Adult Safeguarding and Protection (ASaP)

Who we are?  

The Group for Adult Safeguarding and Protection is an IASW Special Interest Group. We are a group of professional Social Workers, from a wide variety of settings, including lead and designated adult safeguarding roles, across various settings;  medical, primary care, disability residential, community and aftercare, mental health, statutory, voluntary and faith-based agencies and charities, homeless services, and social housing, older persons sector, prisons and direct provision as well as representatives from academics, students and those with an interest in adult safeguarding.  

Vision Statement   

For all adults to be safeguarded with equal access to protection across Ireland and supported within the code of conduct and ethics, law, policy, regulations and standard of best professional social work practice for social justice, and to promote and protect human rights. 

Objectives  

1. Establish and maintain a cross-sector Adult Safeguarding and Protection social work group.
2. Gather, share and discuss knowledge, research and developments in safeguarding.
3. To raise awareness about Adult Safeguarding and associated topics.
4. Represent professional social work on various safeguarding committees nationally and locally.
5. Encourage the development of an informed and collective social work opinion, and advocacy to advance / promote Adult Safeguarding across Ireland.
6. Critically analyse Adult Safeguarding from a professional, legal, socio-economic, cultural, equality, diverse and inclusive and rights-based perspective, within the Irish context and with reference to international research and standard of best practice.
7. Ensure that social workers are active participants in the integration and implementation of Adult Safeguarding knowledge into service provision across ALL sectors

Committee Members  

• Chair - Jacinta Barrett

How often meetings take place:  

In accordance with our Special Interest Group Terms of Reference, SIG’s shall:

• Hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year and elect a new committee.
• The Committee shall meet not less than four times per year and can include the AGM, but more frequently if considered necessary by the committee. The quorum for all meetings of the Committee shall be four (4) members.

Current Activities/Plans/Projects 

• Organising CPD event with Safeguarding Ireland to promote Adult Safeguarding   
• Peer support through case scenarios  
• Information sharing and Involvement in promoting and advocacy regarding safeguarding developments. 

How to join Membership is also open to those working in statutory, voluntary agencies and charities. You can request to join this group via the IASW office administrator@iasw.ie or by emailing safeguardingiasw@gmail.com.