Safer Leeds is a partnership of organisations including Leeds City Council, the NHS and emergency services, which work together to help people in Leeds to be safe and feel safe in their homes, in the streets, and the places they go. You can find out more what they do and how they can help on the Safer Leeds website.
Safeguarding
In Leeds, professionals from different services including health, Leeds City Council and the police work together to help protect adults and children from harm, abuse or neglect. This is called ‘safeguarding’ and they do this in two groups:
Leeds Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB)
Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP)
If you are worried that someone is suffering abuse you can call a phone helpline for help and advice. Services will work together to make sure the victim is safe.
Emergency Adult Services
0113 222 4401 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 5pm. Wednesdays 10am to 5pm
The Emergency Duty Team (EDT) also deals with urgent calls and emails on weekends, evenings, overnight, and bank holidays. There is usually one person on duty at a time.
You can call the EDT about adults who need:
- immediate protection from abuse, neglect, domestic violence or exploitation (safeguarding concerns)
- urgent care and they cannot wait until the next working day
- urgent help because their care arrangements have broken down, for example if their carer is not available or their equipment is broken
- an urgent assessment under the mental health act
0113 378 0644
[email protected]
Opening hours:
- Monday to Thursday 5pm to 8am
- Friday: 4:30pm onwards
- Saturday: all day, 24 hours
- Sunday: all day until 8am Monday
- Bank holidays from 5pm the day before to 8am the day after the bank holiday.
In an emergency, call 999
LSAB also has a useful list of services in Leeds that can support adults who are at risk of abuse or have been abused.
Children (Duty & Advice Team)
The Duty and Advice Team is based in Children’s Social Work Service and is part of the Leeds Front Door. The team is made up of social workers and social work team managers and includes the Children’s Emergency Team. Both professionals and members of the public can contact them if they have concerns about a child’s safety.
Members of the public should call the Contact Centre on 0113 222 4403 and out of hours where a member of the public believes that a child or young person is in immediate danger or at risk of significant harm, they should ring 999 and ask for the Police.
There is lots of useful information on the LSCP website about how to keep children safe, including:
- Recognising the signs of Child Sexual Exploitation and child abuse and what to do if you are worried
- Online / internet safety
- What children should do to stay safe when they are playing outside
- When children are old enough to be left on their own
Domestic Abuse / Violence
Domestic abuse is when someone you know, usually a family member, partner, or former partner uses controlling behaviour, is violent or abusive. The abuse or violence could take different forms, including:
- psychological
- physical
- sexual
- financial
- emotional
Leeds Domestic Violence Service offers legal advice, money and housing advice, emotional and mental health support. It also offers emergency accommodation. There is a 24hr helpline which you can call anonymously and drop-in sessions you can visit at different locations in Leeds.
0113 246 0401
[email protected]
Leeds Domestic Violence Service
Hate incidents
Hate incidents are when someone is abusive or violent towards you, because of a prejudice or belief they might have about your:
- disability
- race
- religion
- transgender identity
- sexual orientation
There are different types of hate incident, including name calling, physical violence, bullying and intimidation, graffiti, damage to your property, nuisance phone calls and abuse on social media. This is upsetting for victims and their friends and families.
Some hate incidents can also be considered a hate crime, if the law has been broken.
If you experience a hate incident against you or someone else, you should always report it. Even if the incident is not considered a crime, the police and other organisations can help you deal with it.
When you report it, it is really important you tell them if you think it was a hate incident for the police records.
You can report by visiting your local police station. Find your local police station on the West Yorkshire Police website:
Find Your Local Police Station
You can also report it online or over the phone:
101 If it is an emergency (if someone is in danger) you should call 999
If you don’t want to speak to the police, you can report it to Stop Hate UK, an independent organisation working to challenge hate crime and discrimination. Information about Stop Hate UK is available in different languages:
Stop Hate UK – Choose Your Language
You can report a hate crime to Stop Hate UK via telephone, text or an app on your phone:
Stop Hate UK – Reporting A Hate Crime
If you need help and support, Stop Hate UK have also compiled a list of local organisations and groups to contact:
Stop Hate UK – Local Help and Support
Trafficking and Modern Slavery
Trafficking is a modern form of slavery and involves being transported into the UK, or around the UK and exploited. You may be forced into manual work such as construction, or working in people’s homes, or forced into having sex.
You may be forced into poor living conditions, being controlled so your freedom is taken away and not paid any wages. Often, you may experience violence or threats.
If you think you’re a victim of human trafficking, or you know someone who is, call the police by dialling 999. You have not done anything wrong and it’s important you report it.
- the police will help you
- you’ll be protected from anyone you think might hurt you
- you don’t have to give evidence in court unless you choose to
Or you can contact the Modern Slavery Helpline
Sexual assault and rape
Rape and sexual assault are when you are subjected to sexual acts without your consent. Rape is when someone forces you to have sex.
Not all cases of sexual assault involve violence, cause physical injury or leave visible marks. Sexual assault can cause severe distress, emotional harm and injuries which can’t be seen. All rape and sexual assault cases are very serious.
Support After Rape & Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) support all women and girls who have been affected by sexual violence of any kind at any time in their lives. The service offers a helpline, counselling, and advocacy to help you access other services.
SARSVL can provide an interpreter during support sessions. Find out more including translated leaflets in different languages:
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
FGM is sometimes also known as female circumcision or cutting. It is the removal of or injury to female genitalia carried out for non-medical reasons, usually to children before they reach puberty. It is carried out because of a mistaken belief that it will benefit the child, but it has no medical benefits and there are no religious texts that say it should be done.
FGM is illegal in the UK and if you are found guilty of carrying out FGM or allowing FGM to be carried out on your child you can go to prison for up to 14 years.
FGM is extremely harmful physically and can also affect the child emotionally. Find out more:
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Services in Leeds take FGM very seriously. If you have been affected it is really important to ask for help from a health professional such as your GP, nurse or midwife (maternity nurse). They can help you get surgery to relieve some of the physical problems caused by FGM and mental health support to help deal with distress.
If someone you know is at risk of FGM, it’s important you report it so you or the person can be protected. You can speak to your GP or health professional. You can also contact the NSPCC FGM Helpline – a national charity that works to protect children.
0800 028 3550
[email protected]
NSPCC – Female Genital Mutiliation
If someone is in immediate danger from FGM, call the police on 999.
Forced Marriage / Honour Based Violence
Forced marriage is when you are pressured to marry someone against your will.
Honour-based violence is a violent crime or incident which someone or a group may commit against you because they believe it protects or defends their ‘honour’.
Forced marriage and honour-based violence are both illegal in the UK.
If you are in immediate danger, you should call the police on 999.
Karma Nirvana is a national charity which runs a helpline offering support.
0800 5999 247 (Monday-Friday, 9am – 5pm)
[email protected]
Karma Nirvana
Radicalisation
Everyone in the UK has the right to express their beliefs and interests openly, however, radicalisation is when someone starts to believe or support extreme views. They might change their behaviour and beliefs and they might be pressured to do something illegal or dangerous by someone else.
It can be hard to know what to do if you’re worried someone close is expressing extreme views or hatred, which could lead to them harming themselves or others. Working with other organisations, the police protect vulnerable people from being exploited by extremists through a Home Office programme called Prevent. If you are worried about someone, you can share your concerns confidentially:
Concerned about Radicalisation
If you think someone is being radicalised, you should report your concerns to the Leeds Prevent Team:
0113 535 0810 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm)
[email protected]
You can also call the police Prevent team on 0113 241 3386
Drugs and alcohol
Drugs that are illegal in the UK are divided into Class A, B and C.
Class A includes crack cocaine, cocaine, ecstasy (MDMA), heroin, LSD, magic mushrooms, methadone, methamphetamine (crystal meth).
Class B includes amphetamines, barbiturates, cannabis, codeine, ketamine, methylphenidate (Ritalin), synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones (for example mephedrone, methoxetamine).
Class C includes anabolic steroids, benzodiazepines (diazepam), gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), piperazines (BZP), khat.
You can get up to life in prison for making and supplying drugs and up to seven years in prison for possessing drugs (as well as on-the-spot fines).
Psychoactive drugs cause hallucinations, drowsiness or changes in alertness, perception of time and space, mood or empathy with others. You can get a fine or prison sentence of up to 7 years if you:
- carry a psychoactive substance and you intend to supply it
- make a psychoactive substance
- sell, deal or share a psychoactive substance (also called supplying them)
Forward Leeds is the drug and alcohol service in Leeds. You can access information on drugs and alcohol use as well as different kinds of support for people with drug and alcohol problems.