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.
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