National guidance and frameworks

The Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007: Code of Practice indicates that an inquiry can be undertaken by a non-Council Officer, unless there is a need to use investigative powers. It also stipulates that ‘Good practice would ensure that a Council Officer is involved in overseeing or supervising all activity relating to the Act’. This guidance helps support that best practice in oversight and supervisory activity.

This document offers good practice guidance to effective participation of adults being supported and protected under the Adult Support & Protection (Scotland) Act 2007, particularly in relation to ASP case conferences. It provides pointers as to how to facilitate meaningful engagement, taking a holistic view of the perspective and circumstances of the adult, including experience of trauma. Checklists and signposts to additional resources are also provided.

GPs and General Practice staff are well placed to identify adults at risk of harm. They are a vital component in the multi-agency arrangements to support and protect where necessary. This guidance is to support GPs and General Practice staff when they may have need to refer to the Act. It should be used in conjunction with the main Adult Support and Protection Code of Practice.

These are principles for information sharing regarding adults at risk of harm, in circumstances where they move from one area to another. Their aim is to ensure an adult at risk will be provided with the same level of support and protection in their new setting. The principles are can be used either with, or without, prior notice of the move. They can also be used when a person has already moved. These principles aim to support permanent changes of residence, though they may also be useful for temporary changes in residence.

This roadmap has been designed to help services and organisations identify and reflect on progress, strengths and opportunities for embedding a trauma-informed and responsive approach across policy and practice. It is based on evidence, learning and good practice from the Scottish context alongside existing relevant Scottish frameworks and guidance. It draws extensively on what people with lived experience of trauma have said would help improve access to support, reduce re-traumatisation, recognise resilience and support recovery.

This 3-step improvement framework was developed to help unlock lasting improvement across public services in Scotland. The framework is designed to prompt self-assessment and debate. It is about getting started and ‘doing’: creating conditions for and implementing the improvements that will make a difference. It is a clear structure that can be used by social care, health, and third sector organisations.

This framework sets out evidence of high-quality, safe, and effective services that promote the protection of children and adults. The evidence included in this framework reflects key recent policy and practice developments. This framework is intended to guide Health Boards in assessing their public protection arrangements at both strategic and operational levels. The aim is to ensure greater consistency in what people can expect in terms of support and protection from health services in Scotland.

Section 42 of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 states that each council must establish an Adult Protection Committee (APC). This revised guidance supports Adult Protection Committees to meet their statutory duties. It covers all aspects of APCs, including establishment, membership, responsibilities, and quality assurance.

An Adult Support and Protection Learning Review is a means for public bodies and office holders with responsibilities relating to the protection of adults at risk of harm to learn lessons from considering the circumstances where an adult at risk has died, or has been significantly harmed. This guidance is for Adult Protection Committees to use when considering, or undertaking, Learning Reviews.

This guidance is a primer for all local authority staff on human trafficking and exploitation. Topics covered range from spotting the signs for frontline staff, to strategic planning suggestions and considerations for partnership working. External links are included for further reading and more in-depth information. This guidance does not replace existing guidance or structures at a local authority level, and does not remove the need to keep local policies and processes under review.