Page 9 - Teeswide Inter Agency Safeguarding Adults Policy V4

Statutory partners:
The Tees Local Authorities are responsible for:
 making enquiries, or causing others to do so, if it believes an adult is experiencing, or is at risk of,
abuse or neglect and is unable to protect themselves
 arranging, where appropriate, for an independent advocate to represent and support an adult who
is the subject of a safeguarding enquiry or Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) where the adult has
‘substantial difficulty’ in being involved in the process and where there is no other suitable person
to represent and support them
 co-operating with each of its relevant partners in order to protect the adult
 invoking the Responding to and Addressing Serious Concerns and Procedure
 Coordinating local risk management processes

Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and South Tees CCG are the
major commissioners of local health services and are legally responsible for assuring themselves that
the organisations from which they commission services have effective safeguarding arrangements in
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place . CCGs have to demonstrate that there are appropriate systems in place for discharging their
responsibilities in respect of safeguarding adults, including:
 plans to train their staff in recognising and reporting safeguarding issues.
 a clear line of accountability for safeguarding, properly reflected in the CCG governance
arrangements.
 appropriate arrangements to co-operate with local authorities in the operation of the Safeguarding
Adults Board.
 ensuring effective arrangements for information sharing.

Cleveland Police are responsible for:
 investigating possible crimes
 conducting joint investigations with partners
 gathering best evidence to maximise the prospects for prosecuting offenders
 achieving, with partners, the best protection and support for the person suffering abuse or neglect
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– including victim support.

All partners
All partners of the Board including those listed on page three will:
 Assure themselves that commissioned services comply with the duty to correct
where responsibility lies when abuse or neglect is carried out by employees, or in a regulated care
setting, such as a care home, hospital or college; and protect such adults from harm as soon as
possible.
 comply with the inter-agency arrangements
 cooperate with the local authority, in the exercise of their functions relevant to care and support
including those to protect adults. 7
 comply with the TSAB Information Sharing Agreement
 implement Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) within their organisation
 have a designated safeguarding lead
 ensure they have robust processes in place to address issues relating to professional malpractice
 comply with the Professional Challenge procedure.

Adult who has been or is at risk of abuse or neglect
The adult must be involved from the beginning of safeguarding procedures unless there are exceptional
circumstances, and where possible their consent should be sought prior to concerns being shared on an
inter-agency basis. The adult’s (or their representative’s) views and wishes including their desired
outcomes must be considered as part of the ongoing procedures (Enquiry).

Family involvement
Where the adult has mental capacity to make decisions about Safeguarding Concerns, involvement of
family, friends or informal carers should be agreed with the adult. In any case where the adult does not
have mental capacity, family, friends or informal carers must be consulted in accordance with the Mental
Capacity Act 2005 and MCA/DoLS policy and procedure.

Ensuring our safeguarding arrangements act to help and protect adults
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