Slough Safeguarding Partnership

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service website. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service provide information, advice and support services to our residents living in Slough, to help keep themselves and their homes safe from fire risks. This information is available in different languages. 

If you are concerned about pressure ulcers, speak to your GP or district nurse. These leaflets give advice on how to prevent pressure ulcers: React to red&What happens if you don’t move around enough

This leaflet gives advice on how to recognise and protect yourself from scams: Age UK Avoiding Scams.

All the businesses on the Buy with confidence website have been approved by Trading Standards to ensure that they operate in a legal, honest and fair way.

Empowering women to stay safe online is a guide by Facebook and Women's Aid

Romance Fraud

Romance Fraud usually involves fraudsters creating fake online personas to gain someone’s trust and affection through the guise of a romantic relationship, with the ultimate goal of exploiting them for financial gain.  Romance fraudsters use language to manipulate, persuade and exploit. They work hard to make sure that when they ask for money, and require urgency or secrecy from the victim, it doesn’t set off alarm bells.  Further details can be found here:  Romance Fraud

If you feel that you may be a victim of Romance Fraud contact Thames Valley Police  Romance fraud | Thames Valley Police 

Your Guide to Care and Support. This NHS guide is for people who have care and support needs and their carers, to help plan for their future.

A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that you make using a special form. It allows you to choose someone that you trust to make decisions on your behalf about things such as your property and affairs or personal welfare when you no longer wish to make those decisions, or you may lack the mental capacity to make those decisions yourself.

Arranging for someone to make decisions about your finance or welfare  Age UK has produced this information about what a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is and how you can put these arrangements in place. It also includes information about how to revoke an existing Enduring Power of Attorney.

If you, a relative or friend need care or support at home it is important to find the right care service for you. Most care in the home is provided by care services or agencies that are registered and inspected by the Care Quality Commission. Use the following link if you are thinking about a care service. Find and compare services - Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk)

If you or a relative are thinking about moving to live in a care home it is important to find the right one for you. Finding the right care home This leaflet produced by Age UK will give you some ideas about what to look for. Here are some straightforward suggestions that might help you find the right care home:

• Ask around
• Talk to your family and friends;
• Ask your doctor, district nurse, community nurse or social worker.
• Search the Care Quality Commission directory of care homes and care services
• Visit the home

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards – your rights This is a summary of your rights if the council has decided you need to stay in a care home or hospital which they have named.

According to the NHS, hoarding disorder is characterised by acquiring an excessive number of items and storing them in a chaotic manner, usually resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter. The items can be of little or no monetary value. A hoarding protocol and toolkit has been developed by Slough Borough Council, a link to which can be found here Hoarding protocol and toolkit – Slough Borough Council

Clutter Scale

Exploitation, Cuckooing/Home invasion

Exploitation

"Exploitation is a form of abuse where someone is forced, coerced, manipulated or deceived into doing something for the benefit of another person or group." It often involves an imbalance of power and can occur even where the activity appears consensual. 

Involves exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where adults at risk (or a third party) receive ‘something’ (e.g. food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, gifts, money) as a result of them performing, and/or another or others performing on them, sexual activities. It affects men as well as women. People who are sexually exploited do not always perceive that they are being exploited. In all cases those exploiting the adult have power over them by virtue of their age, gender, intellect, physical strength and/or economic or other resources. There is a distinct inequality in the relationship. Signs to look out for are not being able to speak to the adult alone, observation of the adult seeking approval from the exploiter to respond and the person exploiting the adult answering for them and making decisions without consulting them.

Criminal Exploitation 

Criminal exploitation is abuse where children, young people and adults are manipulated and coerced into committing crimes.  They might be victims of violence or pressurised into doing things like stealing or carrying drugs or weapons. They might be abused, exploited and put into dangerous situation.

More information about criminal exploitation is available here.

Cuckooing / Home invasions

Cuckooing, also known as home invasion,  is a practice where people take over a person’s home and use the property to facilitate exploitation. It takes its name from cuckoos who take over the nests of other birds.

Examples of cuckooing may include:

• Using the property to grow, deal, store or take or distribute drugs
• Using the property to sex work
• Using the property to store weapons
• Taking over the property as a place for them to lice
• Taking over the property to financially abuse the tenant

They may begin by befriending the adult at risk, they will then offer the adult at risk something of interest to them, such as a relationship, friendship, drugs or alcohol (or both), money or clothing.

In exchange they may ask to ‘borrow’ a room, to store something or meet other ‘friends’ at the property. In some cases, the gang may make it clear that it is for criminal purposes, such as drug supply, or they may use an excuse as to why they want to use the property.

The perpetrators may threaten the adult at risk verbally or physically if they try to stop the criminal activity. They will also discourage family or friends and support workers from visiting the address.

What is Cuckooing? | Hope for Justice

Cuckooing - 7 minute briefing

Cuckooing Resources September 2026