Safeguarding procedures and pathways
London multi agency adults safeguarding policy and procedures
London multi-agency adult safeguarding policy and procedures are built on strong multi-agency partnerships by working together, with adults to:
- Prevent abuse and neglect where possible
- Provide a consistent approach when responding to safeguarding concerns.
The duties and responsibilities help to make sure that there is a consistent approach to safeguarding adults across London.
The following organisations developed and agreed the document:
- The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS)
- NHS London
- The Metropolitan Police
- A number of other agencies across London who contribute to the work of adult safeguarding.
The policy and procedures are for everyone working in public, voluntary and private sector organisations that come into contact with adults, including:
- Managers
- Professionals
- Volunteers and staff.
Local arrangements
For each London borough further work is needed to ensure the duties are fully implemented and embedded across the partnership.
The Pan London approach will have an impact on nearly every London borough in terms of how it currently carries out its safeguarding work.
Local arrangements, for example around referral routes are being reviewed.
Out of area safeguarding guidance / host borough arrangements
The out-of-area safeguarding adults guidance:
- Compliments existing statutory guidance
- Compliments local policy and procedures
- Provides additional guidance in responding to safeguarding concerns which involve cross-boundary considerations.
- Has been developed by ADASS members
- Recognises the increased safeguarding risk and complexity associated with adults whose care and support arrangements cross local authority boundaries. (These may arise where funding/commissioning responsibility for an adult lies with an authority in one area and where concerns about potential abuse and/or exploitation arise in another area).
The guidance also contains inter-authority work on safeguarding enquiries, which has been updated to reflect the:
- New Care Act duties
- Accompanying statutory guidance
- Ethos and best practice standards of Making Safeguarding Personal.
The guidance applies to all care and support settings including:
- Registered care settings
- Supported living
- Community settings
- Family placement or hospitals.
It applies to all adults whether or not the costs of their care and support are being met by public funds.
Where safeguarding adults concerns are raised, the local authority where the risk is posed is responsible, under Section 42 of the Care Act, for ensuring that enquiries are undertaken.