Local Guidance
Please read the Decision Making Guidance to support your decision making about whether an adult safeguarding concern should be raised with Walsall Council (Adult Social Care), it does not replace an agency’s own Safeguarding Police or Procedure.
Download our adult safeguarding concern form
West Midlands MARAC Operating Protocol 2019
Operating protocol for Walsall Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) for high risk victims of domestic abuse.
Referral Form for MARAC West Midlands MARAC Referral Form
To access further information on Walsall Pathways and Guidance please refer to the regional pages:
- Access the Exploitation Transition Protocol
To create a transparent/standardised process that sets out how professional disagreements should be dealt with between partner agencies, disagreements should be resolved quickly, at the earliest possible level, through person-centred discussion between agencies. This FaST Policy outlines the process to be followed when professionals are unable to agree about what is in the best interests of the adult or child.
Further information can be found on the Professional pages for FaST
The Herbert Protocol is a form that is aimed to try and protect people who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s. It can be filled in by carers, family or friends of a person who could do missing at any time.
The Guidance to support agencies and providers to know when to raise a safeguarding concern where medication errors have occurred.
What is a PiPoT?
Anyone can be in a ‘position of trust’: The Care Act (2014) defines People in Positions of Trust (PiPoT) as: “people who work in paid or unpaid capacity, including celebrities and people undertaking charitable duties with adults with care and support needs” see the Care and Support Statutory Guidance paragraphs 14.120 to 14.132.
Who is in a Position of Trust?
People are likely to have contact with adults with care and support needs as part of their employment or voluntary work, or as informal carers in their personal lives:
- Where the role carries an expectation of trust
- Where the person in trust can exercise authority, power or control over an adult
A person in a position of trust can be either a paid or unpaid, including family carers when working with, or supporting adults with care and support needs
Policies and Procedures
The Care Act 2014 requires Walsall Council, relevant partners and those providing care and support services to have clear policies in place for dealing with concerns or allegations against anyone working in a position of trust, or acting in a position of trust in their personal lives.
The West Midlands People in a Position of Trust and West Midlands Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures sets out the framework for which all organisations in Walsall should operate within.
Concerns or Allegations against a Person in a Position of Trust
Allegations against people in a position of trust may come in many forms.
- Behaved in a way that has abused, or may have abused an adult or child.
- Committed or is suspected of Committing a criminal offence.
- Behaved towards an adult, or child, in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to adults with care and support needs.
The above is not an exhaustive list.
Concerns or allegations about a person in a position of trust should be discussed with a suitable senior manager with authority and independence to act.
Help When raising a Concern or Allegation
All concerns and allegations should be handled in line with the West Midlands PiPoT Framework and your own organisations’ guidance.
Working in partnership with your Human Resources Department (who will advise on any employment actions to take) and with other agencies is essential to ensure robust risk assessment and any subsequent decisions and actions to be taken.
All social care and health organisations should have a nominated lead to provide advice on and have oversight of cases involving concerns or allegations against people in a position of trust.
When should I refer to Walsall Council?
Walsall Council’s Adult Safeguarding Hub provide a dedicated PIPOT referral and advice service where organisations should inform of any concerns or allegations against staff involved with an adult with care and support needs, and where there is a risk due to abuse or neglect, or where the PiPoT’s behaviour or actions may cause risk / harm to adult(s) with care and support needs where the adult is resident in Walsall.
For PiPoT who meet the criteria, please complete the PiPoT Referral Form and email it to PIPOT@walsall.gov.uk .
Please do not email individual officers and managers the referral form.
For more information about PIPOT please read the West Midlands Adult Position of Trust Framework found on the regional pages.
Agencies should use the local SAR Referral Form to contact the Safeguarding Partnership about any serious incidents that they think should be considered for a SAR.
For further information please refer to the following documents:
The Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) defines the arrangements for processing data between members of the Safeguarding Partnership, to facilitate and govern the efficient, effective and secure sharing of good quality Information for the purposes of complying with our safeguarding obligations and duties for the provision of Safeguarding within Walsall. It also defines the arrangements for safeguarding partners to share information with the Safeguarding Partnership or Business Unit.
Please find WSP Self-Neglect & Hoarding Strategy, Pathway & Toolkit You may also find more helpful Information on our Self-Neglect & Hoarding Pages.
This Supervision Principles outlines the core principles of effective supervision to which the Walsall Safeguarding Partnership require all relevant and statutory agencies to implement.
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and partners have launched a new strategy on tackling sexual abuse in the region.