Safeguarding adults policy (adult social care)

1. Who this adult social care safeguarding policy is for

This sample policy is for adult social care providers that need a safeguarding adults policy for care homes, nursing homes, supported living, residential care or other regulated adult social care settings. It is written for services where safeguarding risk sits inside daily care, medicines, moving and handling, mental capacity, restraint, staff allegations, local authority safeguarding routes and governance learning.

Use this page when the evidence question is: can we show that adult safeguarding concerns are recognised, made safe, referred through the correct local authority route, recorded, reviewed and turned into learning? It covers Care Act section 42 threshold thinking, abuse categories, referral routes, staff allegations, safeguarding records, training, capacity, consent, deprivation of liberty and post-concern learning.

For a cross-sector starting point, use the generic safeguarding adults policy template. For audit evidence, use the safeguarding adults procedure checklist. For the regulation itself, see the Regulation 13 safeguarding explainer. For the wider sector cluster, see the adult social care guide.

2. What the regulation says

Service users must be protected from abuse and improper treatment in accordance with this regulation. (Reg 13(1) (the headline duty))

Systems and processes must be established and operated effectively to prevent abuse of service users. (Reg 13(2) (prevention systems))

Systems and processes must be established and operated effectively to investigate, immediately upon becoming aware of, any allegation or evidence of such abuse. (Reg 13(3) (investigation systems))

A service user must not be deprived of their liberty for the purpose of receiving care or treatment without lawful authority. (Reg 13(5) (lawful authority for deprivation of liberty))

any behaviour towards a service user that is an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, (Reg 13(6)(a) (sexual offences))

ill-treatment (whether of a physical or psychological nature) of a service user, (Reg 13(6)(b) (ill-treatment))

theft, misuse or misappropriation of money or property belonging to a service user, or (Reg 13(6)(c) (theft / misuse / misappropriation))

neglect of a service user. (Reg 13(6)(d) (neglect))

The full text of the regulation is at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2936/regulation/13. Where this policy and the regulation diverge, the regulation wins.

3. Plain-English summary

Service users must be protected from abuse and improper treatment. You need effective systems to prevent abuse, and effective systems to investigate any allegation or evidence of abuse as soon as you become aware of it. Care must not be provided in a way that discriminates, uses disproportionate control or restraint, is degrading, or significantly disregards the service user's needs. Service users cannot be deprived of their liberty without lawful authority.

4. Purpose

This policy sets out how the Service identifies, records, reports and learns from safeguarding concerns involving adults using the Service.

The Service must verify this policy against the current Care Act 2014, Care and Support Statutory Guidance, local safeguarding adults procedures and CQC source material before adoption.

5. Sources to verify before adoption

• Care Act 2014, section 42: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/section/42
• Care and Support Statutory Guidance, chapter 14 safeguarding: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-statutory-guidance/care-and-support-statutory-guidance
• CQC safeguarding people: https://www.cqc.org.uk/what-we-do/how-we-do-our-job/safeguarding-people
• CQC assessment framework and sector-specific guidance, as updated by CQC from time to time: https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-regulation/providers/assessment
• Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, Regulation 13: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2936/regulation/13
• Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, Regulation 18: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2936/regulation/18
• Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, Regulation 20: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2936/regulation/20

6. Scope

This policy applies to adults at risk under Care Act 2014 section 42.

It applies where an adult:

• has needs for care and support
• is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect
• may be unable to protect themselves because of those needs

The policy applies to concerns involving staff, relatives, friends, visitors, other people using the service, contractors, volunteers or people outside the Service.

7. Categories of abuse

Staff are trained to recognise the categories of abuse and neglect described in Care and Support Statutory Guidance.

The Service records concerns under the following categories:

• physical abuse
• sexual abuse
• financial or material abuse
• psychological or emotional abuse
• neglect or acts of omission
• discriminatory abuse
• organisational abuse
• modern slavery
• domestic abuse
• self-neglect

The Service verifies category definitions against current Care and Support Statutory Guidance and local safeguarding procedures before adoption.

8. Recognising indicators

Staff consider safeguarding action when they identify signs that may indicate abuse or neglect.

Indicators may include:

• unexplained injury, pain, bruising, restraint marks or repeated falls
• fear, distress, withdrawal, change in behaviour or reluctance to speak in front of another person
• sexualised behaviour, genital injury, disclosure or signs of coercion
• missing money, unexplained spending, pressure to change financial arrangements or concern about possessions
• poor hygiene, untreated pressure damage, malnutrition, dehydration or missed care
• repeated medication errors, missed healthcare appointments or unsafe discharge arrangements
• bullying, hate incidents or discriminatory language
• institutional routines that ignore individual needs or choices
• signs that the person is controlled by another person
• unsafe living conditions, hoarding, refusal of essential care or serious deterioration linked to self-neglect

Staff record facts, words used by the person and immediate action taken. They do not investigate the concern themselves unless the local authority asks the Service to contribute to an enquiry.

9. Referral pathway

The Service keeps a live safeguarding referral sheet for each location or service area.

The sheet includes:

• local authority adult safeguarding contact
• Safeguarding Adults Board procedure link
• out-of-hours safeguarding contact
• police emergency route
• local Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) or single front door where the local area uses one
• NHS safeguarding lead where relevant
• CQC notification route where required
• advocacy and IMCA contact routes

Staff report immediate danger to emergency services. For all other concerns, staff report to the safeguarding lead or Registered Manager on the same working shift unless local procedure requires a different route.

The Registered Manager ensures referral decisions are made against current local authority safeguarding procedures.

10. Role of the safeguarding lead

The safeguarding lead:

• receives and triages safeguarding concerns
• makes sure the person is safe
• supports staff to record facts accurately
• makes or oversees local authority referrals
• liaises with the Safeguarding Adults Board process where required
• considers advocacy and capacity issues
• considers CQC notification and duty of candour
• tracks actions and learning
• reports themes to the governance group

The safeguarding lead does not replace the duty of every staff member to act on immediate risk.

11. Allegations against staff

The Registered Manager manages allegations involving staff, agency staff, contractors, volunteers or visiting professionals.

The process includes:

• making the person using the service safe
• preserving records, rotas, care notes and electronic audit trails
• removing the staff member from contact where needed
• contacting the local authority adult safeguarding route
• following the local Person in a Position of Trust process where available
• using the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) route where the allegation involves a child or local procedure requires LADO advice
• considering police referral where a crime may have been committed
• considering DBS referral, professional regulator referral and employment action
• considering CQC notification and duty of candour

No staff member investigates an allegation about themselves.

12. Record-keeping

The safeguarding record should include:

• date and time
• person using the service
• staff member recording
• facts observed
• words used by the person or witness where relevant
• body map or clinical record where injury is visible and recording is within staff competence
• immediate safety action
• capacity and consent considerations
• referral route used
• advice received
• reference number
• actions assigned
• review date
• outcome and learning

Records are factual, contemporaneous and stored securely. Access is limited to staff who need the information for safeguarding, care or governance.

13. Links to registers and action tracking

• Every concern is opened in the safeguarding register with the immediate safety action, referral decision, named owner and review date.
• Any related injury, medicines event, missed care, restraint concern or other safety event is linked to the incident register.
• Complaints, whistleblowing concerns, staff allegations and service risks are linked to their own records so each process remains visible and accountable.
• CQC notification, duty-of-candour, DBS, police, commissioner and professional-referral decisions are recorded against the concern, including a decision not to refer.
• Actions from an enquiry, review or learning discussion enter the improvement-actions register with an owner, due date and evidence of completion.
• Training, supervision or competency action is recorded in the training matrix or staff record and checked before the person returns to unrestricted duties.

14. Staff training levels

The Service maps safeguarding training to role.

• All staff receive induction on recognising and reporting safeguarding concerns.
• Care staff receive training on indicators, adult-at-risk thresholds, recording and immediate safety action.
• Senior care staff receive training on referral preparation, capacity, advocacy and evidence preservation.
• The safeguarding lead and Registered Manager receive training on enquiry participation, staff allegations, notifications and learning cycles.

Training records are maintained under Regulation 18 staffing and training expectations. The Service verifies current local authority and CQC training expectations before adoption.

15. Links to MASH and local procedures

The Service does not use a national template in place of local safeguarding procedures.

Each location keeps:

• the current local Safeguarding Adults Board procedures
• local MASH or single front door route where used
• adult safeguarding referral form
• escalation process for disagreement or delay
• advocacy and IMCA contacts
• out-of-hours route
• police route for immediate risk or suspected crime

The Registered Manager checks these details at least annually and after local authority route changes.

16. Audit, monitoring and post-incident learning

The Registered Manager or safeguarding lead reviews the safeguarding register at least quarterly, and sooner after a serious concern, repeated theme, staff allegation or delayed external response. The audit checks timeliness, immediate safety, the person's involvement, referral quality, open actions, external-reporting decisions and whether completed actions changed practice.

After a safeguarding concern, the safeguarding lead reviews:

• whether the person was made safe
• whether referral was made to the correct route
• whether records were complete
• whether capacity, advocacy and consent were considered
• whether CQC notification or duty of candour was considered
• whether staff need support, supervision or training
• whether a policy, staffing or environmental change is needed

Learning is recorded as an improvement action with an owner and review date.

Policy review cadence: annual or on regulatory change, whichever sooner. Owner: Registered Manager.

17. Capacity, consent and deprivation of liberty

Where a safeguarding concern involves a person who may lack capacity to make a relevant decision, the Service applies the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and works within the current MCA Code of Practice (2007, update in consultation). Capacity is assessed for the specific decision, and any action taken in a person's best interests is recorded.

Regulation 13(5) requires that a service user is not deprived of their liberty for the purpose of receiving care or treatment without lawful authority. The law on deprivation of liberty is changing: the Supreme Court judgment in AGNI (2 June 2026) has immediate effect, and CQC's statement of 8 June 2026 confirms it but also confirms that the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Regulation 11 (consent) requirements are unchanged. Providers may need legal advice on individual cases pending official guidance, and DHSC guidance on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and Court of Protection cases is awaited. The Service should take advice on any case where a deprivation of liberty may be involved rather than relying on this template.

This judgment concerns the assessment of deprivation of liberty under Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights only. It does not change Regulation 11 consent, Mental Capacity Act capacity assessment, or consent to care and treatment, which remain as before.

18. Related policies in this pack

• Safeguarding adults policy template
• Mental Capacity Act and DoLS policy
• Person-centred care, assessment and care planning policy
• Incident reporting, investigation and learning policy
• Whistleblowing and raising concerns policy

19. Related guidance

• Safeguarding adults procedure checklist

20. Sources and further reading

This template is based on CQC's guidance for providers and managers, the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, and other topic-specific legislation and guidance listed below. It is a starting point for adaptation, not a substitute for legal, clinical, HR, safeguarding or specialist professional advice.

• CQC Regulation 13: Safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment
• Care Act 2014, section 42 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/section/42)
• Local authority safeguarding adults procedures
• Care and Support Statutory Guidance (chapter 14, safeguarding)
• DBS barring referral guidance
• Mental Capacity Act 2005; Human Rights Act 1998 (Article 5 ECHR); Court of Protection route
• AGNI Supreme Court judgment (2 June 2026); CQC 8 June 2026 statement (DHSC guidance pending)
• MCA Code of Practice (2007, update in consultation)
• CQC assessment framework and sector-specific guidance, as updated by CQC from time to time
• Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2936/regulation/13)

21. When to seek further advice

Seek specialist advice where the issue involves serious harm, safeguarding, deprivation of liberty, restraint, children, professional misconduct, controlled drugs, radiation, termination of pregnancy, infection outbreak, water safety, employment dismissal, DBS barring referral, or regulatory enforcement.

22. Document control

This sample policy template was issued by Verivius. It is a template, not a substitute for legal advice or the provider's own policy-development process. Where this template and live law or regulator guidance diverge, the live source wins.