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.