The plan should be person-centred and strengths-based.
It should:
The plan should:
By the end of the first strategy meeting there should be a plan which ensures that the adult at risk is safe from abuse and neglect.
Practitioners should have a clear understanding of:
(See Section 5 responding to professional concerns).
Pointers for Practice: Protecting Adults at Risk from Abuse and Neglect
The care and support protection plan may cover a range of activities and interventions designed to:
These should include actions such as:
for example, security measures, telecare, flags on systems, electronic information
for example, providing guidance on managing the adult at risk’s financial affairs
for example, counselling and therapeutic support, activities to increase self-esteem and confidence
for example, domestic violence or sexual abuse support services
for example, home care, carer assessments
for example, restorative justice, criminal injuries compensation1
Example: Neighbours of a young adult male, who are part of Neighbourhood Watch, have become increasingly concerned that he is at risk as he is allowing young people to use his home during the evenings and at night. The neighbours have heard the young people taunt and bully the adult. They come and go as they please as the front door is always open and suspect they have been taking belongings from the house, for example, they saw one walk out with a TV and when a neighbour questioned him about it, he was told he’d been given it.
The neighbour is concerned this will continue unless something is done.
Section 126 enquires are undertaken which determines this is an adult at risk and action is required to protect him (Determination 3). A strategy meeting is held and the strategy group develop a care and support protection plan.
The adult at risk, James, who has communication difficulties, indicates through an advocate that they like the company of the young people who are their ‘friends’ as he is very lonely. However, James does not like being called names and is afraid of the teenagers as they are threatening and push him around if he does not give them what they want.
A mental capacity assessment indicates that James lacks capacity to determine the effect of this on his personal safety.
James indicates that he is lonely and wants to make other friends ‘who are nice to him’. He also wants his TV back. The subsequent Care and support protection plan may include the following:
The front door to be secured and other security measures to be in place, so James knows who is calling.
Police are notified and investigating who the young people are and attempting to recover the TV.
James to be offered a befriender to build up his confidence and assist him engage in community activities.
A revised care assessment for additional evening care.
The Neighbourhood Watch group, with James’ permission, will report any further concerns about young people visiting James.
If further strategy meetings are required, they should take place at least once every six weeks. Further meetings should ensure the care and support protection plan is being delivered and is achieving the agreed outcomes, or where it is not, agreement as to what changes need to be made.
N.B. When ongoing actions are required to protect the adult at risk from abuse and neglect, it may be appropriate to hold an adult protection conference. The aim is to ensure that the adult at risk is involved in the process and there is no drift in appropriate planning and review.
The following questions should be considered at each meeting:
All strategy meeting members should leave the meeting with a clear and shared understanding as to what they are expected to have achieved either by the next meeting or by the adult protection conference.
Any actions should be specifically linked to achieving the desired outcomes. This ensures practitioners understand both the rationale informing the actions expected of them and the measures of progress.
Pointers for Practice: Monitoring and Reviewing the Plan
Pointers for Practice: An Agenda for Review Meetings
All practitioners have a duty to inform the lead co-ordinator of significant events relevant to the adult at risk. This should not preclude making a new report in the event of further risk or concerns being identified.
If any practitioner has concerns that an adult at risk is not being adequately protected, this must be brought to the immediate attention of their manager and their designated safeguarding person.
An agency may consider it necessary to escalate their concerns where they believe an adult is at risk and the plan is not working, initially to the lead co-ordinator. If this does not lead to a satisfactory outcome, then the Regional Safeguarding Board professional differences procedures must be followed.
1See good practice guide : examples of positive actions for adult safeguarding plans