Revised NHS Safeguarding Accountability & Assurance Framework published
NHS England has published a revised Safeguarding Accountability & Assurance Framework (SAAF). The new framework has been updated to reflect the safeguarding reforms that have passed through government since the last publication in 2017. The purpose of the SAAF is to set out clearly the safeguarding roles and responsibilities of all individuals working in providers of NHS funded care settings and NHS commissioning organisations. The document aims to:
- identify and clarify how relationships between health and other systems work at both strategic and operational levels to safeguard children, young people and adults at risk of abuse or neglect
- clearly set out the legal framework for safeguarding children and adults as it relates to the various NHS organisations, in order to support them in discharging their statutory requirements to safeguard children and adults;
- outline principles, attitudes, expectations and ways of working that recognise that safeguarding is everybody’s business and that the safety and well-being of those in vulnerable circumstances are at the forefront of our business;
- identify clear arrangements and processes to be used to support practice and provide assurance at all levels, including NHS England and NHS Improvement Board, that safeguarding arrangements are in place;
- promote equality by ensuring that health inequalities are addressed and are at the heart of NHS England’s values.
Click here to download the SAAF.
Published