ADSS recommends establishment of safeguarding adult partnerships

Each local authority should establish a multi-agency partnership to lead work on safeguarding adults, a framework for practice in adult protection launched by the Association of Directors of Social Services recommends.

And safeguarding adult partnerships should include service users as “key partners” in all parts of their work, the standards state.

The document, launched at the National Social Services Conference, builds on work done in adult protection since the No Secrets report, published in 2000 by the Department of Health and the Home Office.

Since that report, at least two-thirds of England’s local authorities have appointed a lead officer for adult protection.

The ADSS framework sets out 11 standards and highlights examples of good practice in situations such as abuse by relatives, home carers and in residential settings.