St Helens Safeguarding Adults Board publishes annual report
During Adults Safeguarding Week (17-21 November), the St Helens Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) has published its annual report for 2024/25, showcasing the work undertaken to protect adults at risk of abuse and neglect.
Article date: 19 November 2025
Presented at a St Helens Borough Council Cabinet meeting this week (Wednesday 19 November), the report highlights significant progress against the Board's key objectives, including:
- Delivering outcome-focused, person-centred safeguarding practice
- Reviewing its self-improvement action plan
- Strengthening collaborative efforts to prevent abuse and neglect
Key achievements during 2024/25 include:
- Introducing 1:1 care planning and risk assessment guidance for care homes
- Developing a front-door decision-making tool to support appropriate referrals
- Delivering Multiagency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) training
- Expanding self-neglect training for social care and health professionals
- Launching new communications and engagement initiatives, including accessible safeguarding resources and coordinated campaigns during National Adult Safeguarding Week
The report also explores emerging safeguarding trends, from neglect and abuse to issues such as cuckooing, modern-day slavery, and exploitation.
Welcoming the report, Councillor Andy Bowden, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Health, said:
"Safeguarding is an evolving challenge, and our partners remain committed to learning from local and national reviews to improve outcomes for adults at risk. This report demonstrates our progress and sets out our priorities for the coming years.
"We are extremely proud that our adult social services have been judged 'Good' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), reflecting the dedication of our teams and partners. It's particularly pleasing that safeguarding scored strongly in the CQC report, showing that protecting vulnerable adults remains at the heart of everything we do.
"I want to thank the St Helens Adults Safeguarding Board, our adult social care teams and partners for their hard work and collaboration in achieving this outcome.
"Safeguarding is everyone's business - if you have any concerns about a vulnerable adult, please report them immediately."
Geoffrey Appleton, Independent Chair of the Adult Safeguarding Board, added:
"I have been impressed by the way partners work together to proactively protect our most vulnerable citizens. The professionalism and dedication of all the teams I have met is remarkable, especially against the backdrop of increasing demand and limited resources.
"Economic challenges and deprivation in our borough drive some of the issues we face, but I am always inspired by the voluntary and third-sector organisations who step up to fill gaps and provide imaginative, much-appreciated services. That warmth and passion is the heartbeat that makes St Helens such a special place."
Read the full annual report here: https://sthelens.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s173386/Appendix%20A.pdf
If you have concerns about the welfare of a vulnerable adult, report to our Contact Cares service by calling 01744 676767 or visit /www.sthelens.gov.uk/safeguardingadults for more information.