Safeguarding

Quality statement

We work with people to understand what being safe means to them as well as with our partners on the best way to achieve this. We concentrate on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. We make sure we share concerns quickly and appropriately.

  • I feel safe and am supported to understand and manage any risks.

Summary

  • There are effective systems, processes and practices to make sure people are protected from abuse and neglect.
  • Section 42 safeguarding enquiries are carried out sensitively and without delay, keeping the wishes and best interests of the person concerned at the centre. People can participate in the safeguarding process as much as they want to. 
  • There is a clear understanding of the key safeguarding risks and issues in the area and a clear, resourced strategic plan to address them.
  • Lessons are learned when people have experienced serious abuse or neglect and action is taken to remove future risks and drive best practice
  • People are supported to understand safeguarding, what being safe means to them, and how to raise concerns when they don’t feel safe, or they have concerns about the safety of other people.
  • People are supported to make choices that balance risks with positive choice and control in their lives.
  • People are supported to understand their rights, including their human rights, rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and their rights under the Equality Act 2010.

Related sections of the Care Act

Care Act 2014:

  • Section 1: Wellbeing principle
  • Sections 6-7: Cooperation generally and in specific cases
  • Sections 42-43: Safeguarding adult at risk of abuse or neglect
  • Sections 68: Independent advocacy support (safeguarding enquiries and reviews)

Required evidence

People’s experience

  • Direct feedback from:
    • people with care and support needs
    • unpaid carers
    • people who fund or arrange their own care, those close to them and their advocates
  • Feedback from people obtained by community and voluntary groups. For example:
    • advocacy groups
    • adult and young person’s carers groups
    • faith groups
    • groups representing people who are more likely to have a poorer experience of care and poorer outcomes
    • people with protected equality characteristics
  • Feedback that people have sent to the local authority and feedback it has gathered itself through surveys or focus groups
  • Feedback from CQC's Give feedback on care facility (if available)
  • Compliments and complaints
  • Healthwatch
  • Survey of Adult Carers (SACE), Adult Social Care Survey (ASCS) - see detailed metrics
  • Case tracking

Feedback from staff and leaders

  • Council adult social care portfolio holder
  • Overview and scrutiny committee
  • Principal social worker
  • Social workers
  • Out-of-hours duty team
  • Director of adult social services
  • Local authority designated officer (LADO), Designated Safeguarding Officer or Multi-agency Safeguarding Adults Team
  • The local authority’s self-assessment of its performance for the quality statement

If available

  • Staff feedback from the local authority’s own surveys
  • Peer review

Processes

  • Systems, processes and practices to make sure people are protected from abuse and neglect. Processes and pathways for managing:
    • safeguarding alerts
    • Section 42 enquiries
  • Safeguarding Adults Board annual strategic plan and annual report
  • Oversight and quality assurance of safeguarding cases, themes, trends, outcomes:
    • timeliness of responding to concerns and section 42 enquiries
    • actions to address any safeguarding themes, trends and key safeguarding risks
  • Lessons learned when people have experienced serious abuse or neglect and action to remove future risks and drive best practice. Response to Safeguarding Adult Reviews and other reports and reviews that feature safeguarding responsibilities. This includes:
    • Regulation 28 reports (Report to Prevent Future Deaths)
    • domestic homicide reviews
    • mental health reviews and serious incident reviews
  • Support for people to understand how to raise concerns when they don’t feel safe, or if they have concerns about the safety of other people and to understand their rights. This includes their human rights, rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and their rights under the Equality Act 2010
  • Training and support for staff involved in safeguarding work to undertake safeguarding duties effectively.
  • Skills for Care data on safeguarding, Mental Capacity Act, DOLS training (if available)
  • NHS Digital Safeguarding Adults Collection - see detailed metrics

Feedback from partners

  • Community and voluntary sector groups, including those representing:
    • people who are more likely to have a poorer experience of care and poorer outcomes
    • people with protected equality characteristics
    • unpaid carers
  • Local health partners
  • Care providers
  • Advocacy providers
  • Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB)
  • Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA)
  • Independent mental capacity advocates
  • Coroner Regulation 28 Reports

If available:

  • Police safeguarding lead
  • Specialist domestic abuse services
  • Local Government Social Care Ombudsman
  • Feedback from other regulators

Outcomes

We will not look at evidence under this category.

Best practice and guidance