Lyn Romeo: Steady skilled growth in safeguarding apply is important if we’re to serve people, households, and communities effectively. The not too long ago revealed Revisiting safeguarding practice will assist native authority social staff to refresh their information and understanding of their roles and duties in responding to enquiries and issues. It additionally gives a helpful listing and hyperlinks to the related laws and good apply steerage accessible.
Sustaining very best quality apply and consistency of software, to assist individuals to steer safer, happier and extra fulfilled lives, is our relentless ambition. Many because of my colleagues, Fran Leddra and Mark Harvey for this weblog and all of the work they’ve accomplished on this invaluable publication.
Revisiting our apply is important
Fran Leddra, Mark Harvey: As former interim Chief Social Employees for Adults, we’re delighted to lastly see the publication of our grownup safeguarding information, which we pledged to provide as a part of our annual report final 12 months.
Sadly, we had been considerably pushed off target by the coronavirus pandemic which delayed a few of our work as we’re positive, it delayed many different tasks.
Lyn Romeo is again in publish, after all, and we’re happy to proceed the work on our shared priorities and assist Lyn and her workplace to convey them to fruition.
We each have a background in grownup safeguarding. After we had been appointed to the CSW position, we had been eager to provide a sensible information, not solely providing hyperlinks to different publications, but in addition revisiting the rules of the Care Act and supporting consistency of software throughout native authorities.
We additionally needed a social work particular focus, as it’s social staff who lead in safeguarding apply. They convey a personalised, rights primarily based and enabling strategy, ensuring abuse and safeguarding issues are recognised and responded to.
Now, greater than ever, we have to revisit this apply. Most of us can have seen a rise in referrals exacerbated by the pandemic. We’re speaking in regards to the hidden harms behind closed doorways and the stifled voices of these individuals who want our care and assist throughout these tough instances.
Studying from the reality of others
We heard many tales from individuals with lived expertise about the way it feels when safeguarding responses go improper, and the way apply has change into extra about gate-keeping and course of than individuals.
Most of all, we noticed extensive variations of apply throughout the nation, each by the info and, anecdotally, by individuals’s tales. If we’re to actually get grownup safeguarding proper, it’s critical native authorities and social staff apply safeguarding apply, as set out within the Care Act and its related statutory steerage.
What warrants an enquiry below part 42? Who do safeguarding duties apply to? How is self-neglect responded to inside safeguarding course of? These and lots of extra areas of apply should be utilized persistently throughout the nation and this information will assist obtain that.
Principal social staff have a transparent management position in ensuring safeguarding is the easiest it may be, that Administrators of Grownup Social Providers (DASS) are suggested appropriately on safeguarding processes, and that social staff and the native well being and social care methods are legally literate of their software.
We’re happy this guide is now published and accessible to assist a domestically delivered strategy, setting out nationwide expectations from the grownup social work occupation and the individuals and providers who stand to profit.
