Safeguarding is everybody’s business. Over the years there have been cases where timely action has not been taken with tragic consequences, such as the case of Steven Hoskin – see Safeguarding adults: lessons from the murder of Steven Hoskin (Social care TV). Protecting vulnerable people is one of your key duties, and you need to be familiar with your local organisational and multi-agency policies and procedures. Safeguarding duties include children and wider family members. Reaching Out: Think Family (PDF) reinforces the duty of adult social services to support whole families as well as individuals.