We all have a duty to keep children and vulnerable adults safe from harm, abuse and neglect. If you think you, or anyone else, may be being mistreated, don’t turn a blind eye or keep it to yourself. Act now.

If you are worried about a child or an adult who you think is at risk from harm please contact your local authority Social Care Team or in an emergency call 999.

Liverpool

Merseyside Police family crime investigation unit Tel: 0151 709 6010

Homeless Families Tel: 0151 233 3027 or freefone 0800 731 6844

Social Services Liverpool Careline Tel: 0151 233 3700 (24 hours)

Liverpool City Council Domestic Violence Helpline (24 hour seven days a week service) Tel: 0800 731 1313

Sefton

Sefton Domestic Violence Police Unit Tel: 0151 709 6010

Homelessness Team Tel: 0151 934 3541

Sefton Area Children’s Services Tel: 0151 934 3737/3691/4498 Out of Hours: 0151 920 8234

Knowsley

Knowsley Domestic Violence Unit Tel: 0151 709 6010

Homelessness Team Freefone: 0800 694 0280 (24 hours)

Knowsley Council: 0151 443 2600

Wirral

Wirral Police Domestic Violence Unit Tel: 0151 777 2689

Homelessness Team Tel: 0151 666 5511

Social Services: Office hours Tel: 0151 606 2006 or out of hours Tel: 0151 652 4991

Halton

Police referral unit Tel: 01244 614 878

Homelessness team Tel: 0151 442 2061

Office hours Tel: 01928 704 341 or out of hours. Tel: 01606 76611

  • Physical abuse; this might be, hitting, slapping, pushing, or within an organisation it could be misuse of medication, restraint or inappropriate physical sanctions
  • Domestic abuse; this includes threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial, verbal and emotional); by a partner, ex-partner, family member or extended family member, or someone living with you. Anyone can be a victim/survivor of domestic abuse including women, men and people in same sex relationships. This can also include “honour” based violence, including being pressurised into marriage or Female Genital Mutilation or cutting.
  • Sexual abuse; including rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure and sexual assault or sexual acts to which someone has not consented or was pressured into consenting
  • Psychological abuse; including emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment or verbal abuse. It also includes cyber bullying, isolation or barring someone from contacting their friends or family
  • Abuse by an organisation; this type of abuse includes neglect and poor care practice within a specific care setting such as a hospital or care home, or in in someone’s own home. This may range from one off incidents to on-going ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation
  • Discrimination; including forms of harassment, slurs or similar treatment; because of race, gender and gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion
  • Financial or material abuse; including theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or benefits
  • Neglect; including ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating
  • Self-neglect; neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding
  • Modern slavery; encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude.

Child abuse can take place within and outside the home. It can be in the form of physical, emotional, neglect or child sexual abuse. Bullying and witnessing (seeing or hearing) domestic violence are also forms of child abuse. 

A child may be experiencing abuse if he or she is:

  • frequently dirty, hungry or inadequately dressed
  • left in unsafe situations or without medical attention
  • constantly "put down", insulted, sworn at or humiliated
  • seems afraid of parents or carers
  • severely bruised or injured
  • displays sexual behaviour which doesn't seem appropriate for the child’s age
  • growing up in a home where there is domestic violence
  • living with parents or carers involved in serious drug or alcohol abuse/serious mental health problems/learning disability

This list does not cover every aspect of child abuse. You may have seen other things in the child's behaviour or circumstances that worry you. Abuse is always wrong and it is never the young person's fault.

If you wish to contact our PALS and Complaints team you can find the contact details here.

Keeping children and vulnerable adults safe from harm

We all have a duty to keep children and vulnerable adults safe froPicture which says m harm, abuse and neglect. If you think you, or anyone else, may be being mistreated, don’t turn a blind eye or keep it to yourself. Act now.

If you are worried about a child or an adult who you think is at risk from harm please contact your local authority Social Care Team:

In an emergency call 999

Liverpool Careline Tel: 0151 233 3700 (24 hours)

Liverpool Social Services 

Sefton Children’s Services (Sefton Plus)   Tel: 0151 934 3737/3691/4498 or out of hours: 0151 920 8234

Sefton Social Services 

Knowsley Council: 0151 443 2600

Knowsley Social Services

Wirral Social Services:

Office hours Tel: 0151 606 2006

Out of hours Tel: 0151 652 4991

If you are a health professional and would like to discuss a Mersey Care service user, or the child of a service user, please contact our safeguarding team on

0151 471 2380.

2014 – 15 CQC Safeguarding Declaration 

Mersey Care has adopted the Whole Family approach, so when a parent is identified as having mental ill health, we ‘think family’.

Think Family