Safeguarding Adults Wales: Reporting Concerns About an Elderly Parent

You've noticed unexplained bruises on your parent. Or their money is disappearing. Or the care home staff seem rough and impatient. Something is wrong, and you need to know what to do about it. Wales has specific adult safeguarding duties under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 that obligate local authorities to investigate and act.

Who Is an "Adult at Risk"?

Under the 2014 Act, an "adult at risk" is someone aged 18 or over who is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect, has care and support needs (whether or not those needs are currently being met), and — as a result of those needs — cannot protect themselves against the abuse or neglect.

Your elderly parent living in a care home with dementia and receiving personal care fits this definition if abuse or neglect is suspected. So does a parent living at home who is being financially exploited by a family member or carer.

Types of Abuse and Neglect

Safeguarding covers a broader range of harm than most people realise:

• Physical abuse: Hitting, pushing, rough handling, over-medication, inappropriate restraint
• Emotional/psychological abuse: Shouting, belittling, isolating, making threats, controlling behaviour
• Financial abuse: Theft, fraud, misuse of power of attorney, coercion over financial decisions, pressure to change a will
• Neglect: Failure to provide adequate food, warmth, hygiene, medication, or medical attention
• Sexual abuse: Any sexual activity that the person hasn't consented to or lacks capacity to consent to
• Institutional abuse: Systematic poor care practices within a care home or agency — rigid routines that ignore individual needs, lack of dignity, collective punishment

How to Report a Concern

If there is immediate danger, call 999.

For non-emergency concerns, contact your parent's local council adult services department. Every Welsh council has a dedicated safeguarding team that can be reached through the council's main switchboard or single point of access.

You can also report concerns to:

• Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) — if the concern is about standards in a registered care home or domiciliary care agency
• The police — if you suspect a crime has been committed (theft, assault, fraud)

You don't need proof to make a referral. A reasonable suspicion based on what you've observed is enough. The council has a duty to investigate — the burden of establishing what happened rests with them, not with you.

What Happens After a Report

Once a safeguarding concern is reported, the council must make initial enquiries to determine whether an investigation is needed. If it is:

1. A safeguarding strategy meeting is convened, involving relevant professionals (social workers, police, CIW if applicable)
2. The adult at risk is consulted about what outcome they want — the 2014 Act emphasises the person's voice in safeguarding decisions
3. An investigation takes place, which may include interviews, record reviews, and site visits
4. A protection plan is put in place if the concern is substantiated

If the concern involves a care home, CIW may conduct an unannounced inspection and can impose conditions on the home's registration, restrict new admissions, or — in severe cases — cancel the registration entirely.

Protecting Your Parent

If you suspect abuse or neglect in a care home and want to act while the investigation proceeds, you can request a reassessment of your parent's care needs and explore alternative placements. The council cannot prevent you from moving your parent to a different home (assuming they have capacity to consent or you hold the relevant LPA).

The Wales Elder Care Guide covers your rights around safeguarding, including complaint escalation paths and how to work with CIW when quality of care is a concern.

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