SAB strategic plans – Policy and procedures

A policy and procedure strategy can describe how a SAB will achieve its objective. For example, by ensuring:

• the experience of people with care and support needs and carers informs policy and procedures
• policies and procedures conform to the principles underpinning ‘Making safeguarding personal’
• the launch and promotion of new and revised local policy and procedures is coordinated
• staff training and development opportunities reflect policy and procedures
• policy and procedures are available and accessible to staff, people who use services, carers and the general public
• partnership working across agencies is in place to ensure consistency of terminology and processes
• each agency’s internal policy and procedures are aligned with multi-agency policy and procedures
• both single and multi-agency policy and procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up to date with legislation, guidance and good practice.

Examples of outcomes include:

• the workforce understand and fulfil their roles and responsibilities, leading to improvements in multi-agency working and outcomes for adults who are safeguarded
• safeguarding policy and procedures are regularly reviewed and revised in line with national and local developments (e.g. lessons learned from safeguarding adults reviews)
• people with care and support needs understand, to the best of their ability, what abuse is, how to report it and how to keep themselves safe
• safeguarding policy, procedures and practice effectively interface with other relevant policies and procedures such as complaints, disciplinary processes, serious incidents, female genital mutilation and forced marriage.

Issues to consider include:

• resources in terms of staff to review and revise policy and procedures
• how the SAB will seek assurance that policies and procedures reflect the principles underpinning ‘Making safeguarding personal’
• links to commissioning procedures, contract allocation and quality assurance
• the development of monitoring and quality assurance processes for policy and procedures
• links to the SAB’s communications strategy to ensure effective dissemination of information about new and revised policies and procedures
• utilising expertise, communication systems and resources across partner agencies
• involving the general public, including people with care and support needs, in developing awareness-raising campaigns and materials
• monitoring and managing use of social media accounts to raise safeguarding issues
• improvement and development of existing arrangements, driving up standards across agencies
• methods of escalation within organisations
• diversity – both in terms of adults with care and support needs and the recognition of diversities within the communities the SAB serves
• how the SAB measures the impact of any awareness-raising activities through:
  • public and staff surveys
  • questionnaires with adults involved in safeguarding
  • questionnaires with the general public
  • measuring activity on the SAB website post-campaign
  • comparing data on safeguarding referrals pre- and post-campaign, including the source of the referral and the outcome of the enquiry.