About the Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board

Introduction
What is adult safeguarding? 
Members of the Safeguarding Adults Board
Our vision, principles and priorities
The role of the Safeguarding Adults Board
Our Memorandum of Understanding
Our Escalation and Challenge Protocol
Contact us

The Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) became a statutory body in April 2015.  

Our Safeguarding Adults Board aims to protect and support adults with care and support needs. It does this by:  

• assuring itself that local safeguarding arrangements are in place as defined by the Care Act 2014 and statutory guidance 

• assuring itself that safeguarding practice is person-centred and outcome-focused 

• working collaboratively to prevent abuse and neglect where possible 

• ensuring agencies and individuals respond promptly and fairly to abuse or neglect  

• assuring itself that safeguarding practice continually improves and enhances adults' quality of life 

To improve scrutiny and challenge Gateshead SAB has an independent chair, Nic Bailey. Nic joined the board in July 2023 and has brought a wealth of experience to the Board. Before retiring as an Executive Director for the Integrated Care Board, she was a Chief Officer in Clinical Commissioning Groups across Durham and the Tees Valley. Nic was involved in the safeguarding chief officers groups in both areas. Before re-joining the NHS, Nic held roles including local authority Chief Executive, DASS and DCS. 

What is adult safeguarding?

Safeguarding means protecting an adult's right to live safe, free from abuse and neglect. It is about people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect. At the same time we need to promote the wellbeing of adults. When deciding on what to do, it's important to consider their opinions, desires, emotions, and beliefs. Organisations should always promote the adult's wellbeing in their safeguarding arrangements. 

The aims of adult safeguarding are to: 

• prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect to adults with care and support needs 

• stop abuse or neglect wherever possible 

• safeguard adults in a way that supports them in making choices and having control about how they want to live 

• promote an approach that concentrates on improving life for the adults concerned

• make sure that everyone knows how to prevent, identify, and respond to abuse and neglect

• offer information and support to help people understand different types of abuse. We also provide guidance on staying safe and reporting any safeguarding concerns

• address what has caused the abuse or neglect 

Members of the Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board

The three statutory members of the Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board are:

• Gateshead Council
• Northumbria Police (opens new window)
• North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENC ICB)

In Gateshead we recognise the importance of partnership working. The wider board membership includes:

• Gateshead College (opens new window)
• South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
• Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
• Connected Voice Advocacy
• Healthwatch Gateshead
• DWP
• Probation Service

We also have independent lay persons on our Board who have an important role in relation to providing challenge and posing questions that professionals closely involved in the work of the Board may not necessarily think of asking. 

Our vision, principles and priorities 

Our vision for adult safeguarding in Gateshead is: 

'Everybody in Gateshead has the right to lead a fulfilling life and should be able to live safely, free from abuse and neglect - and to contribute to their own and other people's health and wellbeing.' 

In Gateshead we want safeguarding to be everyone's business. This means we all have a responsibility to help protect our residents when you hear about allegations of abuse or neglect and report it. 

The Care Act 2014 identifies 6 key principles.  

These underpin all adult safeguarding work and apply to all sectors and settings: 

1. Empowerment - people having the support and encouragement to make their own decisions and give consent  
2. Prevention - it is better to take action before harm occurs 
3. Proportionality - the least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented 
4. Protection - support and representation to those in greatest need 
5. Partnership - local solutions through services working with their communities 
6. Accountability - accountability and transparency in safeguarding practice 

The role of the Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board 

The board oversees and leads adult safeguarding across Gateshead. It is interested in a range of matters that contribute to the prevention of abuse and neglect. The main objective of any Safeguarding Adults Board is to ensure that local safeguarding arrangements and partners act to help and protect adults in its area who meet safeguarding adults criteria. We encourage board members to challenge each other and other organisations where it believes that their actions or inactions are increasing the risk of abuse or neglect. This includes commissioners as well as providers of services.  

The board has three core duties: 

• to publish a strategic plan for each financial year 

• to publish an annual report detailing what the Board has done during the year 

• to conduct any Safeguarding Adult Reviews 

The Safeguarding Adults Board is supported by an executive group and three sub-groups: 

Quality, Learning and Practice Group - chaired by Gateshead Council. This group is responsible for: 

• learning and improvement 

• performance management 

• quality assurance 

• development and implementation of multi-agency policy procedures and practice guidance 

• communication and engagement 

• development, implementation and co-ordination of the Safeguarding Adult Board training programme  

Safeguarding Adults Review and Complex Case Group - chaired by North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board. This group is responsible for: 

• co-ordinating Safeguarding Adult Reviews and complex cases  

Strategic Exploitation Group (Joint with the Local Safeguarding Children's Board) - chaired by Northumbria Police. This group is responsible for: 

• sexual exploitation, modern slavery and trafficking 

Our Memorandum of Understanding 

The Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board Memorandum of Understanding (PDF, 382 KB) provides an overview about the Board including roles and responsibilities, membership, structure and accountability.  It also includes information about the Board sub groups. 

Our Escalation and Challenge Protocol

This protocol should be used in the management of escalating issues to constructively challenge agencies in their safeguarding practice.

Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board Escalation and Challenge Protocol (PDF, 151 KB)(opens new window)
Gateshead SAB Escalation and Challenge proforma (Word doc, 47 KB)(opens new window)