About the tool
The Adult Safeguarding Risk Decision Making Tool (formerly Adult Safeguarding Risk Assessment Tool) is designed to assist practitioners in considering:
- the vulnerability of the adult at risk the seriousness of the abuse that is occurring
- the impact of the abuse and the risk of it recurring.
It is not designed to determine further actions, but rather to provide guidance and key considerations for practitioners who are assessing and managing risk. Practitioners should always seek advice from agency Safeguarding Leads when unsure what action should be taken in relation to concerns they may have. Safeguarding procedures should be used to not only react to significant harm occurring but also to prevent it from occurring where there are clear indicators of vulnerability and risk. Careful assessment of past information may indicate that although significant harm has not occurred on this occasion, it is highly likely to in the future. Therefore, a multi-agency response following safeguarding procedures is the best course of action.
