Special Edition
A Spotlight on Organisational Abuse
TSAB’s campaign, “A Spotlight on Organisational Abuse,” is taking place this week, and we need your support to help raise awareness.
In this issue, you’ll find information and resources you can share within your organisation to help highlight and address this form of abuse.
We encourage you to take part by completing at least one action this week to raise awareness of organisational abuse. This could include sharing the @TSAB Facebook post, distributing resources from this bulletin to colleagues, or printing and displaying one of our campaign posters.
Read on to find out more…
What is Organisational Abuse?
The Care Act states that Organisational Abuse is…
“Neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home, or in relation to care provided in a person’s own home. This may range from one‑off incidents to on‑going ill‑treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.”
Put simply, Organisational Abuse can be when a place or organisation that’s meant to look after people, treats them badly because of the way it’s run — for example, if staff are poorly trained, there aren’t enough workers, or the rules and routines ignore people’s needs.
It’s usually less about one person doing something wrong, and more about the whole system not working properly, which leads to people being neglected or treated unfairly.
For more information, visit the Organisational Abuse webpage.
This toolkit brings together key resources to support professionals in understanding, identifying, and reporting organisational abuse.
How can you spot the signs?
- Run-down or poor facilities, including the standard of heating and ventilation
- Over crowded facilities
- Abusive and disrespectful attitudes towards people using services
- Lack of respect for dignity and privacy
- Not providing adequate food or drink or assistance with eating
- No flexibility or lack of choice in relation to daily routines and diet
- Not promoting independence
- Misuse of medication
- Tasks not being completed on time or correctly due to staffing pressures
- Poor moving and handling practices
- Poor moving and handling practices
- Failure to maintain moving and handling equipment
- Inappropriate use of restraints
- Lack of care plans
- Poor record-keeping and lack of procedures
- High staff turnover resulting in poor quality care
- Failure to provide care with dentures, glasses and hearing aids
- Failure to respond to abuse appropriately
- Discouraging/refusing visits or involvement of relatives, friends or carers
- Lack of personal items, clothing or possessions
- Few social, recreational and educational activities
- Not taking account of individuals’ cultural, religious or ethnic needs
How can you raise awareness of Organisational Abuse?
Example – Draft Email 1
Subject: Organisational abuse—know it, recognise it, challenge it
Dear Colleague,
This week the Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board are raising awareness of Organisational Abuse. Organisational Abuse is:
“Neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home, or in relation to care provided in a person’s own home. This may range from one‑off incidents to on‑going ill‑treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.”
Visit TSAB’s website for further information on Organisational Abuse and how you can spot the signs. You can also find a short animation to help you understand more about Organisational Abuse.
Example – Draft Email 2
Subject: Prioritise safeguarding in your role!
Attach: Poster
Dear Colleague,
This week the Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board are raising awareness of Organisational Abuse.
To prioritise Adult Safeguarding in your role, you can:
- Complete free Safeguarding E-Learning
- Attend Safeguarding Training
- Keep up-to-date with policies and procedures
- Sign up to receive regular safeguarding news
- Become a safeguarding champion
Support the campaign by completing one of the above this week!
Follow TSAB on Facebook, BlueSky and Linked in during the week and share our posts!
Alternatively, you could also create your own post – see example below
Organisational Abuse can be when a place or organisation that’s meant to look after people ends up treating them badly because of the way it’s run – for example, if staff are poorly trained, there aren’t enough workers, or the rules and routines ignore people’s needs.
Awareness is the first step to preventing harm.
Find out more: https://www.tsab.org.uk/key-information/general-public/organisational-abuse-2/
Download and attach to post: Social Media Image
The poster is available in different formats that can be printed, emailed or displayed on digital screens.
Organisational Abuse Poster (professionals and public):
To print/ share via email:
To display on a digital screen:
Prioritise Safeguarding in Your Organisation Poster (professionals)
To print/ share via email:
Further Information
All champions must:
- Register for TSAB’s free e-learning and complete the Safeguarding Adults Level 1 course (this will be mandatory in 2026 for all existing champions and new champions).
All champions should:
- Share the links to e-learning with colleagues
- Print, display and email the Safeguarding Adults Leaflets and Posters so that colleagues, service users and families know how to report abuse or neglect
- Informing your colleagues that you are a Safeguarding Champion so that they know to contact you for advice regarding safeguarding matters
- Following TSAB on Facebook, Linked In and BlueSky to keep up to date with the latest safeguarding news
Visit the TSAB Report Abuse webpage to find out how to report your concerns. Here you will find the TSAB Concern Form which should be completed and submitted to the relevant local adult social care service or alternatively you can contact them by using the contact numbers listed on the page.
If you are unsure of how to complete the TSAB concern form, there are also examples on our website of how to do this.
Please refer to Stage 1 of the TSAB Safeguarding Adults Procedure prior to submitting a Concern Form to the Local Authority.
As a reminder you should report abuse when:
- The adult has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs)
- And is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect
You can report very serious abuse and neglect to Cleveland Police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency
As a Safeguarding Champion, your role is to support with raising awareness of adult safeguarding. Listed below are details of recent and upcoming awareness campaigns with simple ideas of how you can raise awareness within your own organisations and communities.
Follow TSAB on Facebook, Bluesky and LinkedIn and share our posts during key campaigns.
Email us at [email protected] to let us know how you get involved.
Alcohol Awareness Week 2026 (6th – 12th July)
- Are you routinely asking about alcohol use? See TSAB’s Newsletter for more information
- Visit Alcohol Change to access free resources.
Day of Memory – Honour Based Abuse (14th July)
- Promote local services with colleagues – Halo, My Sisters Place, Harbour, Eva Women’s Aid
- Complete TSAB free e-learning on Honour Based Abuse and Forced Marriage
National Grief Awareness Day (30th August)
- Raise awareness of anticipatory grief – Anticipatory grief is the emotional response a person experiences before an expected loss, typically when someone close to them is seriously ill or nearing the end of life.
- Promote bereavement services – Teesside Hospice , Cruse
World Suicide Prevention Day (10th September)
- Share information and resources from Samaritans
Sexual Health Week (14th-20th September)
- Share information from Brook.
Are you up to date with your Safeguarding training? As a Safeguarding Champion, staying current is essential for your own practice and ensures you can provide accurate advice, share relevant information, and signpost effectively, keeping safeguarding at the heart of everything you do.
Training Courses – New dates released for 2026!
To view and request a place on any of our upcoming training courses please visit our Training Courses and Events page.
E-Learning
The Adults & Children Safeguarding Partner Organisations across Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees actively support the ‘Think Family’ approach and are committed to the continuous learning and development of all staff and volunteers working with vulnerable people: adults, children, young people and families.
Through our E-Leaning site you will be able to view, select and be given immediate access to a range of e-learning opportunities.
Want to learn more about your role as a champion? Visit our dedicated Safeguarding Champions Area for further information.
Champions will receive the TSAB Newsletters which include further training opportunities and resources to read and share to help you to fulfil your role.
You can withdraw as a Safeguarding Champion at any point, please email [email protected]
Don’t forget that TSAB has a dedicated webpage hosting details of local and national services.
Can’t see your service/ another service on there and think it should be added? Please send the details to [email protected].