Policies, Procedures and Guidance

 

In this section, you will find links to the North Lincolnshire Multi-Agency Safeguarding Adults Board Policies and Guidance. You will also find national guidance and local resources to support effective safeguarding practice.

Safeguarding Adults Board

The Safeguarding Adults Board Strategic Plan 2023 / 2025  lays out our shared goals and vision over the next three years. It covers how the Board will focus on the prevention of abuse and neglect as well as making sure that organisations work together to keep people safe when abuse has occurred; giving people choice, control and involvement. It emphasises our focus on the underlying principles of ‘making safeguarding personal’.

 

North Lincolnshire Safeguarding Adults Board members produced a Partnership Agreement, which was signed by each partner’s Organisational Lead.

You can view all related Safeguarding Adults Board Documents by clicking on the tabs below.

 

 

Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2021 – 22 outlines the activities the North Lincolnshire Safeguarding Adults Board has undertaken to fulfil its statutory responsibilities for the strategic development and oversight of adult safeguarding across North Lincolnshire. The Report highlights the Board’s progress and achievement in delivering the priorities and objectives identified in the Strategic Plan.

Safeguarding Adults Board Annual reports (archived)

SAB Annual Report 2020 – 2021

SAB Annual Report 2019 – 2020

SAB Annual Report 2018 – 2019

SAB Annual Report 2017 – 2018

SAB Annual Report 2016 – 2017

SAB Annual Report 2015 – 2016

 

 

 

 

  • Organisational Abuse Policy and Procedure – Multi Agency Safeguarding Adults Board. This policy and procedure apply to all care and support provision, whether directly commissioned or not by a local authority; North Lincolnshire Health and Care Partnership (NLHCP) or NHS England/Improvement (NHS E/I); and irrespective of whether or not it is included in the Care Quality Commission (CQC) market oversight regime. This includes care which is paid for by individuals themselves as the same duty applies to people funding their own care as to care which is commissioned or purchased by the local authority and/or the NHS. Services managed by the local authority or NHS are subject to the same level of scrutiny as independent care providers.

 

  • Scrutiny And Assurance Framework The North Lincolnshire Safeguarding Adults Board Scrutiny and Assurance Framework has been developed to create an environment that is conducive to robust scrutiny and constructive challenge.  The arrangements include opportunities to work in partnership to learn and improve practice across the multi-agency adult safeguarding system.

 

 

  • Domestic Homicide Review (DHR)A DHR looks at the circumstances of a person’s death and the lessons that need to be learnt from it. The purpose of a DHR is not to apportion blame. It’s a process of investigation, re-evaluation, analysing, scrutinising and making recommendations when the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by:
    1. a person to whom they were related or with whom they were or had been in an intimate personal relationship, or
    2. a member of the same household, held with a view to identifying the lessons to be learnt from the death.

The Home Office has created a domestic homicide review (DHR) library, which can be accessed by anyone to search and view domestic homicide review documents, available to the public.

 

  • Multi-Agency Forensic Examiner Policy – The policy covers the pilot of a Forensic Exanimation of Adults service across North Lincolnshire (NL) and East Riding of Yorkshire (ERY) Safeguarding Partnerships. The purpose of the policy is to provide an outline of the process that will be undertaken in relation to the consideration of, examination and reporting when adults at risk of harm have sustained an injury as a result of physical abuse or neglect and outline the governance framework that supports this pilot.

 

  • Female Genital Mutilation Identifying and responding to concerns – This guidance and procedure explains the duties and actions to be taken regarding recognising and responding to children who are at risk of/who may have suffered FGM, and is for professionals to help them identify and respond to concerns or disclosures about FGM.

 

 

  • Revisiting Safeguarding’ Practice Guidance – The guidance is designed for practitioners within local authority adult services, or those involved in safeguarding enquiries, it focusses on adult safeguarding and the statutory duties outlined within the Care Act 2014.The guidance seeks to reinforce roles and responsibilities when applying the duties, outlining key expectations and good practice as well as promoting consistency. Within the guidance are some useful tools and links to other sources of valuable information.

 

CONTEST 2023 – Renewed counter – terrorism strategy to strengthen UK response.

The government has launched CONTEST 2023, a refreshed approach to the evolving and enduring threat from terrorism, which will safeguard the public by strengthening the UK’s resilience. CONTEST 2023 has been developed by the Home Office, working with a range of government departments, police, and the intelligence agencies.

CONTEST 2023 sets out the UK’s bolstered approach to a domestic terrorist risk, that is once again rising and becoming increasingly less predictable. The updated strategy also addresses a persistent and evolving overseas threat from Islamist groups, and exploitation of technology by terrorists.

CONTEST 2023 has been developed by the Home Office, working with a range of government departments, police and the intelligence agencies. Terrorism experts, academics, public organisations, the private sector and the public were consulted to provide insight and challenge, to ensure that CONTEST continues to robustly defend the public from the terrorist threat.

CONTEST strategy is based on four themes:

  • Prevent – to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
  • Pursue – to stop terrorist attacks happening.
  • Protect – to strengthen our protection against a terrorist attack.
  • Prepare – to minimise the impact of a terrorist attack.

For more information about CONTEST 2023, please visit: Renewed counter-terrorism strategy to strengthen UK response – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST) 2023 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

What does this mean?

The Prevent strategy, published by the Government in 2011, is part of our overall counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. The aim of the Prevent strategy is to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. In the Act this has simply been expressed as the need to “prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”.

This duty is known as the Prevent duty and the Government’s guidance outline specifies authorities responsible for this duty. Prevent radicalisation and Extremism by ACTING EARLY. Visit the ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) website. It is about working with communities to help them support vulnerable people and build resilience against groups or individuals who seek to create divisions and cause harm. There are only a very small number of people who support terrorist activity or are likely to. The vast majority of people, in all communities, want to see terrorism prevented, and want to play their part as good citizens in helping to make that happen.

There is a range of PREVENT training is aimed at anyone who may be in a position to notice signs of vulnerability to radicalisation and aims to give them confidence in referring on for help if appropriate. It is also designed for those (for example line managers) who may receive these referrals and have to consider how to respond, whether that be establishing more context, or reaching out to partner agencies for support. Referral form

 

Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SAR)

Safeguarding Adults Boards must arrange a SAR when an adult it its area dies as a result of abuse or neglect, whether known or suspected, and there is a concern that partner agencies could have worked more effectively to protect the adult.

The Board must also arrange a SAR if an adult in its area has not died, but the Board knows or suspects that the adult has experienced serious abuse or neglect.

Safeguarding Adults Boards are also free to arrange a SAR in any other situations involving an adult in its area with needs for care and support.

The Safeguarding Adults Board should weigh up what type of ‘review’ process will promote effective learning and improvement action to prevent future deaths or serious harm occurring again. SARs may also be used to explore examples of good practice where this is likely to identify lessons that can be applied to future cases. You can access the Safeguarding Adults Board SAR Framework for more information along with the SAR Referral Form. 

National Safeguarding Adults Reviews – The National Network for Chairs of Adult Safeguarding Boards

Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) are a statutory requirement for Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs). SARs can inform adult safeguarding improvement, they can identify what is helping and what is hindering safeguarding work, and to tackle barriers to good practice. The National Network for Chairs of Adult Safeguarding Boards have begun collecting SAR Reports published from 01 April 2019 the reports and associated resources are to support those involved in commissioning, conducting and quality assuring SARs.

 

Working Principles when carrying out a Safeguarding Review (children or adults) or Domestic Homicide Review

To be used when managing a Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR), Child Safeguarding Practice Review (CSPR) or a Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) alongside a police investigation by Humberside Police.

It is accepted that there is a need to work in parallel processes when there is either a children’s or adults review or a domestic homicide review which meets any review criteria, and the Police also need to investigate the crime. Working Principles.

Coroner Prevention of Future Death Reports

Paragraph 7 of Schedule 5, Coroners and Justice Act 2009, provides coroners with the duty to make reports to a person, organisation, local authority or government department or agency where the coroner believes that action should be taken to prevent future deaths.  This section provides a link all Prevent Future Deaths report, formerly known as Rule 43 Reports, made since 25 July 2013.

 

 

Line of Sight to Practice – Improving Multi-Agency Practice

The best local safeguarding arrangements are developed from a shared vision and shared values. It is about all agencies involved being ambitious to secure the very best responses to vulnerable adults at risk of harm in their community. Local safeguarding arrangements work well when there is a clear line of sight on both the operational and the strategic response locally. Agencies need to know the quality of their frontline practice.

The Line of Sight process is a key element of the North Lincolnshire Safeguarding Adults Board (NLSAB) Scrutiny and Assurance Framework mechanisms which provide robust scrutiny and constructive challenge. The mechanisms include opportunities to work in partnership to learn and improve practice across the multi-agency adult safeguarding system, providing improvement of outcomes for adults. The lived experience of the adult will be central to the line-of-sight process.

The Line of Sight process will help ensure that multi-agency working, process and procedures are effective in safeguarding adults, and will also identify any gaps or required changes to policies, procedures and practice guidance. We have published the outcomes and learning points.

 

The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) programme produce annual reports  You can access the most up to date annual reports at NHS England.

There are a number of useful links and resources available for professionals and families relating to Learning Disabilities.

 

Mental Capacity Act

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is a law that protects and supports people who do not have the ability to make decisions for themselves. It also provides guidance to support people who need to make decisions on behalf of someone else.

The Act covers important decisions relating to an individual’s property, health and social care and financial affairs. The Act also applies to everyday decisions, such as personal care, what to eat and what to wear. It also allows us to plan ahead for a time when we are not able to make decisions for ourselves.

We all can have problems making decisions at some time, but the Mental Capacity Act 2005 is more than that. It is there for situations where someone is unable to make a decision because of the way their brain works, for example, it might be due to illness, a brain injury, a disability or because of the effects of drugs or alcohol.

In law a person is said to lack capacity if they cannot do one or more of the following things.

  • Understand the information given to them
  • Retain the information for long enough to make a decision
  • Weight up all the information available to make a decision
  • Communicate their decision

Someone might have capacity to make decisions about some things and not others. For example, they might be able to make a decision about what they would like to eat and wear but not about where they would like to live. If the person lacks mental capacity to make a specific decision, then it must be made in their ‘best interests’ taking into account the persons wishes, feelings, beliefs and values.

Here professionals can access a handy Mental Capacity Prompt to use when assessing capacity, you can also access the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (legislation.gov.uk)

Other useful documents and links:

 

 

Mental Health Act 1983 

When it applies:

In most cases when people are treated in hospital or another mental health facility, they have agreed or volunteered to be there. You may be referred to as a voluntary patient.

But there are cases when a person can be detained, also known as sectioned, under the Mental Health Act (1983) and treated without their agreement. The Act:

  • Is the main piece of legislation that covers the assessment, treatment, and rights of people with a mental health disorder.
  • means people detained under the Mental Health Act need urgent treatment for a mental health disorder such as depression or bipolar and are at risk of harm to themselves or others.
  • ensures that if a person is detained under this act, the health professionals must follow this act when making decisions for the person.

The term “mental health disorder” is used to describe people who have:

  • a mental illness
  • a learning disability
  • a personality disorders

Conditions for sectioning under the Mental Health Act 1983

  • The person must be assessed, or being treated, for a mental health problem
  • Their health would be at risk of getting worse if the treatment was not given
  • The safety of the person and / or others would be at risk if treatment was not given
  • A doctor thinks an assessment is needed for treatment in hospital

The team in charge of the persons treatment can’t give their family information about them without asking the person first. The person can choose what the professionals share. This is called giving consent.

Key facts

  • Normally the people involved in the care will not share information unless people say they can
  • There are times they can share some things without the person saying they can
  • The person can also have / speak to an Independent Mental Health Advocate

It is important to remember…

The person should be fully involved in decisions about their care, support, and treatment. That includes how information about them is shared.

Other useful documents and links:

 

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs)

The DoLS are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They aim to make sure that people in care homes and hospitals are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom.

The safeguards set out a process that hospitals and care homes must follow if they believe it is in a person’s best interests to deprive them of their liberty, in order to provide their care plan. The department of health issued this guide DHguide_for_relevant_representatives

The current Situation – the changes to the Bill

Select Committees of both Houses of Parliament have criticised the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and called for the system to be reviewed. In addition, the Supreme Court’s judgment in the case of Cheshire West has led to a 10-fold increase in DoLS applications. In light of this, the Department of Health decided to fund the Law Commission to undertake a fundamental review of the DoLS legislation. This began in autumn 2014.

The final report on the consultation and draft Bill recommends that the DoLS be repealed with pressing urgency and sets out a replacement scheme for the DoLS – which has been called the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS). In addition, the draft Bill makes wider reforms to the Mental Capacity Act which ensure greater safeguards for persons before they are deprived of their liberty. For the latest update on this you can visit the GOV.UK website.