Coordinating Safeguarding Enquiries: Agency Roles and Lead Duties
Who is responsible for co-ordinating safeguarding enquiries?
In the UK, local authorities are the lead agencies responsible for coordinating safeguarding enquiries for both children and adults. This legal duty is carried out through multi-agency partnerships involving the police, health services, and other relevant organisations.
For adult safeguarding, enquiries are often led by a Safeguarding Adults Manager (SAM) or a designated officer from the local authority’s Safeguarding Adults Team.
The local authority determines the most appropriate approach, monitors progress, and may delegate specific tasks to other agencies—while remaining the overall lead and accountable body.
This coordinated structure ensures that safeguarding responses are proportionate, timely, and informed by the expertise of all involved professionals.
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Adult Safeguarding Coordination
- Legal Duty: Under Section 42 of the Care Act 2014, local authorities must make enquiries—or delegate them—if an adult with care and support needs is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect.
- Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB): This board brings together key partners such as the NHS, police, and other bodies to oversee safeguarding strategy and practice.
- Safeguarding Adults Manager (SAM): Within the local authority, the SAM ensures agencies work together effectively, even when investigations are delegated.
- Police Role: If a criminal offence is suspected, the police lead the investigation, with the local authority supporting by sharing relevant information.
Child Safeguarding Coordination
Statutory Partners
Safeguarding enquiries for children are led by three core partners:
- The local authority.
- The Integrated Care Board (ICB).
- The police.
Designated Officers:
- Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO): Oversees concerns involving professionals who work with children.
- Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Every organisation working with children must appoint a DSL to manage concerns and liaise with the local authority.
Section 47 Enquiries:
If there is reasonable cause to suspect significant harm, the local authority must lead a coordinated assessment with relevant professionals.
Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH):
Many areas operate a MASH, where agencies share information and jointly assess risk to plan appropriate responses.
Who is a Safeguarding Coordinator?
A safeguarding coordinator is the person responsible for overseeing how safeguarding concerns are managed within an organisation or setting.
Their role is to ensure that any concerns about abuse, neglect, or exploitation are:
- Recognised and responded to promptly.
- Reported to the appropriate safeguarding authority (usually the local authority).
- Handled in line with legal duties, policies, and best practice.
- Supporting staff with guidance, training, and policy compliance.
- Maintaining records and ensuring legal and regulatory duties are met.
- Liaising with external agencies, such as the police, social care, and health services
They often serve as the main point of contact for staff, volunteers, or external agencies and go by different titles depending on the setting, such as Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) in schools or Safeguarding Adults Manager (SAM) in adult social care.
Working Together
Safeguarding responses can range from single-agency actions to full multi-agency investigations, including police-led enquiries. The multi-agency framework ensures effective information sharing, risk assessment, and protection for individuals at risk.
What Does “Multi-Agency” Mean in Safeguarding?
When we say safeguarding is a multi-agency process, we mean that several organisations work together to protect adults at risk. While the local authority leads the enquiry, it doesn’t act alone.
Key partners include:
- Police – lead any criminal investigations and help assess risk.
- Health services – provide medical insight and support for physical or mental health needs.
- Social care teams – assess care needs and coordinate support.
- Housing, probation, and financial services – help address wider risks like homelessness, exploitation, or financial abuse.
- Voluntary and community organisations – often have close contact with individuals and can raise concerns early.
This joined-up approach ensures that information is shared, risks are assessed holistically, and responses are coordinated to keep the person safe.
Even if one agency leads a specific part of the enquiry, the local authority remains responsible for overseeing the process and ensuring the right actions are taken.
How Safeguarding Coordination Works in Practice
Safeguarding coordination is about ensuring that concerns are responded to promptly, proportionately, and collaboratively.
Here’s how it typically works:
1. Concern is Raised
A safeguarding concern might come from a care worker, teacher, GP, family member, or even the individual themselves. It could relate to abuse, neglect, exploitation, or serious risk.
2. Referral to the Local Authority
The concern is referred to the local authority’s safeguarding team, which acts as the lead agency. For adults, this triggers a Section 42 enquiry under the Care Act 2014.
For children, it may lead to a Section 47 enquiry under the Children Act 1989.
3. Initial Screening and Risk Assessment
The safeguarding team assesses the concern to determine:
- Whether the person is at risk.
- What immediate actions are needed.
- Which agencies need to be involved.
4. Multi-Agency Coordination
Relevant organisations are brought together—often through a Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) or case conference.
This may include:
- Police (for criminal investigations).
- Health professionals (for medical or mental health input).
- Social workers (for care planning).
- Education, housing, probation, or voluntary sector (depending on the case).
Each agency shares information and agrees on roles, actions, and timelines.
5. Safeguarding Adults Manager or Designated Officer Leads
A Safeguarding Adults Manager (SAM) or Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) oversees the process, ensuring:
- The enquiry is proportionate and legally compliant.
- Agencies follow through on agreed actions.
- The person at risk is involved in decisions wherever possible.
6. Investigation and Protection Planning
Depending on the case, this may involve:
- A single-agency enquiry (e.g. care provider investigating poor practice).
- A joint enquiry (e.g. police and social care investigating abuse).
- Immediate protection measures (e.g. removing someone from harm).
7. Outcome and Follow-Up
The enquiry concludes with:
- A decision on whether abuse or neglect occurred.
- A protection plan or support package.
- Monitoring and review to ensure safety and wellbeing.
This process ensures that safeguarding is not just reactive, but coordinated, accountable, and person-centred.
Final Thought
In safeguarding enquiries, a single point of coordination is usually a managing officer or nominated deputy. This ensures clarity and oversight when multiple agencies are involved.
The lead agency must maintain clear communication across all professionals to prevent duplication, delays, or conflicting actions.
The local authority also monitors the progress of enquiries delegated to other organisations, ensuring that each part of the process remains focused, lawful, and protective.
Who is responsible for investigating a safeguarding incident?
Safeguarding investigations involve multiple agencies. Local authorities lead on care-related concerns, while police take charge if a criminal offence is suspected. All enquiries require multi-agency collaboration to ensure a coordinated, proportionate, and protective response for those at risk.
Who does the Care Act 2014 state is the lead for co-ordinating safeguarding?
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities lead adult safeguarding, coordinating enquiries when adults with care needs face abuse or neglect. They also establish Safeguarding Adults Boards with partners like the police and NHS to oversee multi-agency safeguarding efforts
Who leads a section 47 enquiry?
For a Section 47 enquiry, a local authority social worker leads the child protection investigation, authorised after a strategy meeting with agencies. Police, health professionals, and schools must cooperate. If a criminal offence is involved, the police lead the criminal investigation alongside the social work enquiry.
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