A NEW smartphone app is being launched as part of a campaign to raise awareness of adult safeguarding in Hampshire.

See it, Stop it! was developed by Hampshire County Council in collaboration with the Hampshire Safeguarding Adults Board (HSAB).

Councillor Liz Fairhurst, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care, said: “Abuse can take many forms and it is important that people are better able to recognise when abuse may be happening and know what steps they can take to protect a person. This app is one way in which we are looking to raise public awareness so that professionals, other staff and communities as a whole play their part in preventing, identifying and responding to abuse and neglect.”

Carol Bode, Independent Chair of Hampshire Safeguarding Adults Board, added: “Adult abuse can happen to anyone, anywhere and the responsibility for tackling it lies with all of us. By launching this app we want to continue to raise awareness of abuse with both the public and professionals and I would urge anyone who has concerns about someone resident in Hampshire to report them.”

The app is available on Google Play and the Apple app store. In addition to the app an online ‘alerter’s guide’ has been created outlining the simple steps people can take if they know or think someone is being abused.

If anyone has any concerns about abuse they should contact Hampshire County Council on 0300 555 1386 or the police on 101. In an emergency, or if you suspect you or someone else is in immediate danger, phone 999.

More information is available on the County Council’s web pages.