About Us and How To Contact Us

The overarching purpose of the Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) is to help and safeguard adults with care and support needs by:

• Assuring itself that local safeguarding arrangements are in place as defined by the Care Act 2014 and statutory guidance;
• Assuring itself that safeguarding practice is person-centred and outcome-focused;
• Working collaboratively to prevent abuse and neglect where possible;
• Ensuring agencies and individuals give timely and proportionate responses when abuse or neglect have occurred; and
• Assuring itself that safeguarding practice is continuously improving and enhancing the quality of life of adults in its area.

The Board meets four times a year and has an Independent Chair.

In Lewisham the Board believes that "Safeguarding is Everyone's Business". Its pledge to the people in Lewisham is that by working together and in partnership the risk of abuse or harm can be reduced by raising awareness of safeguarding of adults. As intelligence is gathered from across the partnership activity trends can be analysed and areas of concern identified so that preventative measures can be applied to keep people safe.

**Do not contact the Independent Safeguarding Adults Board to report Safeguarding Concerns. You need to contact Adult Social Care Gateway at Lewisham Council. Please see "How to Report a Safeguarding Adult Concern" section below. Please also consider the transmission of personal information when making a referral to the Council. **

There are two ways that you can get in contact with us, by email or letter. 

Email Us

Postal Address: Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board, C/o London Borough of Lewisham, 3rd Floor, Laurence House, Catford, London, SE6 4RU.

How to Report a Safeguarding Adult Concern

If you suspect that you or an adult you care about may be at risk of abuse or neglect call Lewisham Adult Gateway on 020 8314 7777 alternatively if you have concerns about the immediate safety of an adult at risk then please contact the Police on 999.

There are a number of ways you can contact Gateway

The Gateway can be contacted Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm

Tel: 020 8314 7777 (select option 1)

Fax: 020 8314 3014

Email Gateway

You can also follow us on Twitter @lewisham_sab

Safeguarding Adults Reviews & How to Make a Referral

Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) will arrange a Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) when an adult in Lewisham dies as a result of abuse or neglect, whether known or suspected, and there is concern that partner agencies could have worked more effectively to protect the adult.

We will also arrange a SAR if an adult in Lewisham has not died, but the LSAB knows or suspects that the adult has experienced serious abuse or neglect.

We are also free to arrange for a SAR in any other situations involving an adult in Lewisham with needs for care and support.

The Department of Health's Safeguarding Care and Support Statutory Guidance guides the reviews we carry out.

Should the LSAB carry out a review we have a LSAB SAR Policy & Procedures October 2023 that we work to, which explains in detail what you can expect us to undertake for the Lewisham Community.

Read our published Safeguarding Adult Reviews.

Make a referral to the Board for a Safeguarding Adults Review

If you would like to refer a case to us for the boards consideration for a Safeguarding Adult sReview to be commissioned please use our dedicated notification form.

LSAB Structure and Members

The current membership of the LSAB:

• • Healthwatch Lewisham
  • Lewisham Adult Social Care
  • Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
  • NHS South East London Integrated Care System (ICS)
  • Lewisham Council - Policing & Public Safety
  • Lewisham Health and Social Care for Children and Families
  • Lewisham Homes
  • Lewisham Adult Integrated Commissioning
  • Lewisham Public Health
  • Lewisham Strategic Housing
  • London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
  • London Fire Brigade
  • Metropolitan Police Service
  • HM Prison and Probation Service
  • NHS England
  • South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
  • Department for Work and Pensions – South London District 
  • Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network
  • Lewisham Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP)
  • Age UK Lewisham and Southwark
  • Bromley, Lewisham and Greenwich MIND

Governance and operational structure

The LSAB is a self-governing independent body with a set of legal responsibilities and duties which came into force on the 1^st April 2015. The Board’s work is supported through the activities of four sub-groups which focus on key work streams to enhance the effectiveness of the Board. The membership of these sub-groups includes representatives from local organisations as well as the organisations represented on the LSAB itself.

The governance of the Board and sub-groups is supported by Chief Officers from the following organisations: Lewisham Council, Metropolitan Police Service, NHS Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust, Joint Commissioning for Lewisham, Public Health for Lewisham and the Chair of the Board.

The LSAB currently provides the Annual Report to the Healthier Communities Select Committee of the Council in order to provide assurance of how well safeguarding adults is progressing in Lewisham and to identify any areas of concern or challenge. In addition, the Annual Report is shared with the Lewisham Health and Wellbeing Board, which is a multi-agency group with statutory responsibilities.

Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board Structure

 

The LSAB Compact and Strategic Business Plan 2023-2024 describes how these organisations and their representatives on the Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) will work together in partnership to safeguard the residents of Lewisham in 2023-24. It is based on the statutory functions of Safeguarding Adults Boards as set out in the Care and Support Statutory Guidance, issued and updated from time to time by the Department of Health and Social Care.