Healthwatch and Brighton & Hove Council - Safeguarding project

What is the survey about?

Safeguarding is about keeping vulnerable adults safe. A vulnerable adult is someone who needs care and support and who cannot always protect themselves from abuse or neglect. 

A group of organisations from across the city work together to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, this group is called the Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Adult Board (SAB). The Board want to hear about people’s experiences so they can make improvements to how the safeguarding process works. More information can be found at www.bhsab.org.uk

This survey asks people who have been through a recent safeguarding enquiry for their thoughts about:

• how easy or difficult it was to make a safeguarding concern.
• whether they were kept regularly updated about what was happening.
• how well organisations supported them.
• whether they got the result they wanted.
• how satisfied they were with how their safeguarding concern was handled.

How can people take part?

The Council are contacting people directly to take part. The survey is for adults over 18 years of age, whose safeguarding enquiry has concluded. This is because we are interested in hearing people's thoughts about the whole process.

Why is this work being done?

The city’s SAB Strategic Plan for 2025-2028 recognises the need to hear more of the voice from those who experience the city’s safeguarding processes, and ensure this is central to the future development of adult safeguarding arrangements. This is one of the five priorities for the Board, and partners, over the next three years.  

This project meets the initial priority to “commission a piece of work focusing on those who have been in contact with adult safeguarding to enable meaningful feedback on existing pathways and processes, engagement strategies and safeguarding outcomes.” And “To analyse the results of this and work in partnership to identify where SMART improvements can be made to multi-agency adult safeguarding arrangements. 

Healthwatch, as the independent patient watchdog, have been appointed to deliver this work. The project will run from March 2026 to March 2027, and we will report our findings to the Council and SAB.

Support if you are contacted

You can find details about services which can support you here www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/adult-social-care-hub/safety-adults, or please contact us for details.

We have produced a guide to completing the survey, which is available below.