Adult Support and Protection Committee

Part 1 of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 requires that each local authority establishes an ‘Adult Protection Committee’ with the following functions:

(a) to keep under review the procedures and practices of the public bodies and office-holders to which this section applies which relate to the safeguarding of adults at risk present in the council's area (including, in particular, any such procedures and practices which involve co-operation between the council and other public bodies or office-holders to which this section applies);

(b) to give information or advice, or make proposals, to any public body and office-holder to which this section applies on the exercise of functions which relate to the safeguarding of adults at risk present in the council's area;

(c) to make, or assist in or encourage the making of, arrangements for improving the skills and knowledge of officers or employees of the public bodies and office-holders to which this section applies who have responsibilities relating to the safeguarding of adults at risk present in the council's area;

(d) any other function relating to the safeguarding of adults at risk as the Scottish Ministers may by order specify.

The Highland Adult Support and Protection Committee comprises representatives of the three main public bodies that are concerned with public protection – the Highland Council, NHS Highland and Northern Constabulary. In addition, the Care Commission is represented. The Committee has an independent Chair – Ian Gibson – and meets four times a year.

The Committee is responsible for ensuring that there are robust inter-agency procedures in place that make clear the respective roles and responsibilities of all those concerned with safeguarding people who considered to be at risk of harm. Highland’s Inter-Agency Procedures were launched in April 2010 and these are regularly reviewed to ensure that they support staff to practice competently and confidently and provide the highest level of protection possible to the vulnerable people who live in our communities.

The Committee published its first Biennial Report in October 2010.