safeguarding (2)

The Key Priorities from the First National Safeguarding Adults Board Meeting

In response to Baroness Casey’s recommendations on strengthening adult
safeguarding and improving the prevention of abuse and neglect, the
government has established a National Safeguarding Adults Board.

The creation of the Board marks a significant step towards improving
accountability and strengthening safeguarding across England. Its purpose is
to provide national oversight of serious adult safeguarding issues, promote
transparency, support system-wide learning when safeguarding failures occur,
and drive improvements that help ensure people can live free from abuse and
neglect, wherever they live.

The Board held its first meeting on 16 June 2026 and has already identified
several key priorities.

The Board will initially focus on:

✅Updating the Care Act statutory guidance on adult safeguarding to
improve implementation and consistency of practice across a range of
areas, including homelessness, drugs and alcohol, and transitional
safeguarding.

✅Overseeing an urgent review of the legal safeguarding framework
to identify whether changes are needed to ensure legislation is
robust enough to respond to serious safeguarding risks.

✅ review how local safeguarding concerns are escalated to a
national level.

✅consider whether the Board requires additional statutory powers
to carry out its role effectively.

✅Strengthening national oversight of local Safeguarding Adults
Boards while supporting improvements in the quality and consistency
of adult safeguarding practice across the country.

Why this matters
Effective safeguarding relies on strong leadership, clear accountability and a
culture of continuous learning. By providing national oversight and reviewing
the current legal framework, the National Safeguarding Adults Board aims to
strengthen how agencies work together, improve consistency across local
areas and ensure that lessons are learned when things go wrong.

For professionals working in health and social care, these developments are
likely to shape future safeguarding guidance, practice and accountability,
reinforcing the shared responsibility to protect adults at risk of abuse and
neglect.

Baroness Casey’s letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care with
her immediate asks of the Government can be found at the link below:
Details from The National Adult Safeguarding Boards first meeting are below: