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Safeguarding practice procedures and protocols

On this page you will find procedures and protocols to support your practice. 

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Managing a Choking Risk

Any adult is at risk of choking. However, it is important to be aware that adults within health and social care services may be at an increased risk of choking, for a variety of reasons. We have therefore developed some multi-agency guidance aimed at supporting staff with managing choking risks.

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Multi Agency Risk Management (MARM) Protocol

This protocol will assist professionals to decide when to refer a case for consideration at the Multi Agency Risk Management (MARM) subgroup.

To make a referral to the MARM subgroup, please complete the referral form. Please also ensure a current risk assessment is attached when emailing the referral form in. There is also a Guidance for Referrers which explains what the  MARM forum is for, please read this before submitting a referral. 

It would also be expected that you have reviewed the Thresholds Guidance Document and considered raising a safeguarding adult concern prior to making a MARM referral.

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Quality Assurance Framework

The Quality Assurance Framework is designed to enable the Board to fulfil its remit of ensuring local safeguarding arrangements are effective and deliver the outcomes that people want.

The Quality Assurance Framework will act as the mechanism by which the Safeguarding Adults Board will hold local agencies to account for their safeguarding work, including prevention and risk management.

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Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) Protocol

This protocol will assist professionals to decide when to refer a case for consideration as a Safeguarding Adult Review, as well as providing guidance on the Safeguarding Adult Review process itself.

In the first instance, please refer to the Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) Protocol for information about the SAR process, ensuring that you pay particular attention to Appendix C, which is a Briefing Note for referrers. 

If, after reading the above document, you would like to make a SAR referral, download the SAR Referral Form.

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For public SAR referrals, please discuss with a professional or an agency involved who will support you to consider if the SAR process could be appropriate. If it is considered appropriate, the professional or agency will ensure that the SAR referral form is completed and forwarded to the West Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board.

If there is no agency or professional involved, please contact the Board Support Team, who will discuss and complete a referral form if appropriate:

Please note the following: if a referral is not considered appropriate for a SAR there may be another route for you to follow, for example a safeguarding referral or complaints process. If a referral does proceed, this is on the basis that it appears to meet the criteria for the consideration of a SAR.

Safeguarding Young People 17.5+ Protocol

The Safeguarding Young People 17.5+ Protocol is our first joint protocol, with the West Sussex Safeguarding Children's Partnership . 

The protocol is for Safeguarding Young People who are aged 17.5 and above and, provides details of the practice required and process to be followed, by all in West Sussex, for safeguarding our transitional young people.

Please also see the accompanying learning briefing and, listen to the 9 minute podcast about the protocol, which has a young person’s voice over.

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Self-Neglect Procedure

Practitioners can follow the pan-Sussex policies and procedures which have a specific section on Multi-Agency Procedures to Support Adults who Self-Neglect.

Find out more about self-neglect by reading our Learning Briefing, and listen to the accompanying 7 minute self-neglect podcast.

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Strategic Provider Concerns Group Protocol

The purpose of the Strategic Provider Concerns Group is to provide strategic direction and support where there is evidence of significant provider concerns in relation to organisational abuse and neglect in a domiciliary or care home provider, or another provider organisation.

The group will usually be initiated by referral to it, either following or during a Provider Concerns process. The referral may come either directly from the Provider Concerns Process, or via the Quality Assurance and Safeguarding Information subgroup.

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Sussex Adult Death Protocol

The Sussex Adult Death Protocol outlines the process that should be followed in responding to situations in which an unexpected adult death takes place and there is a suspicion, or it is known, that abuse or neglect by a third party directly contributed to the death. The protocol offers a robust framework for bringing together key agencies at the earliest opportunity to ensure effective collaborative working, and rapid risk assessment and information sharing.

This protocol has been developed across the Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) and will be adopted by all partner agencies of the Sussex SABs. 

Key documents (please note that these documents open via the East Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board website):

Sussex Operational Framework for Managing Provider Concerns

This document underpins the Pan Sussex Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures. It seeks to outline the operational framework for managing safeguarding provider concerns.

A provider concern should be triggered where there are significant safeguarding concerns or multiple Section 42 safeguarding enquiries and a wider public interest issue/possible risk to other adults. This includes all adults who are supported by the provider, irrespective of who is commissioning their care.

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Last updated: 07 April 2025
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