The Sussex Safeguarding Escalation and Resolution Protocol supports consistent and timely decision-making where there may be disagreements or issues arising between professionals and agencies in relation to adult safeguarding.

The protocol includes guidance in relation to Mental Capacity issues and safeguarding, and has a streamlined escalation process that explicitly ensures relevant safeguarding leads are consulted at an appropriate point.  

If you have concerns about an adult safeguarding decision made by another practitioner or agency, it is your responsibility to ensure that you:

• offer challenge in a professional and respectful manner;
• avoid putting the adult at risk, or distracting focus from the adult;
• resolve difficulties quickly and openly;
• look to resolve issues at a practitioner-to-practitioner level before escalating;
• keep the adult’s desired outcomes central to discussions.

You can use the protocol when you do not agree with:

• the outcome of a safeguarding referral to the local authority;
• the level of risk presented for an adult;
• practitioner or agency roles and responsibilities;
• the outcome of a safeguarding enquiry;
• a mental capacity or best interests decision.

Refresh your knowledge of the protocol:

• Sussex Safeguarding Escalation and Resolution Protocol (PDF, 214KB)
• Escalation and Resolution Protocol | Summary Guidance (PDF, 209KB)

If you haven't already visited our learning pathway, this is a great opportunity to sample our learning pathway workbook.

Take a look at our Escalation and Resolution Policy Summary Guidance (PDF, 209KB). Then, download our learning pathway workbook and visit page 13 to reflect on your experiences of resolving professional disagreements.

Access the learning pathway:

• Learning pathway
• Printable learning pathway workbook (PDF, 453KB)
• Editable learning pathway workbook (PDF, 628KB)

Skills for Care have developed a number of resources to support effective supervision in the adult social care sector.

Their Effective Supervision Guide (PDF, 3.4MB) is for adult social care managers and supervisors and will help them to plan and implement effective supervision. It shares advice and tips about what works well, to help you to think about how you can make supervision work for you and your staff.

This free online version of the guide explains what supervision is, why it’s important and how you can develop supervisors. It includes practical activities, checklists, refection points and templates to help you to put your learning into practice, in the context of your role, your team, your organisation and the people that you support.

Find out more:

• Supervision resources | Skills for Care