Help protect vulnerable children and adults in Rutland during lockdown
Rutland County Council is encouraging people to look out for signs of abuse.
Rutland County Council is encouraging locals to help protect vulnerable adults and children during the second COVID-19 lockdown, by looking out for signs of abuse.
Signs of abuse towards adults:
Individuals becoming quiet and withdrawn
Being aggressive or angry for no obvious reason
Looking unkempt, dirty or thinner than usual
Sudden changes in their character, such as appearing helpless, depressed or tearful
Physical signs, like bruises, wounds, fractures or other untreated injuries
The same injuries happening more than once
Not wanting to be left by themselves, or alone with a certain person or people
Other signs can include aggressive or repeated shouting and the noise of hitting, crying or things breaking. Family and close friends may also notice things like social media accounts being quieter than usual or a change in behaviour during calls.
Councillor Alan Walters, Cabinet Member for Safeguarding Adults at Rutland County Council, says:
“Lockdown means that we have all gone back to spending more time indoors. For some, this will mean spending more time with an abuser. During the last national lockdown, we saw a national increase in requests for help and we want people to know that we’re here for them. We have specially trained officers who can offer advice, support and assistance so please don’t tolerate abuse of any kind.”
Signs of abuse towards children:
Very young children being left on their own
Children looking dirty or not changing their clothes
Children appearing to be withdrawn or anxious
Aggressive or repeated shouting
Sounds of hitting or banging and things being broken
Children crying for long periods of time
Relatives stopped from talking to children by phone or video call
Councillor David Wilby, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at Rutland County Council, said:
“We want to ensure children continue to be protected during this extremely difficult period. Lockdown and the knock-on effect on people’s livelihoods means that many households are feeling the strain, with anxiety about health and financial pressures. The majority of children will be attending school during the second lockdown but we are still asking residents to help us look out for signs of neglect or abuse. If you have any concerns or something doesn’t look right, please let us know. Across the county, front doors are now being kept closed, but our door is always open.”