Resources and guidance
Below you will find a wide range of resources and guidance for professionals from national and local services.
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Safeguarding
Open or CloseSafeguarding Signs to look for during the Covid-19 Pandemic
A HM Government leaflet detailing what kind of signs to look out for to protect both children and adults at risk of harm and abuse can be viewed here.
Elder Abuse Awareness
Elder abuse is a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person. Elder abuse can take various forms such as financial, physical, psychological and sexual. Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board is pleased to share the video and leaflet below to raise awareness of Elder Abuse.
Elder Abuse Awareness Day Leaflet v3.pdf
Pressure Ulcers and the interface with a Safeguarding Enquiry Safeguarding Adults ProtocolThis protocol from the Department of Health and Social Care helps practitioners and managers across health and care organisations to provide caring and quick responses to people at risk of developing pressure ulcers. It also offers a process for the clinical management of harm removal and reduction where ulcers occur, considering if an adult safeguarding response is necessary.
Making Decisions on the Duty to Carry Out Safeguarding Adults Enquiries
The Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have produced a framework to offer support in making decisions about whether or not a reported safeguarding adults concern requires an enquiry under the Section 42 duty of the Care Act (2014).
Suicide Bereavement
Suicide Bereavement UK
Suicide Bereavement UK provide resources for anyone bereaved or affected by suicide, for professionals supporting them and for anyone with a personal or professional interest in suicide bereavement support here.
The National Suicide Bereavement Report 2020: From Grief to Hope
One of the government priorities ‘to provide better information and support to those bereaved or affected by suicide’. However, knowledge and understanding of effective postvention support is limited in the UK. The University of Manchester, in collaboration with Support After Suicide Partnership have completed a study aimed at addressing this knowledge gap, to help inform and guide policy and practice in this newly developing field. Read the full report here and view BBC News item on the report here.National Competency Framework for Safeguarding Adults
This framework sets out minimum standards a professional should seek to demonstrate in practice when safeguarding adults.
National Competency Framework for Safeguarding Adults – comprehensive version
National Competency Framework for Safeguarding Adults – concise versionProfessional Curiosity and Disguised Compliance
Research in Practice have produced a Stratefic Briefing in relation to Professional Curiousity: Professional Curiosity in Safeguarding Adults - Research in Practice Strategic Briefing.pdf
Find further information about Disguised Compliance here: Disguised Compliance Information.pdf
Hidden Harms
HM Government released a report following the Prime Minister's Virtual Summit on Hidden Harms in June 2020. The report can be found here.
Child Exploitation
Child exploitation disruption toolkit
HM Government have produced a toolkit primarily aimed at frontline staff working to safeguard children and young people under the age of 18 from sexual and criminal exploitation. It is intended to help all safeguarding partners to understand and access existing legislative opportunities at their disposal and to target specific risks, ranging from warning notices to offence charges and care orders. -
Legislation
Open or CloseCare Act
Care Act 2014 Statutory Guidance
The legal framework for the Care Act 2014 is supported by this statutory guidance. It provides information and guidance about how the Care Act works in practice. The guidance has statutory status which means there is a legal duty to have regard to it when working with adults (with care and support needs) and carers.Mental Capacity Act
Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of Practice
The legal framework provided by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 is supported by this Code of Practice, which provides guidance and information about how the Act works in practice. The Code has statutory force, which means that certain categories of people have a legal duty to have a regard to it when working with or caring for adults who may lack capacity to make decision for themselves.National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice Guidance
The National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice have produced the following guidance related to the Mental Capacity Act:
Guidance on the use of the Mental Capacity Act for decisions regarding clinical treatment and care: An introduction
Mental Capacity Act requirements for clinical decisions regarding treatment and care
Mental Capacity Act requirements when an individual lacks the mental capacity to consent to treatment and care
National Mental Capacity Act Competency FrameworkAdvocacy
Independent Mental Capacity Advocates (IMCAs) are a safeguard for people who lack capacity to make some important decisions. The IMCA role is to support and represent the person in the decision-making process. Essentially they make sure that the Mental Capacity Act 2005 is being followed.Information about the IMCA service provided by NCompass: IMCA Hub Professionals Leaflet.pdf
Liberty Protection Safeguards (Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act)
Liberty Protection Safeguards Guidance
The Department of Health and Social Care have produced guidance in relation to the key changes introduced by the Liberty Protection Safeguards planned to come into force in April 2022.Human Rights Act
OSAB Adult Safeguarding & Human Rights One-Page Guide
The Human Rights Act 1998 sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that everyone in the UK is entitled to. It incorporates the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) into domestic British law. This One-Page Summary highlights the four articles that you need to be aware of in relation to safeguarding adults at risk: OSAB Adult Safeguarding & Human Rights One-Page Guide.pdfModern Slavery Act
Modern Slavery Act 2015 Statutory Guidance
The legal framework provided by the Modern Slavery Act 2015 is supported by this statutory guidance. The guidance describes the signs that someone may be a victim of modern slavery, the support available to victims, and the process for determining whether someone is a victim and how to support them. -
Physical Abuse
Open or CloseMore resources coming soon
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Domestic Abuse
Open or CloseDomestic Abuse Guidance
LGA and ADASS Guide
The Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have produced a guide to support practitioners and managers.Community Care Inform guide for social workers on working with domestic abuse, substance use and mental ill health
This resource may also be beneficial for healthcare practitioners. The guide explores the prevalence of co-existing domestic abuse, substance use and mental ill health, and the impact of multiple parental difficulties; provides a list of indicators that a child is living with these three issues; and gives examples of conversations, case studies and practice tips. The guide can be downloaded here.Community Care Inform guide for social workers to identify coercive and controlling behaviour
The guide briefly explores what coercive and controlling behaviour looks like, and when it occurs, with specific sections on threats and humiliation, financial abuse, surveillance and deprivation. It also discusses the specifics of abuse in LGBTQ+ relationships and the effects of coercive control on children. It contains a number of practice tips that may help you and your practice. The guide can be downloaded here.Forced Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Guidance
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has published guidance for professionals concerning how to protect, advise and support victims of forced marriage. The guidance includes a leaflet: What Is Forced Marriage.pdfPractical Guide to obtaining a Female Genital Mutilation or Forced Marriage Protection Order
HM Courts and Tribunals Service and West Midlands Police have produced a Practical Guide to obtaining a Female Genital Mutilation or Forced Marriage Protection Order.Multi-agency practice guidelines: Handling cases of Forced Marriage
HM Government have produced multi-agency practice guidelines: for handling cases of Forced Marriage.People with Learning Disabilities experiencing Domestic Abuse
Carmarthenshire County Council, with funding from Lloyds Bank Foundation, have produced a toolkit to support people with learning disabilities experiencing domestic abuse which features accessible information to help people with a learning disability identify and escape domestic abuse. The toolkit uses a traffic light system to denote different types of information. Red denotes vital information, amber important information, and green more personal “holistic” information. This system should make it possible for some people with learning disabilities to understand the information intuitively.
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Sexual Abuse
Open or CloseMore resources coming soon
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Psychological Abuse
Open or CloseMore resources coming soon
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Financial and Material Abuse
Open or CloseNational Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice Guidance
The National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice have produced the following guidance related to Finaancial and Material Abuse:
Safeguarding practice for those at risk of financial abuse from scamming
Cyber Fraud and Scamming
Scams: the power of persuasive language
Financial Scamming Defining Terms
Financial Scamming and Fraud
Scam Prevention and Support toolkitLoan Sharks
Stop Loan Sharks England Illegal Money Lending Team investigate and prosecute illegal lenders. They are actively trying to contact those who are at risk to let them know there is help available and to prevent people who have financial difficulties from borrowing cash from a loan shark. They want to work with partner agencies who support those in financial difficulties and gather intelligence that will put loan sharks away. They are always looking for partners to with to support those borrowing cash from loan sharks.
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Modern Slavery
Open or CloseThe Passage Modern Slavery Handbook
The Passage is an organisation with the central goal of ending street homelessness. This handbook, updated in December 2020, explains what slavery looks like in the homeless community, what to watch out for and what you can do about it. The Passage believe that everyone should read the handbook, however, it was specifically created for staff who work in the homelessness sector, particularly frontline workers, managers and volunteers. People who are engaged in support services for homeless people can be vital eyes and ears in detecting this crime.
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Neglect and Acts of Omission
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Discriminatory Abuse
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Organisational Abuse
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Self-Neglect
Open or CloseSelf-Neglect and Hoarding
Practitioner Toolkit and Multi-Agency Strategy for Self-Neglect
All partner agencies of the Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board have signed up to work together to put a recently developed Multi-Agency Strategy for self-neglect and hoarding into operation. The strategy, therefore, applies to all professionals and agencies working with adults at risk in the borough. View the strategy here.
Board members have also endorsed guidance for practitoners who are supporting people who may be neglecting themselves. The guidance is based on the experience of practitioners from a wide range of related disciplines in Merseyside as well as lessons learnt by teams across Oldham. The OSAB Self-Neglect Toolkit -The Short Guide to Working with People in Circumstances of Complex Self-Neglect is available here.Helping someone you know who hoards
Hoarding Disorders UK help and support people who are affected not only by hoarding and clutter but also chronic disorganisation. They have produced some useful information for people who hoard including the top ten tips for helping someone you know who hoards. Take a look here.Self Harm
OSAB Self Harm Awareness and Frequently Asked Questions
There is a stigma around self harm that can stop people who are worried about self harm from looking for help. Part of this stigma comes from the misconceptions that surround it, such as the idea that it is attention-seeking. It is not easy to just stop self-harming. Raising awareness about self harm is incredibly important to make it easier for people to get help and get through it. Awareness leads to understanding and empathy, banishing judgment and fear, and reducing the number of people who feel alone and suffer in silence. Raising awareness is about educating people who do not self harm and reaching out to people who do.
Take a look at some Frequently Asked Questions about Self Harm: OSAB Frequently Asked Questions - Self Harm.pdf
Contact
Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
T: 0161 770 7777
All content © 2021 Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board