SG1: Demographics

The SG1 tables record counts of individuals involved in safeguarding cases, counts of safeguarding cases and demographic breakdowns for the adults at risk.

The information in these tables relates to safeguarding concerns that were raised or safeguarding enquiries that commenced during the reporting year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

The term 'Individuals involved' relates only to adults at risk.

The words 'cases' or 'activity' are used as overarching terms to describe both concerns and enquiries.

For large scale enquiries involving many individuals (such as in a care home), please include each of the adults at risk in the return, and for each identified risk as appropriate.

Where two local authorities have been involved with the same concern or enquiry, each case should only be recorded once, by the local authority where the abuse occurred.

White cells in the data template document relate to mandatory categories or metrics, blue cells relate to the voluntary ones.

Safeguarding Enquiries are a subset of Safeguarding Concerns. If a Concern is raised and it then leads to an Enquiry, the case should be recorded as a Concern and then as an Enquiry.

This table collects metrics broken down by age band. These are:

• Individuals Involved In Safeguarding Concerns (voluntary)
• Individuals Involved In Section 42 Safeguarding Enquiries (mandatory)
• Individuals Involved In Other Safeguarding Enquiries (voluntary)

Record the age of the individual on the last day of the reporting period or age at the time of death if an individual has died. Where the age of an individual has not been recorded, please record them in the Not Known column. We expect this Not Known category to be used more frequently for safeguarding concerns and only in a minority of cases for enquiries.

All individuals who were involved in cases that were raised or opened during the reporting period should be included in this table. Each individual should only be recorded once per category, per row of this table even if they were involved in multiple concerns/enquiries during the reporting year. For example, an individual could be recorded in Safeguarding Concerns, Section 42 Enquiries and Other Enquiries, if they were involved with all three types of activity. However, an individual with three Section 42 Enquiries would only be recorded once in the Section 42 Enquiries row.

The description and tables which use ‘Age Band’ is included in the Data Dictionary.

This table collects metrics broken down by gender. These are:

• Individuals Involved In Safeguarding Concerns (voluntary)
• Individuals Involved In Section 42 Safeguarding Enquiries (mandatory)
• Individuals Involved In Other Safeguarding Enquiries (voluntary)

This should be recorded as the gender the individual considers themselves to be. For transgender people, it should be recorded as the preference of the individual concerned.

For individuals who do not wish to have their gender categorised, individuals recorded as ‘indeterminate’ on the local system or when no gender has been recorded on the system, please use the Not Known column of this table. We expect this category to be used more frequently for safeguarding concerns and only in a minority of cases for enquiries.

All individuals who were involved in cases that were raised or opened during the reporting period should be included in this table. Each individual should only be recorded once per row of this table even if they were involved in multiple concerns/enquiries during the reporting year. For example, an individual could be recorded in Safeguarding Concerns, Section 42 Enquiries and Other Enquiries, if they were involved with all three types of activity; but an individual with three Section 42 Enquiries would only be recorded once in the Section 42 Enquiries row.

The description and tables which use ‘Gender’ is included in the Data Dictionary.

This table collects metrics broken down by ethnicity. These are:

• Individuals Involved In Safeguarding Concerns (voluntary)
• Individuals Involved In Section 42 Safeguarding Enquiries (mandatory)
• Individuals Involved In Other Safeguarding Enquiries (voluntary)

The ethnicity categories are based on those established by the Office for National Statistics and used in the 2011 Census, as well as including additional classifications of 'Refused' and 'Undeclared/Not Known'.

The 'Refused' category should be used where individuals were asked about their ethnicity but they did not want to give this information.

Where the practitioner did not ask for the ethnicity of the adult at risk or no ethnicity information is present on the local system, please use the 'Undeclared/Not Known' category. We expect this category to be used more frequently for safeguarding concerns and only in a minority of cases for enquiries.

Further information on the ONS categories can be found in the publication Harmonised Concepts and Questions for Social Data Sources: Primary Principles.

All individuals who were involved in cases that were raised or opened during the reporting period should be included in this table. Each individual should only be recorded once per row of this table even if they were involved in multiple concerns/enquiries during the reporting year. E.g. an individual could be recorded in Safeguarding Concerns, Section 42 Enquiries and Other Enquiries, if they were involved with all three types of activity; but an individual with three Section 42 Enquiries would only be recorded once in the Section 42 Enquiries row.

The description and tables which use ‘Ethnicity’ is included in the Data Dictionary.

This table collects metrics broken down by primary support reasons. These are:

• Individuals Involved In Safeguarding Concerns (voluntary)
• Individuals Involved In Section 42 Safeguarding Enquiries (mandatory)
• Individuals Involved In Other Safeguarding Enquiries (voluntary)

Primary Support Reasons (PSRs) describe what type of support is being provided to the adult at risk. We would expect PSR to be determined through a social care assessment or review and then recorded on the local system. We do not expect local authorities to assess PSRs as part of the safeguarding process and therefore would expect PSR data to be taken from existing information on the local care management system.

Which PSRs should be recorded in SAC?

For the SAC, please record a count of one for each different PSR that was active at the time of the safeguarding incident / incidents. We acknowledge that it may be difficult to obtain PSRs for this specific time and will accept the PSRs on the system as at year end or time of reporting if necessary. Please record each different PSR regardless of whether they relate to short or long term support.

Multiple PSRs/concerns/enquiries

Some examples are included below to show how to record multiple PSRs and / or PSRs for clients who have had multiple safeguarding cases through the year.

If a client is receiving long term mental health support and short term physical support at the time of a safeguarding incident, please record a count of one for mental health support and a count of one for physical support.

If a client had two cases during the year and was receiving long term physical support at both of those times, please record a count of one for physical support.

If a client has two cases during the year and the long term support reason is physical support during the first incident but mental health support during the second incident, please record a count of one for physical support and a count of one for mental health support.

Which individuals should be included in this table?

All individuals who were involved in cases that were opened during the reporting period should be included in this table. Multiple PSRs can be recorded for each individual as outlined above. If the individual was not receiving services at the time of the safeguarding incident, please record them in the 'No Support Reason' column.

The following table shows the classifications that are to be recorded in SAC with some descriptions of why people might need that type of support. The table also includes a list of sub-classes; these do not need to be recorded in SAC but local authorities may choose to record these locally.

More detailed descriptions and examples of the PSR categories and sub-classes can be found in the glossary in the Data Dictionary. 

This table collects metrics broken down by reported health conditions. These are:

• Individuals Involved In Safeguarding Concerns (voluntary)
• Individuals Involved In Section 42 Safeguarding Enquiries (mandatory)
• Individuals Involved In Other Safeguarding Enquiries (voluntary)

Reported Health Conditions (RHCs) are the reasons why support is provided to the adult at risk. A RHC relates to an illness, disability or condition affecting the client - and diagnosed by a healthcare professional - that contributes to the client's need for support. Individuals should only have a RHC on the local system if they are receiving support. However, not all individuals who receive support will have a RHC.

We would expect RHCs to be recorded on the local system as part of a social care assessment or review. We do not expect local authorities to assess RHCs as part of the safeguarding process and therefore we would expect RHC data to be taken from existing information on the local care management system.

Which RHCs should be recorded in this table?

Please only provide RHCs in SAC for individuals who are receiving long term support. We would not expect all individuals who receive long-term support to have a RHC; these people can be recorded in the 'No relevant long term health conditions' category if you choose (voluntary category).

Please record a count of one for each different RHC that was applicable at the time the safeguarding incident occurred or started to occur. We acknowledge that it may be difficult to obtain RHCs for this specific time and will accept the RHCs on the system as at year end or time of reporting if necessary.

Only one sub-class is mandatory for this reporting period. This is:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

This is highlighted in blue in the table on the next page and in white in the data template.

Local authorities can voluntarily provide data for all of the RHCs listed in the table if they wish.

Which individuals should be included in this table?

If local authorities are voluntarily providing data for all of the RHCs listed in the table, all individuals who were involved in cases that were opened during the reporting period and were receiving long term support at the time of the incident should be included.

Individuals who do not have a long term health condition should still be recorded in the table under the 'No relevant long term health conditions' category.

If local authorities are just providing the mandatory RHC categories then only the individuals who are receiving long term support and have the mandatory conditions need to be included.

Multiple RHCs/concerns/enquiries

Multiple RHCs per person can be recorded if individuals have more than one condition. If an individual has multiple cases in the year and the same RHC applies each time, please only record that RHC once in the table. If an individual has multiple cases in the year and a different RHC applies each time, please record each different RHC once in the table.

The description and tables which use ‘RHCs’ are included in the Data Dictionary.

Completion of this table in its entirety is mandatory.

This table collects distinct counts of:

• Total Number of Safeguarding Concerns received during the reporting period
• Total Number of Section 42 Safeguarding Enquiries commenced during the reporting period
• Total Number of Other Safeguarding Enquiries commenced during the reporting period

Note that these counts relate to cases and not individuals. The description and tables which use ‘Safeguarding Activity’ is included in the Data Dictionary.