The Care Act

Adult Safeguarding is concerned with protecting adults who have care and support needs from abuse or neglect. It is an important part of what many public services do and is a key responsibility of local authorities.

The Care Act sets out a clear legal framework for how we, in partnership with other public services, should protect adults at risk - placing Adult Safeguarding on the same statutory footing as Children's.

Where to find help

If you see, hear or suspect that an adult is at risk of abuse or neglect, or you are an adult at risk, please contact us. Information can be given in confidence.

• Email: accesswest@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
• Telephone: 0300 123 7034 (Cheshire West Community Access Team) or 01244 977277 (Emergency Duty Team - out of office hours) or contact the police on 101 (non emergency) or 999 (emergency)

From April 2015 each local authority must:

• Make enquiries or ensure that others do so, if it believes an adult is subject to or at risk of, abuse or neglect - establish whether any action needs to be taken and if so, by whom
• Set up a Local Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) with core membership from the local authority, the Police and the NHS; with the power to include others as it sees fit
• Arrange where appropriate, for an independent advocate to represent and support an adult who is the subject of a safeguarding enquiry of Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) where the adult has ‘substantial difficulty’ in being involved in the process and where there is no other appropriate adult to help them
• Co-operate with each of its relevant partners in order to protect adults experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect - organisations and individuals will be obliged, by law, to share any information requested by the LSAB in order that problems can be tackled quickly and lessons are learned to prevent them from happening again

The new statutory guidance also enshrines the six principles of safeguarding.

• Empowerment: Person-led decisions and informed consent
• Prevention: Taking action before harm occurs
• Proportionality: Ensuring that responses are proportionate, appropriate and as unobtrusive as they can be given the risk presented
• Protection: Support and representation for those in greatest need
• Partnerships: Local solutions through services working with their communities
• Accountability: Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding

The Care Act signals a major change in safeguarding practice. Moving away from a process-led, tick box culture, it will enable a person-centred social work and ensure that people achieve the outcomes they want.