Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and when using our service. At Tenants Advice, we take concerns about abuse, neglect and unsafe living conditions seriously.

If we believe a child or an adult at risk may be experiencing harm, we will respond with care and take appropriate steps to connect them with services that can help.

If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999. If you are calling from a mobile and cannot speak, listen to the operator and press 55 when prompted to be connected to the police.

What we mean by safeguarding

Safeguarding means protecting people’s right to live safely, free from abuse and neglect.

Our approach covers all children under 18 and adults who may need additional protection because their care and support needs make it difficult for them to protect themselves.

Concerns may include domestic abuse, exploitation, neglect or self-neglect. Dangerous housing conditions, including severe damp and mould, extreme cold, fire risks or unsafe electrics, may also raise safeguarding concerns, depending on the circumstances.

What we will do

We will:

• Listen carefully, take concerns seriously and treat people with dignity and respect.
• Consider the person’s wishes, communication needs and circumstances.
• Act promptly and refer concerns to an appropriate service, such as the council’s children’s services or adult safeguarding team, the police or a healthcare professional.
• Explain what we propose to do and involve the person wherever it is safe and appropriate.
• Handle information sensitively, keep records securely and share only what is necessary for safeguarding purposes.
• Train our team to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns, including the effects of unsafe housing on health and wellbeing.

You do not need to have proof before raising a concern. We will listen and consider the appropriate next step.

Confidentiality and sharing information

We respect your privacy, but we cannot promise to keep information secret if someone may be at risk of harm.

Where appropriate, we will discuss a referral with you and seek your agreement. Sometimes we may need to share information without consent, where there is a lawful basis to do so - for example, to protect a child or someone else from harm.

We will normally explain what information we are sharing and why, unless doing so could increase the risk or interfere with action to protect someone.

Read our Privacy Policy for information about how we handle personal data, and our Customer Promise for our approach to supporting people who need additional care or adjustments.

Where to get help

• Immediate danger: call 999.
• Council safeguarding services: contact your council’s adult safeguarding or children’s services team. Visit the council’s website for its emergency out-of-hours contact details.
• Shelter: call 0808 800 4444 for urgent housing advice in England, Monday to Friday, 8am–5pm, excluding bank holidays. Visit Shelter’s help page.
• NSPCC: if you are worried about a child, call 0808 800 5000, Monday to Friday, 10am–4pm. Visit the NSPCC Helpline page.
• National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge: call 0808 2000 247, free and confidential, 24 hours a day, for support for women experiencing domestic abuse. Visit the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.
• Samaritans: if you are struggling emotionally or need someone to listen, call 116 123, free, day or night.

For further housing guidance, letter templates and local support, visit our Residents Toolkit.

Talk to us or raise a concern

Call Tenants Advice free on 0800 047 2017.

You can also raise a safeguarding concern about anyone who works or volunteers for us. Email feedback@tenantsadvice.co.uk. Your concern will be handled by someone who is not the subject of it, with referral to external safeguarding services where appropriate.

Please tell us if you need a different way to communicate or if contacting you could put you at risk. We will discuss a safe and accessible way to stay in touch.

Tenants Advice is not an emergency service. Do not wait for a reply to a call or email if someone is in immediate danger.