To formally report concerns
For Professionals
The OSAB Understanding Safeguarding (Thresholds Matrix) – January 2021 outlines in which circumstances professionals should raise a safeguarding concern, if they think a person is experiencing abuse or neglect. Ensure you have spoken to the person you are referring, before making the referral. The Adults Service will contact the person being referred and are likely to disclose the source of the referral (when referred by a professional).
If you are working with an adult with care and support needs and you need to raise a safeguarding concern, please visit Oxfordshire County Council’s Raising Safeguarding Concerns page NB The Safeguarding Adults Board is not the owner of this form and does not deal with individual safeguarding concerns. This is the role of the County Council’s Safeguarding Adults Service.
All information is treated with the utmost confidentiality and sensitivity. Both the referrer, and the person who is being abused, will be contacted. And the person who is being abused will be included in the decision-making process.
If you need to raise a concern outside of standard office hours and the concern is urgent, please call the Emergency Duty Service on 0800 833 408.
If your concerns are about someone not receiving the level of care you think they should, they may need a Care Needs Assessment. Please visit Oxfordshire County Council’s Assessment form for professionals page to gain access to the online referral form.
For Members of the public
Please visit Oxfordshire County Council’s Raising a Safeguarding Concern page. This form will ask you a number of questions about the person you are concerned about, whether it’s yourself, a friend or neighbour.
Once you have completed the form, someone from the Adult Safeguarding Team should contact you within three working days to discuss your concerns.
You can also raise a concern over the phone by calling 0345 050 7666 during office hours or the Emergency Duty Service number (0800 833 408) outside of those hours. Safeguarding is not an emergency service so if someone requires immediate protection because they are being harmed, call the Police on 999.