Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our safeguarding adults survey for 2025/2026. We received 81 responses from members of the public and 140 responses from professionals and volunteers.
Your feedback is really important because it helps us understand what people already know about safeguarding adults, where there are gaps and what support is needed to help people feel more confident about recognising abuse and neglect. It also helps us plan how the Board can improve information, learning and communication over the coming year.
What the public told us
Responses to the public survey came from people living all across North Yorkshire. Of those who responded, 44% had used or were using adult social care services and 24% were carers.
68% of people who responded said they knew how to report abuse and neglect and how to get help and support about safeguarding. However, this was not everyone, so we need to keep making safeguarding information clear, visible and easy to access.
Only half of public respondents had heard of the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Board. This shows that we need to do more to explain who we are, what the Board does, and how our work helps prevent abuse and neglect.
When we asked what types of abuse people wanted to learn more about, financial abuse was the most common response, followed by organisational abuse and discriminatory abuse. People also told us they wanted information about all types of abuse and neglect, so our awareness activity will cover a wide range of safeguarding concerns.
People told us they would like safeguarding information to be shared in different ways, including posters and leaflets, face-to-face sessions, resident publications, libraries, the NYSAB website and social media. Facebook was the most popular social media channel for public messages.
What professionals and volunteers told us
The workforce survey showed strong levels of safeguarding confidence and awareness with 95% of respondents stated they understand their safeguarding responsibilities and 99% knew how to report abuse and neglect. Most were aware of local sources of support and felt able to contribute to the prevention of abuse and neglect.
Professionals and volunteers also told us where they would like more support. The topics most commonly identified were self-neglect, modern slavery and financial abuse. Respondents also highlighted the importance of clear guidance, practical tools, regular training and refreshers, specialist safeguarding advice, good communication, feedback after referrals and strong multi-agency working.
The survey also showed that while many practitioners feel confident applying the principles of Making Safeguarding Personal, some would welcome further practical support, examples and reflective learning to help apply this approach in day-to-day practice.
What we will do next
The board will use what you told us to make safeguarding adults more visible and easier to understand, including clearer information about how to raise a concern and where to get help.
We will focus on the topics people asked about most, such as financial abuse, self-neglect and modern slavery, while still sharing messages about all types of abuse and neglect.
We will share information in the places people told us work best, including community venues, local groups, partner organisations, the NYSAB website and social media.
For professionals and volunteers, we will keep promoting useful training, briefings and practical resources, including short refreshers and messages through the Workforce Champions Programme: NYSAB Workforce Safeguarding Champions
We will also work with Board partners on the issues raised, including capacity pressures, communication, feedback after referrals, specialist advice and stronger multi-agency working.
Keeping the conversation going
Safeguarding adults is everyone’s business, and your feedback will help us keep improving how we share information and support people to speak up.
Thank you again to everyone who shared their views by completing our safeguarding adults survey.
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