Safeguarding Adults & Mental Capacity Act

Money Advice Plus (MAP) may provide services to people who are referred by Social Care and Health. These clients are considered to be vulnerable adults and all agencies involved in working with vulnerable adults have a duty to protect them from abuse and/or self-neglect. In addition, a person’s mental capacity and ability to make decisions may be unclear.

As an organisation which assists people who may fall into these groups it is vital that MAP understands and performs its duties and responsibilities.

Having a policy and procedures to safeguard vulnerable adults and to protect people’s rights around mental capacity is a legal requirement and ensures that a proportionate, timely and professional approach is taken.

It is MAP’s policy

• to follow the most current Code of Practice used by Local Authorities in Sussex version 4 at the time of writing: http://sussexsafeguardingadults.procedures.org.uk
• to deal with concerns about people outside of this area on a case by case basis, using the Pan Sussex Code of Practice for guidance.
• to comply with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the most current Code of Practice issued 2007 at the time of writing: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/497253/Mental-capacity-act-code-of-practice.pdf

Safeguarding

• MAP will report abuse to the appropriate authority following procedures set out in the Sussex Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures.
• If a worker has a concern about actual or possible adult abuse or neglect, they should talk urgently to the Safeguarding Lead Worker, Duty Supervisor, the Chief Executive or another manager, making clear what they know or suspect.
• Procedures on reporting can be found here Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedure

Mental capacity

• MAP is aware of its duties under the MCA and will ensure that where staff think there may be a question as to someone’s capacity, that the service user will be referred to their Social Worker or GP for an assessment under this Act according to the guidance in the Code.
• We have a form that should be used to determine the need for an assessment.