As safeguarding professionals, educators, carers, and community members, we are all part of the protection that surrounds children, young people, and vulnerable adults. This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (12 to 18 May 2025) invites us to reflect on the power of community, a theme that resonates deeply with safeguarding work.
In this blogpost, we will unpack the connection between mental health and safeguarding.
What is Mental Health?
The World Health Organisation defines mental health as: “A state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.”
Mental health is not simply the absence of mental illness. It is about how we think, feel, relate to others, and function day to day. Everyone has mental health, just like everyone has physical health, and it fluctuates over time.
What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding has been defined as protecting children from maltreatment, preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development, ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Why the Link Between Mental Health and Safeguarding Matters
1. Parental Mental Health
Mental illness in a parent or carer does not automatically mean a child is at risk. However, in some cases, it may become a safeguarding concern, especially when the condition is severe, untreated, or combined with other stressors like domestic abuse, substance misuse, social isolation, poor housing or financial instability. As professionals, our role is to be curious without being judgemental.
2. Children’s Mental Health
Mental health challenges in children and young people, such as anxiety, self-harm, low mood, or eating difficulties, can sometimes signal abuse or neglect, bullying, family breakdown or trauma. In these cases, safeguarding and mental health are deeply intertwined. Children need support that addresses not only the symptoms, but the underlying causes.
3. The Role of Community as a Protective Factor
This year’s theme, Community, reminds us that safeguarding is not done in isolation. When children are embedded in strong, safe communities, they are more likely to be noticed, supported, and protected. Community support can look like:
- A trusted teacher who notices a change in behaviour
- A school that offers early help and wellbeing interventions
- A church that offers stability and care
- An extended family member who steps in at a time of need
Children from isolated or disconnected families are often at greater risk. Community, in this sense, acts as a buffer against adversity.
4. Staff Mental Health and Safeguarding Practice
Safeguarding can be emotionally demanding. Professionals who are stressed or unsupported may struggle to respond appropriately to concerns
What Can We Do?
This Mental Health Awareness Week, here are some practical steps we can take:
- Be aware of the signs of poor mental health in children, families, and colleagues
- Engage in multi-agency working
- Avoid assumptions; instead, focus on parenting capacity and lived experience
- Strengthen community links in schools, health, faith groups, and youth services.
- Care for your own mental health and that of your team.
Safeguarding and mental health, so we must continue to build communities that notice, listen, and act.
Share your experiences with mental health and safeguarding in your communities in the comments section. We would love to hear from you.
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