Safeguarding Adults Week 2023 takes place from Monday 20 – Friday 24 November 2023. 

This week is an opportunity for organisations to come together to raise awareness of important safeguarding issues. The aim is to highlight key safeguarding key issues, start conversations and raise awareness of safeguarding best practice. Each day, we’ll be focusing on a different safeguarding theme which relates to how individuals and organisations can safeguard themselves and others.

The Ann Craft Trust will be releasing information about seminars, resources, guidance and social media assets in the months leading up to the week. So please visit the Ann Craft Trust page regularly to stay informed and sign up to receive email updates here.

To view the timetable of events taking place in Telford and Wrekin please click here

Monday: What’s My Role in Safeguarding Adults?

On day one of Safeguarding Adults Week 2023, the Ann Craft Trust want to encourage individuals and organisations from a diverse range of sectors to come together and consider ‘what’s my role in safeguarding adults?’ Safeguarding adults is relevant and important in all sectors. Safeguarding is the responsibility of all staff, volunteers and individuals within an organisation or the wider community. On this day, the Ann Craft Trust will be sharing resources to raise awareness of what safeguarding is and how it applies to everyone.

Tuesday: Let’s Start Talking – Taking The Lead on Safeguarding in Your Organisation

Creating a safer organisational culture is vital in promoting the wellbeing of staff, volunteers and the people they support.  It is important that organisations create environments where everyone is confident their concerns are welcomed, listened to and addressed appropriately.
Organisations should encourage continuous learning and reflection and lead with positive actions and values to ensure people have the confidence to challenge and instigate change.

On this day, the Ann Craft Trust want to encourage people to reflect on the culture in their organisation. What is working well in terms of promoting the wellbeing of people within the organisation. Or, what could be improved? The Ann Craft Trust will be running a seminar to discuss these ideas further and would welcome people sharing good practice about what is working well in their organisation.

Wednesday: Who Cares For The Carers? Secondary and Vicarious Trauma

Anyone who supports others or engages empathetically with people that may have experienced trauma as part of their day-to-day role can experience vicarious trauma as a result. The BMA explains that vicarious trauma can involve being preoccupied with thoughts about those you support outside of work, feeling angry or sad about the situation of people you support, struggling to maintain professional boundaries or trying to avoid listening to people’s experience of trauma.

On this day, the Ann Craft Trust want to raise awareness of vicarious trauma and provide tools and effective strategies that enable staff and volunteers to promote their own wellbeing when safeguarding others.

Thursday: Adopting a Trauma Informed approach to Safeguarding Adults

Trauma-informed practice encourages practitioners that may be supporting people within their role, to consider how trauma exposure can impact an individual’s ability to function and achieve mental, physical, social, emotional or spiritual wellbeing. Trauma-informed practice encourages us to think about what we need to know to be able to respond to people affected by trauma, understanding the person and what is important to them.

This day will aim to provide information about what trauma informed practice is and why it is important. The Ann Craft Trust will encourage organisations to think about how a trauma-informed approach could be beneficial for staff, volunteers and the people they are supporting. The Ann Craft Trust will also provide practical tools to support organisations and practitioners to adopt a trauma-informed approach.

Friday: Listen, Learn, Lead – Co-Production With Experts by Experience

Co-production is usually where service providers and users work together to reach a collective outcome. The idea behind co-production is that those who are affected or use a service, are best placed to help design it.

On this day, the Ann Craft Trust want to continue conversations about what is means to be involved in co-production and facilitate discussions about good practice. Implementing co-production can be challenging and complex. The Ann Craft Trust want to encourage people to share their experiences of being involved in co-production and reflect on what has worked well and what could be improved in the future.