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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a small scale pilot study undertaken in Northern Ireland to gather service user feedback from individuals who have been subject to adult safeguarding procedures.Design/methodology/approach The aims, methods and findings of the “Adult Safeguarding: 10,000 Voices” pilot project are presented.Findings The pilot project highlighted how an initiative which captures the experiences of patients, service users, carers and staff in the health and social care sector (10,000 Voices) could be successfully adapted for use in adult safeguarding, facilitating the collation of complex experiences and enabling insights to be gleaned and shared.Research limitations/implications The pilot study is limited by the small number of participants. The findings are preliminary.Practical implications For the first time in Northern Ireland the 10,000 Voices model was utilised in the context of a non-health related service, namely, adult safeguarding.Social implications This outline of the model and methodology for obtaining service user feedback can inform user involvement in other contexts.Originality/value This paper provides an accessible overview of an innovative approach to engaging service users in adult safeguarding, such approaches, to date have been limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the support experiences of older people who have been abused in Ireland. Design/methodology/approach – Recruited through dedicated elder abuse services, nine older people who had experienced elder abuse participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Findings – The study highlighted the help-seeking pathways of abused older people and revealed that few older people sought help for themselves and most were unaware of the services available to support and protect older people. Data analysis identified the range and type of help received from family, friends, voluntary and statutory services, as well as the perceived barriers to accessing help and support. Research limitations/implications – The research did not include abused older people who lacked mental capacity or who had experienced self-neglect, criminal victimisation by strangers or who had not received statutory support services. This field may benefit from future research that seeks to examine the support experiences of these groups. Practical implications – Family, staff and professionals who care for older people need to be cognisant of the signs of elder abuse, and bring them to the attention of older people should they have concerns, as older people may not always recognise that they are being abused. Originality/value – The paper contributes to our understanding of the support needs of older people in Ireland and the perceived barriers to accessing help and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]