1. Guidance for Safeguarding Concerns
Key Messages
April 2017

2. Background
Guidance for Safeguarding Concerns and supporting appendices have been developed in order to acknowledge and respond to:
Increased volume of alerts;
Increased complexity of alerts;
Care Act 2014 and widened scope Oct 2016;
The need to ensure that safeguarding is everybody’s business: members of the public are encouraged to be vigilant and continue report all safeguarding concerns.
This guidance is for Providers and Practitioners as key partners in safeguarding adults with care and support needs.
Its aims are to support delivery of professional safeguarding duties and responsibilities.

3. Purpose
The Guidance, and supporting appendices, are support tools for practitioners and providers alike.
They are underpinned by the Care Act principles, Making Safeguarding Personal, and Mental Capacity Act 2005;
They provide:
Assistance in managing risk for safeguarding concerns;
Consistency of approach;
A framework which allows multi-agency partners to manage risk;
Assistance in differentiating between quality issues and safeguarding risk;
Assistance for practitioners/providers in identifying and making decisions around the levels of support and response required to suspected or recognised abuse.
It is important that the guidance and appendices are read in full to best support decision making

4. Appendices
A number of appendices have been developed to further support the effective use of the Guidance document:
Appendix 1: Safeguarding Concerns Checklist for recording and evidencing information. This can also be used to make a safeguarding alert to the Customer Service Centre.
Appendix 2: Information and Guidance on when to consider making a safeguarding alert following a fall
Appendix 3: Information and Guidance on when to consider making a safeguarding alert for medication Errors
In development, expected June 2017.
Appendix 4: Information and Guidance on when to consider making a safeguarding alert following an incident between service users

5. Appendix 1 Safeguarding Concerns Checklist
An aide to ensure your services are taking appropriate action in relation to:
Incidents;
Pressure Ulcers;
Falls;
Medication Errors.
Ensures the correct level of information is available to assist decision making;
Provides an evidence log for action taken following a potential safeguarding concern;
Should be completed for all safeguarding concerns;
Can be used to raise a formal safeguarding alert with the local authority. It should be ed to the Customer Service Centre:

6. Appendix 2 – Falls Guidance
All falls must be recorded using the appropriate procedures, but not all falls will be safeguarding issues
Falls Guidance addresses the following:
What is a fall;
Responsibilities of care providers;
Post Fall Protocol;
Best practice for the management of falls;
When to raise a safeguarding alert for a fall;
Unwitnessed falls/unexplained injuries not requiring a safeguarding alert, and those that do;
Example situations;
Falls services available in Lancashire;
Useful Links:
NICE Guidance:
When a Resident Has a Fall what Should We Do – Hampshire County Council: Hampshire%20falls%20protocol.pdf
How To check for Injuries – St John's Ambulance First Aid Advice:
Managing Falls in Care Homes (NHS Scotland): fractures

7. Appendix 3 Medication Error Guidance
All medication errors must be recorded and reported using the appropriate procedures but not all errors will be safeguarding issues
Medication Error Guidance addressing the following:
What is a medication error;
Responsibilities of care providers;
Statutory requirements of care providers around reporting medication errors;
Best Practice for the handling of medication errors;
Example situations;
Systemic failings;
Covert medication.

8. Responding to Concerns
IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER IN THE FIRST INSTANCE WHETHER SOMEONE IS IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, OR HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A CRIME:
MEDICAL TREATMENT SHOULD ALWAYS BE SOUGHT WHERE NECESSARY VIA NHS 111, OR 999 IN AN EMERGENCY
CRIMINAL ACTS MUST BE REPORTED TO THE POLICE ON 101, OR 999 IN AN EMERGENCY
YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK ADVICE FROM YOUR LINE MANAGER OR SAFEGUARDING LEAD IF YOU HAVE A CONCERN AND, IF IN DOUBT WHETHER TO RAISE A SAFEGUARDING ALERT, CONTACT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTRE ON

9. Decision making and levels of risk
All incidents must be recorded and reported using appropriate procedures but not all incidents will be safeguarding issues.
Green
record the incident; and
take action to resolve.
Yellow
record the incident;
consult own agency safeguarding lead/policies and procedures; and
take actions to reduce the risk and reoccurrence.
Red
in addition to the above, raise a safeguarding alert.
Examples of possible actions to consider at each stage are available within the guidance document. NB Examples are not exhaustive.

10. Next Steps Roll out and implementation of guidance documents;
Practitioners required to support roll out by sharing documents with:
LCC Customer Service Centre; MASH; Adults Social Care;
Key safeguarding partners to share via via team meetings etc. (Health, Housing, Police, CQC);
Residential and domiciliary providers via LCA Registered Managers Network and Provider Forums etc.
Managers should encourage discussion and understanding within team meetings and wider networks;
Guidance should be considered and addressed via: Induction processes; Training and CPD;
Practitioners to encourage Providers to refer to the guidance when considering safeguarding concerns.

11. Review – March 2018
A review of documentation is scheduled for March 2018;
Comments and feedback are welcomed based on practical experience of using the guidance and appendices;
All feedback will be collated and considered as part of review in March 2018;
Feedback should be sent to the Lancashire Safeguarding Adults Board: