Safeguarding in light of the Care Act: Leaders' Briefing (2015)

All councillors, chief executives and senior managers have a key leadership role to play in safeguarding adults at risk of abuse and harm, and in engaging with local communities to promote people’s wellbeing. Lead members responsible for adult social care, together with their elected member colleagues and senior managers across a variety of organisations, must be able to scrutinise adult safeguarding policies and practice and to hold agencies to account.

They must know whether local authorities and their partner organisations are being effective in keeping people safe (Local Government Association, 2014). This requires them to have a good understanding of abuse and neglect and to be skilled in asking searching questions of all organisations involved in adult safeguarding, including their own (Department of Health, 2014). They should be aware of local issues and able to promote prevention, early intervention and partnership working, as well as a person-centred culture in adult safeguarding.