The Safeguarding Adults Unit is the specialist team within the Local Authority responsible for safeguarding adults. The team also includes the Adult Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). The Safeguarding Adults Unit provide advice and guidance to professionals from all organisations.
Professionals can seek advice from the Safeguarding Adults Unit using the Advice Request Form. This is an online form that ensures all advice requests are handled promptly and effectively through an online portal.
Please note that this is an advice service only and safeguarding adults referrals are not made directly to this team. All safeguarding adults referrals should be made in the usual way. For more information about making a safeguarding adults referral please visit our report a concern page.
If there are any issues with the online request form, please contact: safeguardingboards@newcastle.gov.uk
Advice can be given on a range of safeguarding adults related areas, including individual cases, best practice, and policy and procedures (including Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards).
Advice is not a duty or emergency system, and it cannot be guaranteed that a Safeguarding Manager will be available immediately. The protocol is that information relating to the advice required is submitted in the online form which goes directly to a Safeguarding Manager on advice duty, who will conduct screening/allocation and prioritisation for responding.
It is likely that advice requests will be responded to the same working day, but this cannot be guaranteed and may take longer. It is the responsibility of the professional requesting advice to identify and address any risks and not to wait until the Safeguarding Adults Unit have responded to the request. If you have an urgent/immediate issue, you must consult your own organisations safeguarding procedures in the first instance. Do not delay seeking appropriate action.
The Safeguarding Adults Unit are not involved in all safeguarding adults concerns that are raised with the Local Authority. The Safeguarding Adults Unit are only involved in the following cases:
- Organisational or paid worker cases. For example, cases where the alleged perpetrator is a paid worker, or the concern is about institutional/organisational abuse.
- Complex cases. For example, cases involving multiple victims and/or perpetrators, cases of exploitation, forced marriage, honour-based violence or modern slavery.
Here you can find a video which explains some of the roles and work that the Safeguarding Adults Unit will support with:
You can download the slides used on the video above, this handout will enable you to use the hyperlinks.