Safeguarding is a vital part of delivering safe, high‑quality care across Surrey and Sussex, ensuring that children, young people and adults are protected from harm, abuse and neglect.
These pages outline how safeguarding works locally, the responsibilities of health organisations, and the partnerships in place to keep people safe — along with clear guidance on how to report concerns and where to find key policies, support structures and statutory information.
Safeguarding children, young people and adults is everyone’s responsibility
The NHS England Safeguarding Children, Young People and Adults at Risk in the NHS: Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework sets out the outcomes and corresponding indicators that will be used to hold NHS commissioners and providers to account for improvements in health outcomes. In particular, there’s an expectation that commissioners and providers will have strong safeguarding leadership that provides expertise and commitment at all levels of their organisation and that they are fully engaged and in support of local accountability and assurance structures, in particular via the local Safeguarding Children Partnership and Safeguarding Adults Board.