Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Partnership Multi-Agency Procedural Framework
Step by Step Summary
What / When / How / Who / Where to find more detailed guidance1. Identifying the concern / Immediately / A concern could centre around a single act or repeated acts of suspected, disclosed or witnessed abuse or neglect.
The person shares their concerns through the appropriate channels, described at steps 2 to 11 below.
All staff in all organisations have a responsibility to share safeguarding adults concerns. It’s part of their ‘duty of care’.
( Where an ‘adult at risk’ is in immediate danger, steps should be taken to protect their safety, e.g. by calling 999 for emergency medical assistance and/or the Police.
The person identifying the concern shouldn’t put themselves at risk.
Every care should be taken to preserve evidence. / The ‘Alerter’ (any person in contact with or who knows about an adult(s) at risk) / Policy of Statement and Commitment
(fuschia):
Aims of the policy
Working with adults at risk
Procedural Framework (purple):
Suspected or alleged abuse or neglect in services provided by the Health Trusts
Supplementary Guidance (blue):
Legal and ethical context
· Key legislation and guidance
· Confidentiality
· Definitions and categories of abuse
· Preserving evidence
Roles and responsibilities
· Community Based Services
· Health Services
· Key individual and team roles –
The Alerter
What / When / How / Who / Where to find more detailed guidance
2. Alert / Immediately – the main objective is to act in the adult at risk’s ‘best interests’ and prevent further harm / Service users, carers and members of the public (including adults at risk)
· ( Report suspicions/allegations of abuse to Adult Social Care Direct on (0191) 4337033
Social Workers or other adult social care staff who receive an alert or who are party to a disclosure
· Immediately report the concern to their line manager
· : Complete a ‘safeguarding initial contact’ form on CareFirst
· : Staff who don’t have access to CareFirst complete and email the ‘safeguarding matrix’ form to cbsadultsocialcaredirect.
All other organisations and Council departments
· Report their concerns to the ‘Designated Person’ identified in their safeguarding adults guidance
· Where another worker is implicated, whistle-blowing procedures (‘confidential reporting code’ for the Council) can also be used to alert an appropriate manager
Workers from Health
· Follow their own agency’s guidelines
· ( Report the allegation to Adult Social Care Direct on (0191) 4337033
· Provide Adult Social Care Direct with the name of the ‘Responsible Manager’ leading on the case
If the allegation is about, or implicates, the Designated Person and/or the Responsible Manager, then the Alerter will need to contact Adult Social Care Direct instead.
( The number to call is (0191) 4337033
? The Alerter makes a written record of the alert as soon as possible and keeps this for future reference. / The Alerter - any person who suspects or knows that abuse has occurred and needs to report their concerns so that safeguarding action can be taken / Policy of Statement and Commitment
(fuschia):
Aims of the policy
Working with adults at risk
Procedural Framework (purple):
Alert
Suspected or alleged abuse or neglect in services provided by the Health Trusts
Safeguarding Adults Risk Support Tool
Allegations which implicate workers or adult placement carers who may also have access to children
Supplementary Guidance (blue):
Legal and ethical context
· Key legislation and guidance
· Confidentiality
· Whistle blowing or ‘confidential reporting code’
Roles and responsibilities
· Community Based Services
· Health Services
· Key individual and team roles –
The Alerter
The Designated Person
Adult Social Care Direct
The Police
The Care Quality Commission
What / When / How / Who / Where to find more detailed guidance
3. The Designated Person receives an alert and makes initial contact with Adult Social Care Direct / Within one working day of the alert being received / The Designated Person receives the alert and:
· reviews the information
· decides whether the reported concerns constitute abuse - the Safeguarding Adults Risk Support Tool might be useful
· ( where abuse can’t be ruled out, the Designated Person contacts Adult Social Care Direct on (0191) 4337033 and shares precise factual details about the allegation
· in Health the Designated Person will call ASCD and pass the alert to the appropriate NHS Responsible Manager
( If a crime is suspected, the Designated Person contacts the Police Public Protection Unit on (0191) 2219352. No attempt should be made to question the adult at risk, the alleged perpetrator or any other witnesses; this will be done as part of a formal Police investigation.
( Registered health and care services notify the Care Quality Commission of safeguarding concerns and immediate protective actions. The number to call is 03000 616161.
If an allegation is made against any worker in any organisation, the employer refers to his/her organisation’s internal human resources/suspension/staff disciplinary procedures and takes prompt action to protect the interests of all parties.
( Allegations about people who also have contact with children through their work will need to be referred to the Council’s nominated ‘Senior Manager’. Perpetrators who have family contact with children will need to be reported to the Children and Families Referral and Assessment Team on (0191) 4332515. More information about how to alert safeguarding children concerns can be found in the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedural guidance.
? The Designated Person makes a written record of their actions as soon as possible and keeps this for future reference. / The Designated Person identified within each organisation as a first point of contact for sharing concerns and reporting alerts / Policy of Statement and Commitment
(fuschia):
Aims of the policy
Working with adults at risk
Procedural Framework (purple):
Safeguarding initial contact
Safeguarding Adults Risk Support Tool
Suspected or alleged abuse or neglect in services provided by the Health Trusts
Suspension, staff disciplinary procedures and support for implicated staff
Allegations against CBS employees
Allegations - adult placement carers
Allegations against employees of other statutory safeguarding agencies including Health
Allegations which implicate workers or adult placement carers who may also have access to children
Supplementary Guidance (blue):
Legal and ethical context
· Key legislation and guidance
· Confidentiality
· Whistle-blowing or ‘confidential reporting code’
· Preserving evidence
Roles and responsibilities
· Community Based Services
· Health Services
· Key individual and team roles -
The Designated Person
Adult Social Care Direct
The Safeguarding Adults Team
The Local Safeguarding Children Board
Children’s ‘Senior Manager’
Local Authority Designated Officer
The Police
The Care Quality Commission
What / When / How / Who / Where to find more detailed guidance
4. Adult Social Care Direct logs the alert as a ‘safeguarding adults initial contact', carries out a screening function, and refers to the appropriate Community Based Services Team Manager or Safeguarding Adults Team (Responsible Manager) for decision making and if necessary allocation / On the same day that the safeguarding initial contact is received / On receipt of an alert by telephone, fax or e-mail, Adult Social Care Direct will:
· gather and record as much information as possible about the alleged abuse/neglect
· check all available records to find out whether any of the parties are already known
· decide upon the most appropriate immediate response
· : enter the concern as a ‘safeguarding initial contact’ onto CareFirst
Where both the victim and the alleged perpetrator are adults at risk, a separate safeguarding initial contact for the alleged perpetrator is not required. If he or she requires social work input, a standard initial contact form is all that’s needed. The only exception to this would be when both adults are victims, and it’s not clear which is the primary perpetrator.
Unless the possibility of abuse can definitely be ruled out, Adult Social Care Direct will contact the appropriate Community Based Services Team Manager (Responsible Manager) for decision making and allocation.
If it’s clear that the adult is not ‘vulnerable’ and/or abuse can absolutely be ruled out, Adult Social Care Direct may then:
· signpost the Alerter to a more appropriate agency and/or
· make an initial contact for care management or
· advise the Alerter that no further action can be taken
Cases involving multiple/institutional abuse or serious injury or death will be allocated to the Safeguarding Adults Team.
In cases where a Responsible Manager from Health takes the lead, the safeguarding initial contact still needs to be allocated to the Safeguarding Adults Team, so they can oversee the process and complete electronic records.
Cross-boundary cases where Gateshead takes the lead (is host to an adult at risk from another Authority) need to be allocated in the usual way. Cross-boundary cases where another host Authority takes the lead will be recorded for information only and allocated for care management support as necessary. / Adult Social Care Direct Officer / Policy of Statement and Commitment
(fuschia):
Aims of the policy
Procedural Framework (purple):
Adult Social Care Direct
Suspected or alleged abuse or neglect in services provided by the Health Trusts
Recording initial contacts for alleged perpetrators who are adults at risk
Adults who are exposed to serious risk and whose circumstances are not readily recognisable as safeguarding concerns
Allegations which implicate workers or adult placement carers who may also have access to children
Templated documentation
Supplementary Guidance (blue):
Legal and ethical context
· Key legislation and guidance
· Confidentiality
· Cases involving multiple/institutional abuse or serious injury or death
Cross-boundary protocol
Roles and responsibilities
· Community Based Services
· Health Services
· Key individual and team roles –
Adult Social Care Direct
The Responsible Manager
The Safeguarding Adults Team
What / When / How / Who / Where to find more detailed guidance
5. Receiving the safeguarding initial contact – decision making by the Responsible Manager / On the same day that the safeguarding initial contact is received
The Alerter is advised about how their concerns will be addressed within 1 working day of their making contact with Adult Social Care Direct / The Responsible Manager decides whether and how to invoke the safeguarding procedures. He or she:
· considers the alert in its context and the reliability/credibility of the information received
· carries out an initial risk assessment
· puts in place any necessary immediate protective measures
· arranges advocacy/independent mental capacity advocacy/other support, as required by the adult and the alleged perpetrator if he/she too is eligible for community care services
· arranges a strategy discussion/meeting (see step 7)
The adult at risk’s consent to the safeguarding intervention is required unless:
· he or she lacks contextual capacity to make a decision about safeguarding intervention or accepting one or more of the protective measures (complete forms MCA1 and MCA2)
· he or she may be subject to pressure or coercion, or there is a known risk of serious harm
· there is an over-riding duty of care to the adult and/or others
( The Responsible Manager makes contact as appropriate with the Police Public Protection Unit, the Care Quality Commission and MAPPA/MARAC. The Council’s Safeguarding Adults Team will liaise with the Coroner’s Office about abuse/neglect-related deaths. All agencies will need to follow their own Health & Safety procedures for reporting serious accidents/ injuries/ ‘untoward Incidents’. Children at risk must be immediately alerted to the Children and Families Referral and Assessment Team on (0191) 4332515.
The Responsible Manager advises the Alerter about how their concerns will be addressed.
Standard templates will be used to keep robust records of all discussions, risk assessments, decisions (to proceed or otherwise) and actions. : CareFirst entries are kept up-to-date: Responsible Managers from Health fax the necessary documentation to the Safeguarding Adults Team to enable this to happen. / A Community Based Services Team Manager, the Safeguarding Adults Team or a suitably senior Health professional / Policy of Statement and Commitment
(fuschia):
Aims of the policy
Procedural Framework (purple):
False allegations
Decision
Risk/protection
Suspected or alleged abuse or neglect in services provided by the Health Trusts
‘Serious Untoward Incidents’ protocol
Allegations which implicate workers or adult placement carers who may also have access to children
Adults who are exposed to serious risk but whose circumstances are not readily recognisable as safeguarding concerns
Templated documentation
Supplementary Guidance (blue):
Legal and ethical context
· Key legislation and guidance
· Confidentiality
· MAPPA/MARAC
· Capacity and consent
· Place of safety
· Advocacy and support
Roles and responsibilities
· Community Based Services
· Health Services
· Key individual and team roles -
Adult Social Care Direct
The Responsible Manager
The Safeguarding Adults Team
The Council’s Corporate Health and Safety Team
The Council’s Solicitor
The Care Quality Commission
The Police and wider community safety partners
The Coroner’s Office
What / When / How / Who / Where to find more detailed guidance
6. Disagreement / Disagreement is passed to the Safeguarding Adults Team on the same day as it is raised
Resolution/ compromise is reached as soon as practicably possible (urgency influenced by presenting level of risk) / Where an Alerter disagrees with the Responsible Manager’s decision, the alert information is passed to the Safeguarding Adults Team for a second opinion. Where necessary the team will take advice from the Council’s Solicitor.
Challenges to decisions taken by the Safeguarding Adults Team will be referred to the Head of Service Adult Care Commissioning, who may also take advice from the Council’s Solicitor and if necessary the Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board.
Where the Alerter is a member of the public, and the situation can’t be resolved to their satisfaction, representation may be made via the Council’s complaints procedures. Complaints about decisions made by Responsible Managers in Health will need to be made via NHS complaints procedures.
Disagreements may occur between the partner safeguarding agencies at any stage throughout the safeguarding process. These too need to be referred to the Safeguarding Adults Team, where an objective judgement will be made in respect of how best to proceed and escalated for more senior consideration if necessary.