New research highlights the complexity of safeguarding adults at risk of exploitation
The Newcastle Safeguarding Adults Board (NSAB) is pleased to share news of the publication of important new research by Kerry Cooke, Safeguarding Adults Manager and Adult Exploitation Lead at Newcastle City Council, in collaboration with Professor Monique Lhussier of Northumbria University. The paper has been published in the European Journal of Social Work and explores the complexity of safeguarding adults who experience exploitation.
The research, entitled “Like having 16,000 tabs open in my head: Unravelling the complexity of safeguarding adults at risk of exploitation”, draws on interviews with 60 individuals, including adults with lived experience, practitioners, managers and policy makers from across social care, housing, health, public health, police, probation, substance misuse services, voluntary organisations and care providers. Using a realist research approach, the study examined what helps, and what hinders, efforts to protect adults who are experiencing exploitation.
The findings highlight that exploitation of adults often remains hidden within systems and services, particularly where people have multiple and overlapping vulnerabilities. The research found that adults who experience exploitation frequently face barriers to accessing support and that perpetrators often target existing vulnerabilities. The study also identified challenges for professionals, including high workloads, victim-blaming attitudes, and a lack of understanding of the impact that coercion and control can have on a person’s ability to protect themselves.
Importantly, the research emphasises that effective safeguarding requires more than awareness of exploitation. Adults subjected to multiple forms of exploitation need coordinated, multi-agency responses that draw upon a broad range of legal powers and safeguarding approaches. The study concludes that safeguarding adult processes can be a powerful tool for protection, but only when supported by the right knowledge, skills, professional curiosity, organisational culture and partnership working arrangements.
The publication is particularly significant as it provides new evidence about the role of adult safeguarding systems in responding to exploitation and offers valuable insights for practitioners, managers and strategic leaders seeking to strengthen their local responses. The findings align closely with NSAB’s ongoing work to improve recognition of adult exploitation, promote trauma-informed and person-centred practice, and strengthen partnership approaches to prevention, early intervention and protection.
Read the research
Cooke, K. & Lhussier, M. (2026). Like having 16,000 tabs open in my head: Unravelling the complexity of safeguarding adults at risk of exploitation. European Journal of Social Work.
This research was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East North Cumbria (NENC)