A Bridgend Council scrutiny committee is set to discuss a report from officers summarising the general picture of safeguarding in the county (pdf). This includes children’s safeguarding, domestic abuse, elder abuse and people trafficking.
“Safeguarding” in social services and public sector terms means protecting people from abuse, neglect and harm.
Safeguarding in Bridgend has, of course, been in the news recently following the publication of the Logan Mwangi child practice report – summarised here. However, the committee report reveals there are four active child practice reviews in Bridgend (I assume the figure includes the Logan Mwangi one).
The number of children on the child protection register in Bridgend increased over the course of the last year, from 182 in October 2021 to 272 in September 2022. The majority involve some form of emotional abuse, physical abuse and/or neglect. 16 cases involve sexual abuse.
Additionally, there are 26 care proceeding cases as of 2022 – which is similar to 2018. There were also 45 reports of child sexual exploitation.
In the year to September 2022, there were 439 referrals to adult safeguarding over abuse and 459 referrals over deprivation of liberty concerns.
Adult safeguarding includes standard categories used for children (neglect and emotional, physical, sexual abuse etc.) but also includes other categories such as financial abuse, fraud and deprivation of liberty.
One adult practice review has been published for Bridgend following the unexpected death of an adult who had what’s described in the report as “complex needs” mentally and physically.
