Adult Safeguarding guidelines

The Care Act 2014 set out statutory responsibility for the integration of care and support between health and local authority.  The act ensures that NHS England and Clinical Commissioning Groups are working in partnership and neighbouring social care service to promote wellbeing within local communities and the local authority have statutory responsibility for safeguarding.

Safeguarding adult means protecting a person’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. The Care Act requires that each Local Authority must;

• Making enquiries, or ensure others do so if it believes an adult is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect.
• An enquiry establishes whether any action needs to be taken to stop abuse or neglect
• Set up a safeguarding Adult Board.
• Arrange for an independent advocate to represent and support an adult who is the subject of a safeguarding enquiry.
• Safeguarding Adult Review where the adult has ‘substantial difficulty’ in being involved in the process and where there is no other appropriate adult to help them.
• Cooperate with each of its relevant partners in order to protect adults experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect.

It is critical that any voluntary, community and faith sector organisation working with adults at risk or are in vulnerable situations have a safeguarding policy and procedures in place. In addition, the staff and volunteers must have a significant level of awareness of safeguarding issues and the role they each play in protecting people from harm, abuse and/or neglect.

For more information about to help you develop a comprehensive approach to safeguarding in your organisation, please download: ncvo safeguarding for volunteer-involving organisations