Safeguarding is the process of protecting vulnerable individuals (children and adults with care and support needs) from abuse, neglect, or harm. In Berkshire, this framework ensures that local authorities, the NHS, and the police work together to maintain safe environments and intervene early when someone is at risk.
Getting the help you need
Local Contacts & Boards:
Berkshire follows the Pan-Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Policies to ensure consistency across the county. Local operations are managed by specific Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) for each area, including:
- Reading Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board: Covers Reading Borough.
- West Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Board: Covers West Berkshire.
- Wokingham: Managed via the Wokingham Borough framework.
- You can access county-wide policies and resources at the Pan Berkshire Safeguarding Adults portal.
- If you have an urgent concern or need to report a risk to a child in Reading, Wokingham, or West Berkshire, you can access localized reporting procedures and early help resources via the Berkshire West Safeguarding Children Partnership.
- For child services in Reading, you can directly engage with Brighter Futures for Children.
If you are a professional or resident and need to report an active safeguarding concern, it is vital to go through local reporting channels.