CAB), and ask them to contact us for you.

Adults in care

If you are concerned about the quality of care provided by a nursing home, residential home, or domiciliary provider you should contact the Commission for Social Care Inspection on tel: (01904) 545000. See the Commission for Social Care Inspection website for more information.

How do we respond to adult abuse?

The City of York and North Yorkshire Adult Protection Committee has endorsed the Multi-Agency Policy and Procedures for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults. This framework is intended to ensure a consistent response so that various agencies can work together more effectively. This policy is available to download on the right hand side of this page.

What is ‘No Secrets’?

This is government guidance issued in 2000, encouraging social services authorities to work with other agencies to develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure protection of vulnerable adults.

What is the Adult Protection Committee?

The City of York and North Yorkshire Adult Protection Committee was set up in 2003 with the main objective 'to protect adults from abuse by effective inter-agency working'. The membership is made up of lead officers from social services, the police, health, housing, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and voluntary organisations. It meets quarterly to consider new developments in adult protection, review the way that the policy is carried out locally and to agree appropriate funding and training.