SAB – Engagement and communication

SABs need to decide how they will engage with and communicate with a wide range of interest groups. These include:

• people with care and support needs and carers
• service providers
• partner agencies concerned with safeguarding adults at risk of abuse and neglect other than those with care and support needs
• agencies in neighbouring geographical areas
• generic services such as trading standards, environmental health, job centres, banks and financial services
• the wider public.

SABs need to consider how they will:

• finance and resource engagement
• work in partnership to achieve consistency of the message across agencies about what safeguarding is and how to report abuse
• make available on request materials in a variety of formats (e.g. Easy Read, large print, translations into key languages)
• arrange publicity campaigns and events which may be general or aimed at a specific area of concern (e.g. hate crime or financial scams)
• work in partnership on campaigns and events (e.g. with domestic abuse forums and community safety partnerships to prevent duplication of activity and marginalisation of people with care and support needs)
• utilise a range of communication methods such as:
  • a SAB website
  • electronic materials
  • leaflets, fact sheets and posters
  • social media including a SAB Twitter account
  • advertising in local newspapers, in radio broadcasts and on public transport
  • surveys with the general public and with people with care and support needs who have experienced abuse.

Examples of outcomes include:

• people with care and support needs will know what safeguarding is, how to protect themselves and how to report abuse
• people with care and support needs will understand the work of the SAB and will be able to access information about it
• people’s experiences of safeguarding will inform future communications and improvements to safeguarding practice
• the workforce will understand their respective roles and responsibilities, leading to improvements in multi-agency working and outcomes for adults who are safeguarded.

Issues to consider include:

• coordination with other boards and partnerships
• staff resources to plan and run campaigns
• funding for publishing new materials for campaigns
• utilising expertise, communication systems and resources across partner agencies
• involving the general public including people with care and support needs in developing awareness-raising campaigns and materials
• how the SAB will measure the impact of any awareness-raising activities such as:
  • public and staff surveys
  • questionnaires with adults involved in safeguarding
  • measuring post-campaign activity on the SAB website
  • comparing pre- and post-campaign data on safeguarding referrals, particularly the source of the referral
• monitoring and managing use of social media accounts to raise safeguarding issues
• how the SAB measures the impact of any awareness-raising activities.