Roles & Responsibilities

To achieve the aims of Adult Safeguarding as described in section 16, it is important that all staff involved with adults with care and support needs understand their role and responsibilities in regard to Adult Safeguarding policy and In whatever their setting and role, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. They have a Duty to report in a timely way any concerns or suspicions that an adult is being or is at risk of being abused. When abuse does take place, work with the adult is required to establish what being safe means to them and how that can best be achieved.

S42 of the Care Act states the: Local Authority must make enquiries, or cause others to do so, if it believes an adult with care and support needs is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect and is unable to protect themselves by virtue of those care and support needs. An enquiry should establish whether any action needs to be taken to prevent or stop abuse, and if so, by whom.

This means the Local Authority has a lead role in coordinating the multi-agency response.

Under the Care Act, other agencies have a duty to cooperate with the Local Authority. This includes a responsibility to raise concerns, a duty to share information in accordance with law and protocols and to cooperate with enquiries.