Policies, Procedures & Guidance
Worcestershire Safeguarding Adults Board Guidance
The following guidance has been developed locally. They include local policies, procedure’s and pathways, alongside agreed protocols on how partner organisations should work together.
Most of the current local policies have been developed to cover the county of Worcestershire. However with the introduction of the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and System (ICS) the footprint of the ICB and the Health and Care Trust expanded across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire. West Mercia Police’s reach also covers these two counties, alongside Shropshire. Both the WSAB and Herefordshire Safeguarding Adults Board (HSAB) have adopted a joint policy framework which sets out the approach for developing shared policies, where feasible.
General Guidance
- Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment
- Agreed Support Plan has not engaged the person / family
- Assisted Suicide Policy
- Complaints Process V2 December 2022
- Escalation Policy: Resolution of Professional Disagreements
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) pathway
- Information Sharing Protocol (WSAB)
- Joint Working Protocol between West Mercia Women’s Aid and
Worcestershire Adult Social Care for individuals with care and support needs
experiencing domestic abuse - Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) Leaflet
- Missing person guidance consideration for residential care and domiciliary care
- Next of Kin – Understanding Decision Making Authorities
- Non Engagement Flowchart
- Organisational Abuse Procedures
- Protocol for responding to allegations about people in a position of trust working
with adults - Using Professional Judgements in Safeguarding Adults – Guidance for Professionals
- WSAB Communication and Engagement Strategy
Mental Capacity Act and Best Interest Guidance
- Best Interest Decision Meeting Guidance
- Easy Read Guidance to Mental Capacity
- Mental Capacity Act 2005 – Guidance and Policy for Staff
- Mental Capacity Act and Executive Function Links to SARs
- Mental Capacity Assessment Form (MCA1) Updated October 2021
- Mental Capacity Assessment Form (MCA2) – Best Interest Assessment & Record of Actions
- Quality Assurance Checklist for Mental Capacity Act Policies: Self-assessment for Organisations
- MCA SARs Briefing Resource
Safeguarding Adults Reviews Guidance
Self-Neglect Guidance
- Worcestershire Safeguarding Adults’ Board
Multi-Agency Self-Neglect and Hoarding Policy - Multi-agency self-neglect referral pathway V3
- Self Neglect Safety Plan TEMPLATE
Reference to National Guidance
In a number of practice areas the WSAB has not produced local multi-agency guidance but have agreed to refer to national guidance. These include
Serious Incident Guidance (NHS England)
The Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) sets out the NHS’s approach to developing and maintaining effective systems and processes for responding to patient safety incidents for the purpose of learning and improving patient safety. A copy of this can be found by following the link below:
The PSIRF supports the development and maintenance of an effective patient safety incident response system that integrates four key aims:
- Compassionate engagement and involvement of those affected by patient safety incidents
- Application of a range of system-based approached to learning from patient safety incidents
- Considered and proportionate responses to patient safety incidents
- Supportive oversight focused on strengthening response system functioning and improvement
The PSIRF is a contractual requirement under the NHS Standard Contract and as such is mandatory for services provided under that contract, including acute, ambulance, mental health, and community healthcare providers. This includes maternity and all specialised services. Primary care providers may also wish to adopt PSIRF, but it is not a requirement at this stage
Pressure Ulcers
A Pressure Ulcer is an area of damage to the skin and underlying tissue. They are sometimes known as pressure sores or bed sores. They can form because of poor care and neglect and therefore may indicate a safeguarding concern. To assist in deciding whether an ulcer should be considered a safeguarding concern, the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities have published the following guidance aimed at healthcare professionals.
Pressure ulcers: applying All Our Health – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
In terms of prevention the following documents have been produced by the NHS East London Foundation Trust.
Pressure Ulcer Prevention Booklet (NHS East London Trust)
Pressure Ulcer Prevention Flyer
Fire Safety
The WSAB works closely with Herefordshire and Worcestershire Fire Service who recommend we provide the most up to date guidance on fire safety which can be found by following the links below:
- Fire safety risk assessment: residential care premises – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Fire Safety and advice in the home | Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (hwfire.org.uk)
- HSAB Fire Risk Professional Briefing
Details of these can be found on the following WSAB pages:
Complex Adults Risk Management (CARM) framework
This guidance seeks to provide front line practitioners with a framework to facilitate effective working with adults who are at risk of significant harm due to their complex needs, and where the risks cannot effectively be managed via other processes or interventions, such as section 9 care and support assessment or section 42, safeguarding enquiry under the Care Act 2014.
The Complex Adults Risk Management (CARM) framework should be used when the adult’s engagement with support is intermittent or where it has proved difficult to engage with the adult, and the risk is significant, and an individual agency procedures have not been able to resolve the problem(s).
For more information on the CARM and details of how to make a referral please follow the links below:
WSAB Privacy Statement
The WSAB Privacy Notice explains how the Worcestershire Safeguarding Adults Board (WSAB) collects, uses and shares personal information in order to carry out its statutory duties and responsibilities. It can be found by following this link:
Worcestershire Safeguarding Adults Board Privacy Notice | Worcestershire County Council
Competency Frameworks and Assurance Checklists
- Competency framework to support organisations to map training content to staff needs for Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding
- Multi Agency Adult Safeguarding Competency Framework
- Multi-Agency Mental Capacity Act & Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Competency Framework
- Quality assurance checklist for Safeguarding Adult Policies:
Self-assessment for organisations
Multi-agency Policy and Procedures for the West Midlands
Worcestershire Safeguarding Adults Board has adopted the ‘Adult Safeguarding: Multi-agency policy and procedures for the protection of adults with care & support needs in the West Midlands’. All staff, in whatever setting, have a key role in preventing harm or abuse occurring and in taking action where concerns arise. The policy and procedures set simply and clearly how agencies and individuals should work together to protect adults at risk. Agencies are also required to have local guidance in place explaining to staff how the procedures will be implemented within their employing organisation.
West Midlands Adult Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
West Midlands Adult Position of Trust Framework
In January 2022 the Chief Social Worker published the following national guidance which sets out the principles for safeguarding adults.
National Best Practice
Care ACT (2014) statutory guidance – Safeguarding (Chapter 14)
Revisiting Safeguarding Practice
LGA Quick Guide to what constitutes as safeguarding concern ( Concerns Framework)
LGA Making decisions on the duty to carry out Safeguarding Adults enquiries (Enquiry Framework)
Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) Toolkit
Whistleblowing
- Details of the Department of Health Whistleblowing Helpline