When supporting others with their mental health, it’s essential to understand your duty of care and how to act if you have a safeguarding concern. This document outlines your responsibilities and the steps to take if you believe someone is at risk.

What is Duty of Care?

Duty of care is a legal and moral obligation to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those you support. It means:

• Taking action if someone is at risk of harm
• Being alert to warning signs or disclosures
• Acting in a way that protects others from foreseeable harm

This applies to everyone in a position of responsibility – not just professionals. As a Mental Health First Aider or colleague, you have a duty of care to act appropriately if someone is in distress, danger, or discloses abuse.

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is the process of protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. It also applies to anyone at risk of harm, including those with mental health difficulties.

You may have a safeguarding concern if someone:

• Discloses abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, financial, or neglect)
• Appears frightened, withdrawn, or unusually anxious
• Is self-neglecting or in an unsafe environment
• Mentions being harmed or harming someone else

What to Do if You Have a Concern

1. Stay calm and listen
   • Don’t interrogate or press for details
   • Thank them for sharing and reassure them they’ve done the right thing
2. Explain your duty to report
   • “I may need to share this with someone who can help keep you safe.”
3. Report the concern as soon as possible to:
   • Your designated safeguarding lead (DSL) or line manager
   • Emergency services (999/112) if there is immediate danger
   • Local authority safeguarding team or police (non-emergency: 101)
4. Record the disclosure factually
   • Date, time, what was said, who was present
   • Avoid opinions or assumptions

Your Responsibilities

As someone with a duty of care, you must:

• Know your organisation’s safeguarding policy
• Take concerns seriously
• Act promptly but not beyond your training or role
• Maintain confidentiality, but not secrecy (information is shared on a need-to-know basis)

When to Act Immediately

Call 999/112 if someone:

• Is at immediate risk of serious harm
• Discloses current abuse or assault
• Is in a dangerous or life-threatening situation

📞 Support & Contacts (UK)

• NSPCC (for children): 0808 800 5000
• Adult Safeguarding (via local council): Find your local team on www.gov.uk
• Samaritans: 116 123 (24/7)
• Local Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) or Children’s Safeguarding Partnership

Having a duty of care doesn’t mean solving every problem – it means knowing when to act, how to report, and who to involve. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and when done with care and clarity, it helps create safer, more supportive spaces for all.

This guide is for general information and should be used alongside your organisation’s safeguarding policy and procedures.