Safeguarding Adults Awareness for Children’s Practitioners Martin Sexton Senior Practitioner, Safeguarding Adults Team, London Borough of Hackney 29 November 2013

Outline (1) 1.How Safeguarding Adults is like Safeguarding Children … 2.and how it’s different 3.The policy framework – national, regional, local 4.Definitions of “adult at risk” and “abuse”? 5.What’s the process?

Outline (2) 6.Safeguarding children & adults at the same time 7.Good practice in Safeguarding Adults 8.When Safeguarding Adults can’t help 9.Useful resources 10.Any questions?

How Safeguarding Adults is like Safeguarding Children … Focus on protection Assessing risks and strengths Significant harm Positive approach to information sharing Structured approach shared across agencies

… and how it’s different Child protection is the priority Decision-making capacity No equivalent of “parental responsibility” for adults Universal vs targeted services “Welfare” vs “best interests”

The policy framework National – No Secrets guidance (2000) – Care & Support Bill – Other legislation – Mental Capacity Act, Human Rights Act, Data Protection Act, community care law, etc. Regional – Pan-London Policy Local – City & Hackney Protocol for Safeguarding Adults

Who is “an adult at risk of abuse”? Definition from No Secrets (2000): “ … adults who need community care services because of mental or other disability, age or illness and who are, or may be unable, to take care of themselves against significant harm or exploitation.”

What is abuse? Definition from No Secrets (2000): “Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons.”

Types of abuse Physical Sexual Financial Emotional/psychological Neglect Institutional Discriminatory

What’s the process? (1) Stage 1: Alert - immediately Stage 2: Referral – within 24 hours Stage 3: Strategy discussion/meeting (within 5 days) Stage 4: Investigation – within 20 days of referral Stage 5: Case Conference – within 5 days of report Stage 6: Review – within 3 months Stage 7: Closure – as agreed with all parties

What’s the process? (2) City & Hackney Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board The Safeguarding Adults team in Hackney: – Manager – Neville Green – 2 Senior practitioners – Martin Sexton, TBC – Unit co-ordinator – Yatheesh Sivanandan – Unit administrator – Reuben Tarquinio-Singh City of London Safeguarding Adults – Adult Social Services team

Safeguarding children & adults at the same time Child protection is the priority … … but make a Safeguarding Adults referral as well Who’s at risk from whom?

Good practice in Safeguarding Adults 1.What does the person want? 2.Taking immediate protective action 3.Think about information sharing 4.Don’t deal with it on your own 5.If in doubt – refer!

When Safeguarding Adults can’t help Self-neglect Domestic violence Anti-social behaviour Housing problems

Useful resources (1) London Borough of Hackney Safeguarding Adults: adults.htm#who Tel: Fax:

Useful resources (2) City of London Adults Social Care Team: Tel: Fax:

Useful resources (3) General referrals: Hackney / City / Domestic violence: Hackney / ; City /

Useful resources (4) Anti-social behaviour: Hackney / ; City and-community-safety/antisocial- behaviour/Pages/default.aspx and-community-safety/antisocial- behaviour/Pages/default.aspx Housing advice: Hackney ; City and-council-tax/housing-advice-and- homelessness/Pages/default.aspx and-council-tax/housing-advice-and- homelessness/Pages/default.aspx