Sexual abuse safeguarding concerns
Case reference FOI2026/02226
Received 17 September 2026
Published 14 October 2026
Request
I would like to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please provide the following information for each of the last three completed financial years. For the purposes of this request, I am seeking information about safeguarding concerns involving alleged sexual abuse, rather than information about cases in which sexual abuse has been established or proven.
1. Safeguarding concerns
For each of the last three completed financial years, please provide:
2. The number of safeguarding concerns recorded as involving alleged sexual abuse where the adult concerned was aged 65 or over at the time the concern was raised.
3. Of those concerns, where the information is held and can be provided from existing records without reviewing individual case files, the number where the recorded location of the safeguarding risk/incident was:
* the person's own home
* in the community (excluding community services)
* in a community service
* care home - nursing
* care home - residential
* hospital
* other/unknown
If the council uses different or more detailed location categories, please provide the information using the council's existing recorded categories where possible.
4. Source of risk/alleged perpetrator For the safeguarding concerns identified in question 1, please provide, where this information is already recorded and can be extracted without reviewing individual case files, the number falling into each recorded category of source of risk/alleged perpetrator.
In particular, if separately recorded, please provide numbers for:
* employee/staff member of a care home, nursing home or other care provider
* agency worker/agency staff
* Other - known to individual
* Other -unknown to individual (If the council does not record these categories in this way, please provide the equivalent categories used in its existing safeguarding records).
5. Police involvement
For the safeguarding concerns identified in question 1, please provide the number that were:
* referred to the police/reported to the police/or otherwise recorded as involving police involvement.
If the council uses a different recording category, please provide the equivalent information.
6. Section 42 safeguarding enquiries For each of the last three completed financial years, please provide the number of Section 42 safeguarding enquiries involving an adult aged 65 or over where sexual abuse was recorded as the/a type of abuse/alleged abuse.
If separately recorded, please also provide the number of such enquiries by recorded location of the safeguarding risk, including residential care home, nursing home, the person's own home, other setting, and unknown/not recorded.
I am requesting aggregated statistical information only and do not require any information that would identify individual adults, alleged perpetrators, care providers or other individuals.
Where the requested information is not held in precisely the categories specified above, I would be grateful if you could provide the closest equivalent information already held by the council rather than treating the request as requiring the creation of new information.
If any part of this request would exceed the appropriate cost limit, please provide advice under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act on how the request could be refined while retaining as much of the requested information as possible.
If any information is exempt from disclosure, please provide the non-exempt information and identify the exemption relied upon for any information withheld.
Response
I would like to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please provide the following information for each of the last three completed financial years.
For the purposes of this request, I am seeking information about safeguarding concerns involving alleged sexual abuse, rather than information about cases in which sexual abuse has been established or proven.
1. Safeguarding concerns
For each of the last three completed financial years, please provide:
Answer: This is the number of Safeguarding Concerns completed in each financial year
|
Step Type |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
|
Number of Safeguarding Concerns |
1294 |
818 |
1213 |
2. The number of safeguarding concerns recorded as involving alleged sexual abuse where the adult concerned was aged 65 or over at the time the concern was raised.
Answer: This is the number of Safeguarding Concerns completed in each financial year where abuse type is sexual abuse and the adult concerned age is 65 and above
|
Abuse Type |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
|
Sexual Abuse |
10 |
10 |
20 |
3. Of those concerns, where the information is held and can be provided from existing records without reviewing individual case files, the number where the recorded location of the safeguarding risk/incident was:
the person's own home
in the community (excluding community services)
in a community service
care home - nursing
care home - residential
hospital
* other/unknown
If the council uses different or more detailed location categories, please provide the information using the council's existing recorded categories where possible.
Answer: This is the location of abuse of completed Safeguarding Concerns in each financial year where abuse type is sexual abuse and the adult concerned age is 65 and above
|
Location of risk |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
|
Own Home |
3 |
2 |
7 |
|
Community (Excluding Community Service) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Community Service |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Care home - Nursing |
2 |
2 |
5 |
|
Care home - Residential |
1 |
5 |
6 |
|
Hospital - Acute |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Hospital - Community |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Hospital - Mental Health |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Other |
1 |
0 |
2 |
4. Source of risk/alleged perpetrator
For the safeguarding concerns identified in question 1, please provide, where this information is already recorded and can be extracted without reviewing individual case files, the number falling into each recorded category of source of risk/alleged perpetrator.
In particular, if separately recorded, please provide numbers for:
employee/staff member of a care home, nursing home or other care provider
agency worker/agency staff
Other - known to individual
Other -unknown to individual
(If the council does not record these categories in this way, please provide the equivalent categories used in its existing safeguarding records).
Answer: This is the number of Safeguarding Concerns completed in each financial year in question 1 and the category of source of risk/alleged perpetrator. Please note this is for all concerns completed and that age 65 and above is not considered. Also, this represents all abuse type.
|
Source of risk |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
|
Not recorded |
674 |
432 |
659 |
|
Other - Known to individual |
297 |
215 |
318 |
|
Other - Unknown to individual |
102 |
56 |
89 |
|
Service Provider |
221 |
115 |
147 |
5. Police involvement
For the safeguarding concerns identified in question 1, please provide the number that were:
* referred to the police/reported to the police/or otherwise recorded as involving police involvement.
If the council uses a different recording category, please provide the equivalent information.
Answer: This is the number of Safeguarding Concerns completed in each financial year in question 1 and the category of source of risk/alleged perpetrator. Please note this is for all concerns completed and that age 65 and above is not considered. Also, this represents all abuse type.
|
Referral to Police |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
|
Refer to Police |
62 |
28 |
35 |
6. Section 42 safeguarding enquiries
For each of the last three completed financial years, please provide the number of Section 42 safeguarding enquiries involving an adult aged 65 or over where sexual abuse was recorded as the/a type of abuse/alleged abuse.
Answer: This is the number of concerns that progressed to Safeguarding enquiries where abuse type is sexual abuse and the adult concerned age is 65 and above in each financial year
|
Abuse Type |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
|
Sexual Abuse |
1 |
3 |
5 |
If separately recorded, please also provide the number of such enquiries by recorded location of the safeguarding risk, including residential care home, nursing home, the person's own home, other setting, and unknown/not recorded.
I am requesting aggregated statistical information only and do not require any information that would identify individual adults, alleged perpetrators, care providers or other individuals.
Where the requested information is not held in precisely the categories specified above, I would be grateful if you could provide the closest equivalent information already held by the council rather than treating the request as requiring the creation of new information.
If any part of this request would exceed the appropriate cost limit, please provide advice under section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act on how the request could be refined while retaining as much of the requested information as possible.
If any information is exempt from disclosure, please provide the non-exempt information and identify the exemption relied upon for any information withheld.
Documents
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