Stage 4: Outcome and Closure (including Plan and Review)

At some point, all necessary enquiries will have been made and appropriate arrangements should be made to review the findings and determine whether objectives have been met.

This should take place in a manner that is appropriate and proportionate to the presenting circumstances and nature of the enquiries undertaken.

The objectives of a statutory enquiry under s42 of the Care Act are to:

1. Establish facts (determine what has actually happened/may happen);
2. Ascertain the adult's views and wishes;
3. Assess the needs of the adult for protection, support and redress and how they might be met;
4. Protect from the abuse and neglect, in accordance with the wishes of the adult;
5. Make decisions as to what follow-up action should be taken with regard to the person or organisation responsible for the abuse or neglect; and
6. Enable the adult at risk to achieve resolution and recovery.

At the close of each enquiry there should be evidence of:

• Enhanced safeguarding practice ensuring that the adult at risk has the opportunity to discuss the outcomes they want at the start of safeguarding activity;
• Follow-up discussions with the adult at risk or their representative at the end of safeguarding activity to see to what extent their desired outcomes have been met;
• Recording the results in a way that can be used to inform practice and provide aggregated outcomes information for Safeguarding Adults Boards.

All enquiries conducted to manage risk should also work towards achieving the adult at risks desired outcomes. Considerations should be:

• Has the local authority met its statutory duty to enquire into the safeguarding concern?
• Has the enquiry ensured the safety of the adult at risk?
• If this has not been possible, has a safeguarding plan been formulated which works with the adult’s wishes to live with a degree of risk which the plan seeks to manage?
• A review of the safeguarding plan within 3 months of any outcomes determination.

The Safeguarding Coordinator is responsible for evaluating whether the enquiry has met all its objectives.

Regardless of the stage in which the safeguarding enquiry is to be closed, there should be follow up discussions with the adult at risk (or their representative) to evaluate the degree to which their desired outcomes have been met, and whether the safeguarding response has made them feel safer.

1. Were their desired outcomes:
   1. Fully met;
   2. Partially met;
   3. Not met.
2. Do they feel risks have been:
   1. Removed;
   2. Reduced;
   3. Remains;

The evaluation should be that of the adult at risk, and not of other parties. Whilst staff may consider that enquiry and actions already taken have made the adult at risk safe, and that their outcomes were met, the important factor is how actions have impacted on the adult at risk. 

The safeguarding plan is not a care and support plan, and it will focus on care provision only in relation to the aspects that safeguard against abuse or neglect, or which offer a therapeutic or recovery based resolution.

The safeguarding plan should set out what steps are to be taken to assure the future safety of the adult at risk and could include:

• The provision of any support, treatment or therapy, including on-going advocacy;
• Any modifications needed in the way services are provided;
• How best to support the adult through any action they may want to take to seek justice or redress;
• Any on-going risk management strategy as appropriate.

The plan should outline the roles and responsibilities of all individuals and agencies involved, and should identify the lead professional who will monitor and review the plan, and when this will happen.

The safeguarding plan should be person-centred and outcome-focused and made with the full participation of the adult at risk. In some circumstances, it may be appropriate for the safeguarding plan to be monitored through ongoing care management responsibilities. In other situations a specific outcome review may be required.

The identified lead should monitor the safeguarding plan on an on-going basis, within agreed timescales. The purpose of the review is to:

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the safeguarding plan;
• Evaluate whether the safeguarding plan is meeting/achieving outcomes;
• Evaluate risk.

A review of the safeguarding plan, and decisions about the plan should be communicated and agreed with the adult at risk. Following the review, it may be determined that:

• The safeguarding plan is no longer required; or
• The safeguarding plan needs to continue.

Any changes or revisions to the safeguarding plan should be made, new review timescales set (if needed) and agreement reached regarding the lead professional who will continue monitoring and reviewing; or, it may also be agreed, if needed, to instigate a new adult safeguarding Section 42 Enquiry.

New safeguarding enquiries will only be needed when the Local Authority determines it is necessary. Any ongoing risks need to be monitored and reviewed. If the decision is that further enquiries would be a disproportionate response to new or changed risks, further review and monitoring may continue.

The adult at risk who has experienced abuse and neglect may need to build up their resilience. This is a process whereby people use their own strengths and abilities to overcome what has happened, learn from the experience and have an awareness that may prevent a reoccurrence, or at the least, enable people to recognise the signs and risks of abuse and neglect, and know who to contact for help and how to do this.

Resilience is supported by recovery actions, which include the adult at risk identifying actions that they would like to see to prevent the same situation arising and is evidenced by:

• The ability to make realistic plans and being capable of taking the steps necessary to follow through with them;
• A positive perception of the situation and confidence in the adult at risk’s own strengths and abilities;
• Increasing their communication and problem-solving skills.

Resilience processes that either promote wellbeing or protect against risk factors, benefit the adult at risk and increase their capacity for recovery. This can be done through individual coping strategies assisted by:

• Strong personal networks and communities;
• Social policies that make resilience more likely to occur;
• Handovers/referrals to other services for example care and support, or psychological services to assist building up resilience;
• Restorative practice.

The Safeguarding Coordinator should also ensure that all agreed or required actions have been taken, building in any personalised actions:

• Agreements with the adult at risk to closure;
• Referral for assessment and support;
• Advice and Information provided;
• All organisations involved in the enquiry updated and informed;
• Feedback has been provided to the referrer;
• Action taken with the person alleged to have caused harm;
• Action taken to support others;
• Referral to children and young people made (if necessary);
• Outcomes noted and evaluated by adult at risk;
• Consideration for a SAR;
• Any lessons to be learnt.