The safeguarding process

Safeguarding Duties apply to an adult who:

Has needs for care and support, Is experiencing, or is at risk, of abuse or neglect; and as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect (Care Act 2014)

Abuse or neglect includes:

• physical abuse

• psychological abuse

• domestic violence

• female genital mutilation, honour based violence, and forced marriage

• sexual abuse

• financial and material abuse

• modern slavery

• discriminatory abuse

• neglect or acts of omission

• organisational abuse

• self neglect

Safeguarding should be person led and outcome focused led by the adult at risk. Adults should be offered an advocate where they have substantial difficulty in being involved.

The 6 principles of safeguarding should be applied throughout all stages of the process:

• prevention

• protection

• proportionality

• partnership

• empowerment

• accountability

The Mental Capacity Act (MCA) is a key consideration in all safeguarding work and all principles of MCA should be applied across assessment and proposed interventions.

Where an adult is deemed as having capacity in relation to the safeguarding concern, positive risk taking assessments should be completed with the adult. Where risk remains, workers should liaise with their managers, and consult with the legal team where appropriate. If in doubt, contact Adult Social Care on 0191 643 2777 for advice.

Anyone who becomes aware of concerns of abuse must report those concerns as soon as possible and within the same working day to the relevant manager /safeguarding lead identified in their agency procedures.

Where an adult at risk is in immediate danger, steps should be taken to protect them e.g. calling 999 or 101 as appropriate.

The local authority must make enquiries, or require another agency to do so, whenever abuse or neglect is known or suspected, in relation to an adult with care and support needs. Upon receiving a referral, Adult Social Care (ASC) must gather as much information as possible from the referrer, multi-agency partners, the adult concerned, review previous records and ensure there is an initial risk assessment undertaken.

Are you worried about a child?

Gateway: (0191) 643 2777
Out of Hours: 0330 333 7475

Adult Social Care will utilise the safeguarding decision support tool to support defensible decision making. This includes taking account of the specific guidance on unwitnessed falls, medication errors, pressure care and in residential care, resident to resident altercations, where no impact has occurred.

ASC will decide within 24 hours if a Section 42 enquiry is required, and complete an initial protection plan. Consider consent/Mental Capacity Act – capacity of adult in relation to concern and best interests process as required. Support provision of advocacy to ensure process is person led.

Where it is safe to do so, undertake personal face to face visit with adults. In the event direct visits/contact cannot be made, use of technology e.g. email, Skype, telephone should be considered or through an appropriate person / representative – who has contact with the adult.

The referrer should be informed of the outcome of the decision to progress or not.

The purpose of the meeting/discussion will be to establish the lines of enquiry and who will lead the enquiry. This step can be completed either in the form of a meeting (in person or virtually as required) or by telephone contact, depending on the urgency of the situation.

A multi-agency protection plan should be formulated to assess risk, address any immediate protection needs and agree a plan for any further investigation or assessment.

Co-ordinating the collection of information about abuse or neglect that has occurred or might occur. This may include a criminal or disciplinary investigation.

The enquiry should establish matters of fact, provide a professional analysis of risk, provide rationale and inform decisions about any follow up action and produce a report

Within the enquiry, the ongoing protection plan should also be set out and agreed with the adult and their representative.

The meeting should co-ordinate a multi-agency response to the risk of abuse that has been identified. All information gathered during the enquiry will be presented at the case conference.

The adult and their representative should remain at the centre of the process. A decision should be agreed on whether a further review of the protection plan is required.

Meetings can be held virtually where required.

The Case Conference Review should check if the agreed actions in the Safeguarding Protection Plan have taken place and whether any further action is needed. Reviews should always take place where there is ongoing risk of harm.

The frequency of the review should be decided based on the situation and level of risk.

The closure process should establish how far the adult’s outcomes/aims and wishes have been achieved and demonstrate how any remaining risks have been reduced.

The case can close at any point during the process if the management of risks indicates the adult is no longer at risk of harm. Where a referrer disagrees with the the decision maker’s decision please see our Challenge and Escalation policy.