If a safeguarding is raised while a patient is in an acute hospital setting, or a safeguarding concern has led to a hospital admission the hospital social worker will complete the section 42.1 to start the safeguarding process. 

If the safeguarding issue occurred in hospital the hospital social work team will lead on the safeguarding where the nature of the safeguarding relates to a hospital event, the enquiry and following actions will be managed internally by the hospital social work team.

However, if the adult is known to the neighbourhood team a decision will be made as to who would be best placed to complete the section 42.2 form and further actions.  

Considerations regarding who is best placed to deal with out-of-borough cases with other local authorities will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

If the safeguarding concern was identified while the adult is in hospital, but the issue occurred in the community and not in the hospital, the hospital social worker will complete the section 42.1 form to start the safeguarding process.  When the person has been discharged from the section 42.2 form will be sent to the relevant neighbourhood team to lead on the safeguarding.

If the safeguarding issue did not occur in hospital the hospital social worker will take appropriate action while the person remains in hospital and when the person has been discharged the section 42.2 form will be sent to the relevant neighbourhood team or social worker to lead on the safeguarding.

A process map regarding safeguarding and hospital discharge has been developed to outline the steps to followed in this instance and to support your understanding.