The Lewisham Adult Safeguarding Pathway
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1. Prevention and Early Help
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2. Professional Curiosity |
3. Statutory Adult Safeguarding Procedures |
4. Adult Safeguarding Pathway Resources |
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Non-Statutory Safeguarding
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Identifying Abuse and Neglect |
Stage 1: Concern
Stage 2: Enquiry
Stage 3: Devising and Implementing the Safeguarding Plan
Closing the Safeguarding Procedures
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Leaflets
Posters
Videos
Workbooks
Policy Templates
Training Tools
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The Adult Safeguarding Pathway provides comprehensive guidance for anyone working with, supporting, caring for, or providing services to adults in Lewisham.
We must always start from the perspective that we can all help to prevent the risk of abuse and neglect and as such the pathway provides guidance on what can be done outside of the scope of the statutory duty and criteria (see below) for safeguarding 'Adults at Risk'.
Section 42 of the Care Act 2014 [statutory duty] states:
s.42(1) - where a local authority has reasonable cause to suspect that an adult in its area (whether or not ordinarily resident there) (a)has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs), (b)is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and (c)as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
As individuals we must have the professional curiosity to identify the experience or risk of abuse and neglect, and organisations must provide the right cultures and systems to allow this to thrive. The pathway provides an outline of this and free training is provided on this subject: Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board >LSAB Learning Zone
We must know when and how to submit a Safeguarding Concern to the local authority in line with the above criteria. This pathway provides the necessary and detailed information to make that distinction.
The local authority is the lead organisation in the borough in relation to the Statutory Adult Safeguarding Procedures and as such will follow the guidance outlined in this local pathway which has been written in conjunction with the London Multi-Agency Adult Safeguarding Policy, Practice Guidance and Procedures November 2025
The Lewisham pathway therefore encapsulates the best evidence available for effective adult safeguarding. Accordingly, I encourage every agency in Lewisham to use the pathway and the associated documentation, and link in with the work and training delivered by the Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board.
Ben Mant
Independent Chair
Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board