The Community Reference Group are pleased to announce two workshops taking place on the 16th July 2018 which aim to raise awareness of domestic abuse and support services in Lambeth.

Domestic abuse and violence can affect us all, sometimes in a devastating way. Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. It is not limited to a particular gender, ethnicity, age, class or sexual orientation. Perpetrators can be of either gender and domestic violence can occur in same sex relationships, between family members as well as current or previous partners.

Responding to Domestic Abuse; A workshop for professionals working in Lambeth

10am to 12pm, Lambeth Town Hall

At this event we will hear from Lambeth’s Violence against Women and Girls team and Lambeth Adult Safeguarding about effective ways of responding to concerns of domestic abuse

What to expect at this event:

• Advice and guidance on safeguarding procedures

• Information on effective risk assessments and the role of MARAC

• Understand trauma effects and coping mechanisms for victims of DV

To sign up for the FREE event, please register at eventbrite

Keeping Safe from Domestic Abuse

1pm to 3:30pm, Lambeth Town Hall

At this second event, we will hear from Lambeth’s Violence against Women and Girls team, GAIA domestic violence services and Lambeth Adult Safeguarding.

Unlike the first session which is aimed at professionals, this session is open to anyone who wants to find out more about responses to Domestic Abuse and the services available in Lambeth.

What to expect:

• An outline of the definition of domestic violence/abuse

• A better understanding of the indicators of domestic violence

• Guidance on disclosure ‘do’s and don’ts’

• Information on support services in Lambeth

• Explain how to report concerns to Lambeth Adult Social care

To sign up for this FREE event please register at eventbrite

Financial abuse if one of the most common types of abuse, and was the third highest reported category of abuse towards adults at risk in Lambeth in 2016/17.  The Community Reference Group is planning event to help raise awareness of this issue and help Lambeth communities learn more about how to response to concerns about financial and material abuse and protect themselves from harm.

What is Financial Abuse?

Financial abuse can affect anyone and is often carried out by someone in a position of trust, but could also be a stranger who befriends you. Financial abuse can be when;

• Money is taken from you without your permission

• Pressure is put on you to give someone money when you don't want to

• Someone spends your money without your consent

• Someone takes control of your money without your permission

What can you expect at this event?

This is a FREE event and lunch will be provided. Over the course of the days guests will get:

• Advice and guidance on where to access support and where to get information

• The chance to hear from experts, including speakers from Action on Elder Abuse, Lambeth Trading Standards and RBS Bank, and join the discussion

• Resources to help you protect yourselves and others from financial abuse

• A better understanding of how we can work together to tackle financial abuse

When and where is the event?

• Wednesday 6th December 2017

• 10am to 3:30pm

• We Are 336, 336 Brixton Road, Brixton, SW9 7AA

To sign up for this event, please register via eventbrite

To find out more about safeguarding adults or to report any concerns you may have that an adult at risk is being harmed or neglected, please contact Lambeth Adult Social Care using the online form or by calling 0207 926 5555.  

July is Scams Awareness Month. This campaign is led by Citizen’s Advice and Trading Standards Services, and aims to give people the skills and confidence to identify scams, share experiences and take action by reporting suspicious activity.

As mentioned in our last post on the new guidance on financial abuse, issued by ADASS, internet scams, postal scams and doorstep crime are often directed at adults at risk, with fraudsters often targeting older and disabled people. These people may be particularly vulnerable to financial abuse.

Financial abuse includes theft, fraud, exploitation, pressure in connection with financial matters, or the misuse of someone else's finances. Financial abuse was the second highest recorded category of abuse in Lambeth 2016/17, accounting for 13% of all safeguarding concerns.

Scams can be hard to spot, but you can keep yourself and others safe by knowing the signs. A scammer might try to pressure you in to making a decision on the spot or to pay up front, or they might ask you to share to personal details with them.

Someone you know might be being targeted if they have letters piling up, are having lots of different items delivered, are anxious when the phone rings, or get a lot of phone calls, or become secretive when discussing finances.

There are a number of resources available online to help in the fight against scams and financial abuse.

• Download the Metropolitan Police’s Little Book of Big Scams, which outlines 10 Golden Rules to help beat scammers, information on what to do if you uncover a scam, and other useful contacts such as Royal Mail, the Mail Preference System or the Telephone Preference System.

• Access support and advice through Think Jessica, a charity set up to raise awareness and campaign for change by making people aware of the danger and financial implications caused by postal and telephone scams

• Complete a short online course and join Friends Against Scams

• Find out about No Cold Calling Zones in Lambeth or find out how your street could become a No Cold Calling Zone.

• Report scams and fraud to Action Fraud

The LSAB Community Reference Group is also planning an event to help raise awareness of financial abuse. It is hoped that this event will take place in December 2017 – please keep an eye on our training and events page for further updates on this event.

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have issued guidance on financial abuse and scams aimed at all those working within adult social care. The guidance outlines the effects of scams on the individual and includes tips for practitioners on how to spot the signs that someone may be responding to scams, how to talk to them and how to prevent further abuse.

Internet scams, postal scams and doorstep crime are often targeted at adults at risk, with fraudsters often targeting older and disabled people; the average age of a victim is 75. Victims of scams are victims of financial abuse.

The top tips highlighted in the guidance are divided in to different sections in order to address different roles within adult social care, including social workers, councillors, managers, and directors. The guidance recommends that those working within these roles:

• Ensure that you are aware of scams
• Work together to tackle scams and protect victims
• Put in preventative measures (prevention is better than cure)
• Be able to look out for signs of someone who may be responding to scams
• Know how to talk to potential victims of scams
• Know how to take appropriate action to prevent further financial abuse
• Know about issues of mental capacity, unwise decisions and cognitive impairment

The guidance breaks down each of these aims in further detail. The full guidance is available on the ADASS website.

The guidance also recommends online training available at www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk