Understanding the words

As you read about and access our services and our partners’ safeguarding services, you might find new words about safeguarding / whakahaumarutia.

These words are our ‘technical terms or phrases’ (our sector’s language) – and will often be used by the agencies assisting you.  

We want to help you understand what the words mean. 

For example:

• Safeguarding / whakahaumarutia is about: 

  • preventing, identifying and responding to violence, abuse or neglect 

  • supporting and enabling Adults at Risk to improve their safety, including helping them leave harmful environments or situations of concern, if needed  

• while protecting a person’s right to make their own decisions. 

• SAFA – this term stands for “Safeguarding Adults From Abuse”  

• SAFA Co-ordinators – this refers to the people co-ordinating the “Safeguarding Adults From Abuse” response or intervention, leading the SAFA team.   

• Multi-agency team – all the people (i.e. the person in need of safeguarding, their whānau members if appropriate, specialists, organisations and funders) who work together to develop and deliver the right safeguarding response, to help the person become safe. A multi-agency team is sometimes called a SAFA team, safeguarding team or a SARG team. 

• SARG – this stands for “Safeguarding Adult Response Group” and is usually a multi-agency team.

We’ve explained certain words, phrases and technical terms throughout the website. When you click on these, it will take you to a Glossary (i.e. a list of words and their definitions). You can also access the Glossary at the end of each website section.