Staying safe

Anyone may need help to stay safe at some time in their life, but some people with care and support needs may be more vulnerable. In West Berkshire there are schemes and advice to help people keep safe.

Victims First - support for victims of crime in Thames Valley

Victims First provides free, confidential emotional and practical support to anyone affected by crime in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Milton Keynes. This includes victims, witnesses, and family members, regardless of whether the crime has been reported to the police.

Services include:

• telephone and face-to-face support
• advocacy and help accessing other services
• support through the criminal justice system
• therapeutic counselling
• specialist help for domestic abuse and sexual violence

Victims First also supports children and young people under 18 impacted by crime. You can access support via phone, online referral, or live chat.

Visit the Victims First website.

Technology Enabled Care (TEC)

Technology Enable Care (TEC), can help people to live more independently.

Find out more about technology and equipment to help you at home here.

Prevent and radicalisation

What is Prevent?

The focus of Prevent is on the significant threat posed by international terrorism and those in the UK who are inspired by it. But it is also concerned with reducing threats, risks and vulnerabilities posed by domestic extremists such as those from the far right and far left, extreme animal rights activists and those involved in Northern Irish related terrorism.

Prevent is supported by three objectives:

• tackle the ideological causes of terrorism
• intervene early to support people susceptible to radicalisation
• enable people who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate

The Prevent Duty means that we all need to pay 'due regard' to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. Essentially, what this means is that we should appropriately consider Prevent when we are going about our day to day work. If you are concerned someone is susceptible to radicalisation and you've noticed changes in actions or behaviours, check your information and share it with someone. For professionals, this could be your safeguarding lead, or alternatively call the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
 

It might be nothing, but it could be something. If you suspect it, report it. Call 999.

Channel programme

Channel is a voluntary, confidential programme which safeguards people identified as susceptible to being drawn into terrorism.

It is a multi-agency process involving partners from the local authority, the police, education, health providers, and others.

Channel is a support programme - not a criminal sanction.

A Channel referral can come from anyone who is concerned about a person they know who might be at risk of radicalisation, including family members, friends, school leaders, or colleagues

Channel can offer a number of different types of support, such as:

• help with education and career advice
• dealing with mental or emotional health issues
• dealing with drug or alcohol abuse
• theological or ideological mentoring from a Channel intervention provider (a specialist mentor)

Radicalisation and social media

Research has found that 90% of the radicalisation process happens online. There are a range of social media sites that are used by extremists to groom young people. Often social media accounts are easy to set up and sometimes allow the account holder to remain fairly anonymous. Material such as news stories, blogs, pictures, videos and other information can be shared quickly and very widely. On sites such as YouTube, where videos can be hosted, multiple dummy accounts may be set up so that even if a video is taken down, it can be reposted again very fast.

Private messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, Kik, SureSpot and Viber, are also commonly used by extremists to contact children they are grooming. They can be a way of providing very specific information, for example on travel arrangements or what to pack for a journey abroad.

Online radicalisation information and support

This is a difficult time for parents and carer and it is having a significant impact on families. Children are likely to be spending more time online and whilst rare, there are negative influences and online groomers who use online platforms to share there extreme views and ideas. Find out more information about the signs that someone may need help here.

Resources:

• Action Counters Terrorism website
• Get help if you're worried about someone being radicalised on GOV.UK
• Prevent Duty Guidance (2023)
• Prevent and countering extremism in young people
• Tackling extremism poster
• Educate Against Hate

Fire safety advice

The Royal Berkshire Fire Rescue Service have lots of fire safety advice and guidance on their website.

Their fire safety information is available in different languages on their website.

Staying safe online

An online safety guide from Facebook and Women's Aid [728KB] .

Pressure damage

These leaflets provide advice on how to prevent pressure ulcers:  React to Red [1MB]  and  What happens if you don't move around enough [391KB] . If you are concerned, please speak to your GP.

Safe places

'Safe places' are places you can go if you feel worried, scared, or at risk. These are registered venues that can offer you support, whether it's a quiet area or help to call a friend, a taxi or even 999.

Find out more about the Safe Places scheme from our Building Communities Together team.

Healthwatch

Healthwatch is the consumer champion for health and social care, seeking your views and taking them to those who deliver and commission services. There is a Healthwatch in every local area. Click here for Healthwatch in West Berkshire.

NHS - your guide to care and support

The NHS has produced a care and support guide for people who have care and support needs, and their carers.

Domestic abuse

Find information about domestic abuse support from our Building Communities Together team.

Here is a video about Hidden Harms, focusing on domestic abuse and older people.

Keeping ourselves safe and how safeguarding is everyone's responsibility

During Safeguarding Adults Week in November 2023, a presentation was delivered to the Learning Disabilities Partnership Board on Keeping ourselves safe and how safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.  Click here for a copy of that presentation [473KB] .

Community Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs)

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board have created the following fact sheets to support individuals and their families in their understanding of the Community DoLs process.

• What is Community DoLs Fact Sheet [218KB]
• Rule 1.2 Rep and Advocacy Fact Sheet [263KB]
• Streamline and Standard Process Fact Sheet [168KB]
• The Community DoLs Process Fact Sheet [310KB]

Sexual assault and sexual abuse information to support people seeking asylum in the UK

The NHS have created the following booklet: Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse, Information to support people seeking asylum in the UK.

The booklet is also available in different languages.

Additional support for Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) customers

Find the 'additional support for DWP customers: booklet' on GOV.UK.

The DWP are committed to providing services where every customer can experience fair access and opportunity.

This document explains how they support customers who may require additional support to access services and their future plans.