Safeguarding Audit - Supported Living

Evidence to check

• • Safeguarding policy is current and specific to supported living
• • Policy includes risks linked to tenants’ own homes, co-tenants, visitors, exploitation, self-neglect and community access
• • Staff can explain safeguarding in practical supported living scenarios
• • Staff understand that safeguarding controls must be proportionate and not unnecessarily restrictive

Evidence to check

• • Safeguarding training records for all staff
• • Staff can identify abuse, neglect, self-neglect, exploitation and coercion in supported living scenarios
• • Staff understand risks linked to visitors, neighbours, co-tenants, online contact and financial pressure
• • Training is refreshed and updated after incidents or learning

Evidence to check

• • Safeguarding concern records
• • Referral dates compared with the date the concern was identified
• • Immediate protective actions are recorded
• • CQC, police, commissioner or local authority notifications considered where required

Evidence to check

• • Accessible safeguarding information available
• • Support plans identify communication needs and preferred reporting routes
• • Staff can explain how they support tenants to raise concerns
• • Advocacy, family or representative support is offered where appropriate

Evidence to check

• • Staff scenario-based responses
• • Training covers less obvious abuse such as mate crime, coercion, online abuse and financial control
• • Care notes show concerns are recorded and escalated
• • Staff understand that abuse can come from relatives, partners, co-tenants, visitors, professionals or staff

Evidence to check

• • Named safeguarding lead and deputy arrangements
• • DSL training and competence evidence
• • Staff know how to contact the safeguarding lead
• • DSL oversight is visible in referrals, incident reviews, supervision and learning

Evidence to check

• • Safeguarding log or tracker
• • Concerns are recorded with actions, outcomes and review dates
• • Patterns are reviewed by tenant, staff member, location, visitor, co-tenant or type of concern
• • Safeguarding information is stored securely and accessed only by authorised staff

Evidence to check

• • Mental capacity assessments linked to specific safeguarding decisions
• • Assessments avoid blanket statements such as 'lacks capacity'
• • Tenant is supported to understand and make the decision where possible
• • Capacity is reviewed where circumstances or risks change

Evidence to check

• • Best-interest decision records
• • Relevant people involved, such as advocate, family, attorney, deputy or professionals
• • Least restrictive options considered
• • Support plan updated to reflect protective actions and review arrangements

Evidence to check

• • Safeguarding tracker includes referral, action, outcome and closure details
• • Actions are allocated to named people
• • Follow-up is completed where external agencies request action
• • Support plans and risk assessments are updated after outcomes

Evidence to check

• • Staff know internal and external escalation routes
• • Records show concerns were challenged or re-escalated where needed
• • Managers support staff who raise concerns
• • No evidence of concerns being dismissed because another agency did not act

Evidence to check

• • Records of third-party concerns
• • Concerns are assessed for safeguarding, tenancy and wellbeing risks
• • Tenant’s consent, confidentiality and rights are considered
• • Actions and outcomes are recorded and followed up

Evidence to check

• • Risk assessments identify known risks from others
• • Support plans include safe responses and escalation routes
• • Housing provider, police, social worker or safeguarding team involved where relevant
• • Controls respect tenancy rights and avoid blanket restrictions unless lawful and necessary

Evidence to check

• • Lone working training and risk assessments
• • Staff know when to leave, call for support or contact emergency services
• • Check-in, buddy or alert systems are used where required
• • Incidents involving staff safety are reviewed and acted on

Evidence to check

• • Self-neglect or hoarding risk assessments
• • Records show attempts to engage the tenant respectfully
• • Capacity, consent and safeguarding thresholds are considered
• • Housing, environmental health, fire service, GP, social worker or mental health services involved where needed

Evidence to check

• • Risk assessments balance safety, autonomy and quality of life
• • Tenant’s views and reasons are recorded
• • Unwise decisions are not automatically treated as safeguarding concerns or lack of capacity
• • Restrictions are reviewed and least restrictive options considered

Evidence to check

• • Staff can describe signs of mate crime and scams
• • Support plans identify tenants at higher risk of exploitation
• • Concerns about phones, social media, online banking or suspicious relationships are recorded and escalated
• • Safeguarding, police, bank, appointee, attorney or family involvement considered where appropriate

Evidence to check

• • Low-level concerns log or safeguarding tracker
• • Repeated incidents reviewed by theme, person, visitor, location or staff team
• • Escalation occurs when patterns indicate increasing risk
• • Learning is shared and support plans are updated

Evidence to check

• • Team meeting minutes
• • Supervision records
• • Governance or quality reports include safeguarding themes
• • Actions from learning are followed up and checked for effectiveness

Evidence to check

• • Tenant feedback, surveys or review notes
• • Family or representative feedback where appropriate
• • Feedback includes safety, respect, privacy and staff response to concerns
• • Actions taken when tenants or families raise worries

Evidence to check

• • Records of staff-related safeguarding concerns
• • Immediate action taken to protect tenants
• • Disciplinary, suspension, restriction of duties or supervision considered where needed
• • DBS, police, local authority or professional referral considered where required

Evidence to check

• • Whistleblowing policy and external reporting routes available
• • Staff can explain how to raise concerns outside normal line management
• • Whistleblowing concerns are recorded and investigated
• • Evidence staff are protected from victimisation or retaliation

Evidence to check

• • Records of attendance at multi-agency meetings
• • Actions are recorded, allocated and completed
• • Support plans and risk assessments updated after meetings
• • Tenant’s views are represented where possible

Evidence to check

• • Communication records with tenant and advocate
• • Accessible formats used where needed
• • Confidentiality and safety risks considered before sharing information
• • Tenant is kept informed where appropriate and safe to do so

Evidence to check

• • Records of communication with housing provider or landlord
• • Housing-related safeguarding risks escalated promptly
• • Joint actions are tracked until completed
• • Unresolved housing risks are escalated through management, commissioners or safeguarding routes

Evidence to check

• • Records show consent considered before information sharing
• • Rationale recorded where information is shared without consent due to risk
• • Staff understand confidentiality does not prevent safeguarding escalation
• • Information shared is relevant, proportionate and secure

Evidence to check

• • Post-referral or post-incident review records
• • Tenant feedback about feeling safer where appropriate
• • Risk assessments reviewed after protective actions
• • Repeated incidents reduce or further action is taken

Evidence to check

• • Policy review date and version control
• • Updates reflect local safeguarding procedures
• • Learning from incidents or audits informs policy changes
• • Staff are informed when safeguarding procedures change

Evidence to check

• • DBS and barred list checks where applicable
• • References and employment gaps checked
• • Values-based interview or safeguarding questions used
• • No staff work unsupervised before required checks are complete

Evidence to check

• • Staff and tenant feedback shows people feel safe to raise concerns
• • Managers respond openly to concerns and near misses
• • Preventative safeguarding is discussed in reviews, supervision and meetings
• • Learning leads to changes in practice, not just completed paperwork

Evidence to check

• • Risk assessments consider relationships and domestic abuse where relevant
• • Tenant’s wishes, consent and capacity are considered
• • MARAC, police or domestic abuse services involved where needed
• • Protective actions are proportionate and reviewed

Evidence to check

• • Financial support plan and risk assessment
• • Receipts, transaction records or money logs where staff support finances
• • Staff understand boundaries around gifts, loans and handling money
• • Concerns about exploitation, theft or coercion are escalated

Evidence to check

• • Support plans identify crisis signs and escalation routes
• • Records show contact with GP, mental health team, crisis service, substance misuse service or emergency services where needed
• • Staff understand when to treat concerns as safeguarding or immediate risk
• • Follow-up support is recorded after crisis events

Evidence to check

• • Safeguarding audit records
• • Audits include staff questioning and tenant feedback where possible
• • Referral timeliness, quality of recording and outcomes are reviewed
• • Actions from audits are tracked and reported through governance