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Policies, procedures and key documents

There are a number of key documents which relate to all work of the Telford and Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership. 

 

Best Practice Guidance

Adults

All of the multi-agency policies and procedures for practitioners working with adults within Telford and Wrekin are compliant with The Care Act 2014. Some of the policies are for use across the West Midlands, and there are some local policies and procedures too. 

West Midlands Policies and Procedures

Within the West Midlands, there are fourteen local authorites and Safeguarding Adults Boards/Partnerships work together to introduce a consistent approach and practice within the adult safeguarding environment.  

Visit the West Midlands policies and procedures which the Telford and Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership have adopted for use. 

Local policies and procedures

Safeguarding Adults Reviews

A Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) is a statutory duty of the Telford and Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership (TWSP) under Section 44 of the Care Act 2014, and must be undertaken when:

• An adult or adults with care and support needs die as a result of abuse or neglect and there is a concern that partnership agencies could have worked more effectively to protect the adult(s); OR

• An adult or adults with care and support needs has not died, but the TWSP knows or suspects that the adult has experienced serious abuse or neglect with a concern that partnership agencies could have worked more effectively to protect the adult. SARs are not enquiries into how an adult died and who is responsible. That is a matter for the Coroner or criminal courts.

 

The purpose of a SAR is to:

• Learn from cases where agencies could have worked together more effectively;

• Consider whether serious harm could or could not have been predicted or prevented, and develop learning that enables the partnership to improve its services, and prevent abuse and neglect in the future; • Identify any issues in multi or single agency policies and procedures;

• Agree on how the learning will be acted on, and what is expected to change; and

• Publish a summary report, which is available to the public. SARs help to improve services, multi-agency working, share best practice and lessons learnt, and to better safeguard adults from risk of abuse and neglect.

 

What happens when I refer a case for a SAR?

• Information will be requested from agencies known to be or have been involved in the case, as part of the initial scoping exercise; • The SAR Review Panel will meet to discuss the referral, and consider whether the case meets the SAR criteria;

• The SAR Review Panel will make a recommendation to the TWSP Independent Chair;

• Where the criteria is met, the individual or organisation that requested the SAR will be notified and engage in the proceedings of the review. Families will also be invited to contribute to the review; and • If the criteria is not met, the individual or organisation will be notified, and the SAR Review Panel will ensure that any learning from the scoping exercise is retained by TWSP for future improvement. Equally where the criteria is not met the SAR Review Panel may still recommend to the TWSP Independent Chair that a learning exercise or discretionary SAR be undertaken, dependant on the case circumstances.

Key documents:

Data and Statistics:

Safeguarding Adults Reviews – themes and implications from a national analysis: in discussion with Professor Michael Preston-Shoot

 

In this ‘in conversation’ Alex Ruck-Keene talks to Professor Michael Preston-Shoot about the second national analysis of safeguarding adults reviews he recently led with Professor Suzy Braye.  They talk about the background and context, and Michael draws out some of the key themes, before they conclude with asking whether SARs actually achieve anything.

Watch the recording with Professor Michael Preston-Shoot.

The three reports coming from the analysis can be found here:

Stage 1: Case characteristics; nature of the abuse and neglect; SAR reviewing process

Stage 2: Analysis of learning

Stage 3: Conclusions and improvement priorities

 

The Safe Care at Home Review Michael talks about can be found using this link.

Advocacy support

Are you, or do you know someone who, because of disability, illness, social exclusion and other challenges, find it difficult to express their views or get the support they need?

Did you know there are people that can help?

Visit the POhWER website to find out more and make contact!

Children

All of the mult-agency policies and procedures for practitioners working with children within Telford and Wrekin are compliant with Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023. Some of the policies are for use across the West Midlands, and there are some local policies and procedures too. 

West Midlands Policies and Procedures

Within the West Midlands, there are nine local areas that collaborate together regarding children safeguarding procedures, which form the policies and procedures library. 

There are three different sections within the procedures:

  1. Statutory Child Protection/Adult Safeguarding Procedures;
  2. Regional Safeguarding Guidance; and
  3. Local Area specific Safeguarding Information and Procedures.

Download all of the West Midlands policies and procedures for those working with children.

Please use the link on the contents page to access the section you are looking for, or, alternatively, select a region from within the drop-down menu on the left-hand side to go straight to policies and procedures specifically for Telford and Wrekin.

 

Local policies and procedures

Joint thematic areas

A lot of the work carried out by the Telford and Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership (TWSP) crosses over between adults, children and community safety. All of our joint policies and procedures can be found below. 

Guidance and briefing notes

Download the guidance and briefing notes.

 

NICE Guidelines

These guidelines and subsequent recommendations address how best to keep adults in care homes safe from abuse and neglect.

The Guidelines include information on potential indicators of abuse and neglect by individuals or organisations and the safeguarding process from when a concern is first identified through to section 42 safeguarding enquiries. These guidelines make action-orientated recommendations to improve safeguarding for residents of care homes. There are recommendations on policy, training, and care home culture, to improve care home staff awareness of safeguarding and ensure people can report concerns when needed. They cover all adult residents of care homes, including people who stay at care homes for shorter periods (for example day visitors).

The TWSP recommend that these Guidelines should be used and referred to by the following groups: 

  • care home providers, managers, staff and volunteers
  • other health and social care practitioners working with adults in care homes
  • health and social care commissioners of residential care for adults
  • local authorities and Safeguarding Adults Boards
  • adults living in care homes, their families, friends, carers and advocates, and the public.

For a copy of the full Guidelines along with other useful information please visit the NICE website.