REDP: Leicestershire Constabulary and Adult Safeguarding

Regional Equality & Diversity Partnership

Leicestershire Constabulary and Adult Safeguarding

Date: 4/4/2011
Summary: Leicestershire Constabulary are taking an innovative approach to adult safeguarding to ensure that the most vulnerable people in our community are safe.

The first step towards achieving this was taken in 2008, when it became the policy of the constabulary to ensure that officers are more equipped to readily identify adults at risk during their daily duties, and ensure that this is appropriately recorded.

Prior to 2008 these would have only been recorded in and searchable and auditable format if they amounted to a criminal offence. Now any incident where a “vulnerable adult” is identified is recorded using the Constabulary’s Crime & Intelligence system.

This policy was accompanied by a day-long training programme for ALL officers and police staff and will be followed by a more detailed programme of training in the Spring and Summer of 2011.

In order to manage all of this information and to co-ordinate the responses of police and partner agencies, the Adult Referral & Co-ordination (ARC) Team was established in April 2010 - its remit to provide a cohesive and comprehensive police approach to safeguarding adults at risk of harm.

In March this year, the ARC Team combined its expertise with the Child Abuse Investigation Unit’s Referral Desk to form the Comprehensive Referral Desk. This has improved the early identification of risk to individuals where there is a “cross-over” between child safeguarding and adult safeguarding concerns.

Forming part of safeguarding services within the Safeguarding Directorate, the team consists of an Inspector, a Detective Sergeant, three constables and three members of police support staff whose role is to:

Review information provided by police officers and partner agencies.

Assess risk to vulnerable people.

Refer to partner agencies for consideration of intervention and service provision.

Record information provided by officers, discussions with agency partners and actions taken to make a person safe.

Advise officers on approaches to safeguarding, including guidance on “No Secrets” multi-agency adult safeguarding procedures.

The team provides a single point of contact where police officers and partner agencies can raise early alerts to adults who are at risk of harm or in need of community care services. This includes people with physical and learning disabilities and mental health concerns.

Each of these incidents is reviewed and assessed with a view to provision of support services through liaison with partner agencies – the principal aim being to keep the person who is the subject of that report safe.

In the majority of safeguarding cases, the team receives alerts directly from partner agencies rather than them being passed through the police control room. Therefore the first police point of contact in these cases is an officer or member of police staff with specialist knowledge of adult risk and safeguarding.

This has included devising early and specialist investigative strategies for incidents of physical, sexual and financial abuse of disabled people in residential and domestic care settings.

We have also developed effective referral pathways and working relationships with safeguarding specialists in other agencies, e.g. Victim Support, Mental Health Crisis Team, Learning Disabilities Teams within Social Services, Adult Access Teams, Community Drug and Alcohol Services, housing services and voluntary agencies. This ensures information is shared quickly and efficiently between agencies where a safeguarding need is identified.

The rate of adult safeguarding referrals has risen to a current level of 550 per month from both police officers and partner agencies.

Detective Sergeant Chris Baker said: “The Constabulary has been quick to learn the lessons of past cases where gaps in services for adults at risk were identified.

“My team bridges that gap between the initial police response and the need for support from partner agencies.

“When we identify a person is in need, I feel we have a duty to do all we can to help them. Sharing information with partners and working closely with them is an essential part of making the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland safe.”

The team also provides investigative advice and detailed investigation plans for criminal enquiries where a victim, witness or suspect has been identified as being at risk due to their situation or circumstances.

This has led to improved practice in gathering evidence from victims or witnesses whose disabilities may impact upon their ability to give evidence. It is an aim of the team to ensure people with disabilities have an equal right of access to the Criminal Justice System.

Det Sgt Baker said: “I feel passionately that the voices of our most vulnerable citizens are heard in the Criminal Justice System and that they receive the high quality service that they deserve. My team plays a key part in achieving that aim.”

Contacting the Comprehensive Referral Desk:

8 Email: adult.referralteam@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk

' Telephone: 0116 248 5311

7 Fax: 0116 248 5168

' Switchboard: 0116 222 2222 Ext No: 5311

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