Fife Multi-Agency Adult Protection Guidance - Home Page

Seven Elements of the Adult Support & Protection (Scotland) Act 2007The Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 seeks to address theissues of adult support and protection, through its seven key elements:• principles governing intervention in an adult’s affairs• definitions of an “adult at risk” and of “harm” (see Sections 3 & 53 ofthe Act)• statutory duties on local authorities to inquire and investigate• duty of co-operation• offences (see Section 49 of the Act)• protection orders (see Sections 11 - 28 of the Act)• duty to establish Adult Protection Committees (see Section 42 of theAct).Fife Council's Social Work Service will be the lead agency, receiving reportsof harm and determining the actions to be taken.Principles underpinning the Adult Support & Protection (Scotland) Act2007 (Section 1& 2 of the Act).The principles underpinning the Act mean that:• intervention must benefit the adult• actions should be supportive and least restrictive, and• interventions must have regard:- to the wishes of the adult and relevant others- to providing information and support to enable the adult toparticipate in the process- to the adult’s abilities, background and characteristics- to not treating the adult any less favourably than any otherperson in a comparable situation.In addition agencies working to support and protect adults at risk in Fife willwork together to ensure that all services provided will value diversity andpromote equality in terms of age, disability, gender, sexuality, previousoffending behaviour, cultural, racial and religious identities.9