'He said I'd saved his life, but we support people like this every day'
Helping people make major decisions to keep them safe could seem daunting to many, but for safeguarding social workers it's all in a day's work.
Safeguarding is about preventing people from harm and protecting their right to live safely and free from abuse or neglect.
It is not about blaming others; our social workers support people and help them decide what changes could be made to keep them safe.
Ariadne Demetriou, a senior safeguarding social worker, feels proud when she's supported someone.
She said:
"When someone's waved me off and said thank you, I know they have a plan and the confidence to do something if that concern should come back in their life. That's the thanks I feel most proud of.
"We're not the safeguarding police, our job is not to be harsh in judgement, but to be clear, open and honest and ask what the issues are, and how are we going to fix them?"
Pictured: Ariadne Demetriou
Ariadne has supported someone whose relative stole money from and left them with no food to eat.
She spent hours in their bank, helping them get all of their money back and developed a plan for the future to keep them safe.
Ariadne said:
"That for me is quite a normal, everyday thing that we do. But he said to me 'I can't believe it, you've saved my life.' I didn't save his life, but it felt like that to him as he had food in the cupboard, his bills were being paid and he had all of his money back.
"When I went to see him recently he looked like a completely different person."
Pictured: Yasmin Henshaw
Yasmin Henshaw is another of our safeguarding social workers who supported someone who struggled to look after themselves and was being coercively controlled.
Yasmin said:
"The place they were living in wasn't safe and the other person was influencing a lot of their decisions, so they hadn't got any help.
"We supported them to make choices to make sure they were safe, which included moving home, which we weren't expecting. But, since they moved, they are thriving and socialising with others, which they hadn't done for a long time.
"I worked closely with another social worker and the police and everybody cared and went the extra mile to make sure this got sorted."
Social workers have shared their experiences during Safeguarding Adults Week, which runs until Friday 21 November.
The theme for 2025 is "Prevention: Act Before Abuse" and the county council is encouraging people to speak up if something feels wrong or they're worried about someone.
County Councillor Graham Dalton, cabinet member for Adult Social Care said:
"Safeguarding is seen as everybody's business at the county council and we want to achieve the best possible outcomes for people. We will be guided by them and support them to make decisions about their future which will keep them safe.
"We are committed to ensuring our staff are well‑trained and accountable, while working closely with families, communities, and local partners to build a culture of vigilance and care. Safeguarding is not only about protection, it is about enabling people to live fulfilling, independent lives with dignity and respect.
"If you are worried about someone then please contact us and know that you aren't wasting anyone's time. We can investigate your concerns and if someone doesn't need our support then we can direct them to the right people or service."
If you are concerned about a vulnerable adult then you can report a concern using our online Safeguarding Portal
You can also call Lancashire County Council on 0300 123 6720.
In an emergency, please call 999.