Decision-making is the cornerstone of practice in Adult Support and Protection. The resources and tools in this section support critical thinking and collaborative decision-making. They will also help ensure that all decisions support a person-centred and trauma-informed response.
This webinar delves into the three-point criteria for Adult Support and Protection. It explores common challenges and dilemmas that professionals face when interpreting and applying the criteria.
Key topics covered are:
This guidance supports consistent and transparent decision-making in the ‘conversion rate’ from ASP referral to ASP inquiry by considering:
This practitioner's guide has been produced by Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee in partnership with practitioners from NHS Tayside and Children and Families' Social Work. It aims to provide all practitioners working directly or indirectly with children, young people and their families in Perth and Kinross, with clear practice guidance on how to be professionally curious and use this approach in the course of their work.
Professional curiosity is about exploring and understanding what is happening with an adult at risk and their family. This practitioner's guidance has been produced by the three Tayside Adult Protection Committees based on the Perth & Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) guidance.
This practitioner's guidance covers what professional curiosity is, the barriers to using it, courageous and difficult conversations, and effective use of supervision to support curious and authoritative practice.
This is an ASPire webinar from January 2026. Its themes are supported self-evaluation, notably of adults for whom it is difficult to determine the three-point criteria, and risk assessment. The focus is especially on adults where there are escalating risks, repeated presentations or continuous referral to services.
These are the slides from a 5 Nations webinar held in February 2024. This series of webinars shares adult support and protection / safeguarding knowledge across the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.
The theme of this webinar is rights, choices and decisions. The sessions are:
These are the slides from a 5 Nations webinar held in October 2025. This series of webinars shares adult support and protection / safeguarding knowledge across the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.
The theme of this webinar is capacity and decision-making challenges. The sessions are:
This short video explains key concepts relating to professional curiosity. It accompanies the resource pack on the same subject.
Please note that this resource is from an English local authority (Waltham Forest). The context is different but its messages are transferable to Scottish Adult Support and Protection.
This resource pack aims to raise awareness about embedding professional curiosity in practice. It can be used in team meetings, as part of group/individual supervision, or for individual professional development.
It includes several practical tips and practice scenarios. There is an accompanying video explaining key concepts.
This presentation, and accompanying defensible-decision making framework, form the basis of a one-day training session.
Topics covered in the session are:
