About Us

Sunderland’s Safeguarding Adults Partnership was previously known as the Multi-Agency Panel for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (MAPPVA).

MAPPVA was originally established in 1997, in response to recommendation by the Association for the Directors of Social Services (ADSS), for the development of local multi-agency policy and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse.

The first citywide Procedural Framework, to respond to suspicions or allegations of abuse of a vulnerable adult, was implemented in January 1998. These procedures were subsequently rewritten into a second edition, distributed in 2002, to take account of the guidance within ‘No Secrets’, published by the Department of Health in March 2000. In April 2002 the MAPPVA panel established itself into a formal Executive Committee to ensure the effective implementation of policy and procedures across all sectors and all organisations involved in supporting vulnerable adults across the City.

Since that time much good work has been done to strive to keep Sunderland at the forefront of good practice in this area, contributing to the development of national guidance as well the development of good practice and procedures in other local authorities. The Procedural Framework as well as other areas of practice such as training and raising public awareness have been acknowledged as examples of good practice by the Social Services Inspectorate and national organisations such as Action on Elder Abuse. Sunderland was chosen in 2004 as one of the best practice sites, in adult protection, in England.