Everyone has a right to live safely, free from abuse and neglect.
Abuse is when someone hurts another person or treats them badly. It can happen once or lots of times. It can be by someone you know, like a family member, friend, member of the community or carer: or someone you don’t know.
Abuse can include:
• Hurting you (kicking, punching, slapping, pushing or biting).
• Abuse with your money: stealing your money or other things that belong to you.
• Talking in a bad way to you: teasing, shouting or swearing.
• Sexual abuse: someone touching your body in a way you don’t like or want.
• Treating you differently or badly because of your religion, disability, sexuality or the colour of your skin.
• Not respecting your privacy or dignity.
• Stopping friends or family from visiting you
• Being forced to do work you don’t want to do or working for no or low pay.
• Not looking after yourself properly.
If you’re the victim of abuse, or think someone else could be, it’s important that you tell someone you trust so you can get help.
They might be:
• Someone in your family
• A friend or neighbour
• A nurse
• An advocate
• A scheme manager or RHP employee
• The police
• A social worker: call 020 8891 7971.
Please call 999 if you’re in immediate danger or someone is committing a crime.
For more information about safeguarding, visit www.richmond.gov.uk/services/adult_social_care/safeguarding_adults/report_adult_abuse.