MEMBERS of the public are being urged to use their gut instincts to look out for any vulnerable adults and raise the alarm with social workers if they fear they are being harmed in any way.

Campaigners have warned that there are a range of potential risks such as sexual abuse, violence and financial exploitation, as well as psychological hurts such as threats, mental bullying and verbal ridicule.

Council social work departments currently receive around 300 alerts a week relating to possible cases and typically 16 investigations are launched. But only about eight per cent of these result in a protection order being granted.

The difficulty in assessing the reach and scale of the problem has prompted Seen Something? Say Something, a Scottish Government-backed campaign which hopes to raise awareness about adult harm and make the public look much more closely for signs of it.

It urges Scots to contact their local council by email or an anonymous phone call if they have any concerns about a vulnerable adult.

"It's a sad fact that there are many adults in our society who are suffering at the hands of others," said Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health. "It's time that this suffering, which so often takes place in the shadows, came to an end."

Among the tell-tale signs highlighted in the campaign are cuts and bruises which cannot be properly explained, people who are not looking after themselves physically or who are failing to wash or eat regularly, those who have lost money and cannot will not explain how, and anyone whose house is being visited regularly, possibly at unsociable hours, by people whose relationship to them is not clear. Sometimes it could be something as easy to miss as people becoming withdrawn, fearful or anxious for no obvious reason, those behind the campaign say.

"Sometimes people don't want to get involved, for fear of being seen to intrude in other people's lives," said Paul Comely, National Adult Protection Coordinator at child and adult protection agency WithScotland.

"Or they are worried they might be wrong about the situation and their actions will result in another person being unfairly accused. But it is vital to raise concerns, and it is safe to do so. The local council will check the situation sensitively."

As well as contacting local authorities or websites such as Act Against Harm and organisations like WithScotland, the campaign stresses that worried individuals can also contact the police if they think a crime has been committed.

Police Scotland Detective Superintendent Willie Guild added: "One particularly insidious type of harm is financial harm with people being exploited through a range of scams, as well as doorstep criminals such as bogus callers or rogue traders, putting pressure on people to hand over their money or belongings.

"However it is not always strangers who pose the risk to vulnerable members of our communities and it is not always easy to identify a person is being harmed."

Mr Comely added: "People often have an instinctual feeling that someone is being harmed or is at risk, a sense that something is not right. By acting on this, they could help a person who is at risk to overcome the situation and become safe from harm."