As DASS, you are the statutory lead for adult safeguarding. This is a critical responsibility—one that sits at the heart of your leadership. Safeguarding is not just about compliance. It’s about culture, risk, power, and protection.
Your role includes:
- Leading the development of robust multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.
- Ensuring there is senior-level oversight and accountability.
- Embedding Making Safeguarding Personal in every part of the system.
- Overseeing responses to Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs), including learning and improvement.
- Supporting staff to navigate complexity, risk and ethical decision-making.
Safeguarding is not just a professional process. It is a human response to risk, harm and vulnerability. Your leadership sets the tone—for proportionate action, compassionate support, and respect for people’s rights and choices.
Make safeguarding everyone’s business. Train all staff to recognise signs of abuse and neglect. Promote a culture of openness and curiosity. Ensure your Safeguarding Adults Board is visible, credible, and well-supported.
Data matters—but so does narrative. Use case reviews, audits and user feedback to shape learning and improvement. Challenge poor practice. Share good practice. And make space for reflective supervision and peer support.
Safeguarding is a collective responsibility—but your role is pivotal. Lead with integrity. Stand up for people who can’t stand up for themselves. And ensure that systems of protection are themselves safe, inclusive, and just.