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The Safeguarding Young People 17.5+ Protocol is our first joint protocol, with the West Sussex Safeguarding Children's Partnership . The protocol is for Safeguarding Young People who are aged 17.5 and above and provides details of the practice required and process to be followed, by all in West Sussex, for safeguarding our transitional young people.
Date published: September 2025
Review due: September 2028
Additional notes: With thanks to Newcastle Safeguarding Adults Board on whose work this document is based on
The purpose of this protocol is to set out the arrangements for young people aged 17.5 years to 25 years, whose circumstances may mean that safeguarding adults procedures would apply when they are 18.
This includes young people who:
Whilst this criteria is set by the Care Act (2014), it is important to note that consideration is given to the holistic circumstances or young people, and the vulnerabilities and risks they have. This is in understanding of the types of abuse they may experience, and the impact of previous abuse. Therefore, if in doubt as to whether a young person would meet the criteria, contact the Safeguarding Adults Hub on 03302 228400.
Care and support is the mixture of practical, financial, and emotional support for adults who need extra help to manage their lives and be independent. This includes older people, people with a disability or long-term illness, people with mental health problems, and carers.
Care and support includes the assessment of people's needs and consideration of services to meet needs, including allocation of funds to enable a person to purchase their own care and support. It could include care home, home care, personal assistants, day services, or the provision of aids and adaptations.
The Care Act (2014) sets out the eligibility criteria which define whether an adult has care and support needs. If they do, then these needs must be met fully, or in part by the local authority. The national eligibility criteria set a minimum threshold for adult care and support and carer support. All local authorities must, at a minimum, meet needs at this level.
The threshold is based on identifying how an individual’s needs affect their ability to achieve relevant desired outcomes, and whether this has a significant impact on their wellbeing. The overall aim of adult care and support is to help people meet their needs to achieve the outcomes that matter to them, and which in turn promote their wellbeing.
The Department of Health and Social Care (2021) define ‘transitional safeguarding’ as an activity which falls outside of the traditional notions of either ‘safeguarding’, or ‘transitional planning’.
Transitional safeguarding requires practitioners to view safeguarding and transitions in a wider sense of human needs and experiences, rather than solely eligibility criteria. This protocol relates, not to overarching transitional planning, but rather specifically on how we can safeguarding young people who are experiencing or at risk of abuse and/or neglect.
This protocol can be used when working with young people who are transitioning from Children’s Services to independence, as well as from Children’s Services to Adults Services. Given the different legislation and practice between children’s and adults’ safeguarding, this protocol is essential in highlighting the holistic and joined-up approach needed for this cohort of young people.
It’s useful for us to be aware that research suggests that the human brain does not reach maturity until around the age of 25 years old (Blakemore, 2020).
The process from adolescence to adulthood is different for everyone. Even though some young people may not have formally defined care and support needs, some young people may still require support to be safe and well during this phase of their lives.
Regarding domestic abuse, sexual and criminal exploitation, it is essential to recognise the ongoing developmental cognition of a young person. This is because the young person may not recognise the sophisticated methods of exploitation that abusers will use to coerce and control young people.
As stated by the Department of Health and Social Care (2021), these types of harm, and their impacts, rarely cease when a person reaches 18. Any withdrawal of support may increase the young person’s vulnerability, exposure to potential abusers, and increase their propensity to become involved in perpetrating harm too. This is why the approach to transitional safeguarding should always be holistic, relational, and based on person-centred perspectives.
The Mental Capacity Act (2005) applies to all people over the age of 16 in England and Wales and should be understood in accordance with the Family Law Reform Act (1969) which states that young people aged 16 and over can consent to medical treatment, care, and support provision.
However, if concerns around the young person’s capacity to consent, or make specific decisions is in question, then a Mental Capacity assessment should be completed. If there is need to consider the mental capacity of a young person to make a decision, and they are aged 16 – 18 years, then a capacity assessment under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA, 2005) must be carried out for each specific decision. This must be taken forward by Children’s Services for cases open to them. Support and guidance from Adult Social Care can be accessed for this. If support is required, please contact the Safeguarding Adults Hub.
Clear and accurate recording of concerns regarding capacity, and assessments of this, should be documented. It is important to recognise that mental capacity can be affected by the abusive situation the young person is in. It is therefore key to consider the vulnerability of the young person in terms of any trauma, threats, coercion and/or coercive control they may have been experiencing, including when these commenced. Such experiences may have started before the young person was 18 but continue after they are 18 or continue to impact the young person’s capacity to make specific decisions.
Mental Capacity is time and decision-specific so there may be a need to repeat assessments. Advice on the MCA should be sought from senior practitioners or team managers. Further information can be found from the MCA Code of Practice (Office of the Public Guardian, 2013).
Abuse and neglect can take many forms. When it comes to the abuse and neglect of young people, it is important to recognise any threats, trauma, or coercion, which the young person may be experiencing, and how this may affect their ability to keep themselves safe.
When working with young people, it’s important to consider the following areas.
The Domestic Abuse Act (2021) creates a statutory definition of domestic abuse, emphasising that domestic abuse is not just physical violence, but can also be emotional, coercive, or controlling behaviour, and economic abuse. As part of this definition, children related to the person being abused or the perpetrator, will be explicitly recognised as victims if they see, hear, or otherwise experience the effects of abuse. It is also important to recognise and understand the impact and trauma that witnessing domestic abuse may have on a young person when trying to understand any safeguarding concerns.
It is important to consider whether a young person is being groomed and/or exploited for sexual or criminal exploitation. Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews have identified learning from cases of exploitation, including sexual exploitation. One of the key learning messages, is the need to understand contextual risks which adolescents experience. You can read more about contextual safeguarding in Firmin and Knowles (2020) The legal and policy framework for Contextual Safeguarding approaches (PDF, 754KB).
It is also important to consider the recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (Jay OBE, 2014). For instance, if a young person is believed to be a victim of, or at risk of sexual exploitation, then the inquiry states: ‘the young person is not capable of consenting to the abuse’. In West Sussex, there have been several recent cases where young people have been victims of exploitation in relation to County Lines Organised Criminal Groups and Cuckooing.
The UK Government (2021) define County Lines as: “A term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other forms of ‘deal line’. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons”.
The National Crime Agency (2018) define cuckooing as: “Drug dealers who take over a local property, normally belonging to a vulnerable person, and use it to operate their criminal activity from.”
It is important to be mindful that often young people do not see themselves as victims or realise they are or have been groomed to become involved in criminal activities or be sexually exploited. It is also important to consider that whilst a young person may pose a risk to others in these situations, including presenting as a perpetrator of violence or exploitation, they may potentially be a victim as well and therefore, also require safeguarding.
Tackling exploitation is a complex task. There are similarities between different forms of exploitation and the criminal and sexual exploitation of young people may overlap. Victims of exploitation may, at any one time, be subject to both. It is vital that frontline practitioners recognise, and by working together, deploy tactics to disrupt multiple types of exploitation when they occur. For further information see the Child Exploitation Disruption toolkit (Gov.uk, 2019).
Practitioners should consider structural inequalities when safeguarding young people. For instance, some young people may have protected characteristics which may disadvantage them from having equal access to opportunities for support or may increase their potential risk of harm and abuse. Therefore, safeguarding young people should always recognise potential structural inequalities and focus on diversity, equality, and inclusion.
As with all adult safeguarding processes, it is imperative that the young person is kept at the heart of all work taken forwards, and to ensure that they are involved in determining their preferred safeguarding outcomes.
This means that their views, wishes, beliefs and cultural factors should be sought, checked on, responded to, and documented throughout the safeguarding process. For more information, refer to the West Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board learning resources about Making Safeguarding Personal.
This protocol is in tandem with the transition arrangements between West Sussex Children’s Services and West Sussex Adult Services.
You can read about these transition arrangements in the following documents, which can be accessed via the West Sussex Connect to Support Professional Zone: Disability Transitions Panel Protocol for children with disabilities (WSCC Adults Services, 2025); Mental Health Transitions Panel Protocol (Non-Learning and Physical Disabilities) (WSCC Adults Services, 2025); Transition to adulthood (children and young people with mental health needs): practice guidance (WSCC Adults Services, 2024).
Step 1: If you are concerned that a young person is at risk of harm, complete the online safeguarding referral form.
If the concern is regarding a person under the age of 18, the referral will go to Children’s Services for consideration. If the concern relates to a person 18 or over, it will go to Adults’ Services for consideration. This is the case irrespective of whether a young person 18 or over is still in receipt of services from a Children’s Service.
Step 2: Where a safeguarding process is being led on by either Children’s Services or Leaving Care Service, invite a representative from Adults Social Care. Contact the Safeguarding Adults Hub to facilitate this.
It is particularly important to involve Adult Social Care where the safeguarding concern is anticipated to continue after the young person turns 18. Between them, services will agree who is best placed to progress the safeguarding process; Adults Social Care or Children’s Services. In all cases, information should be shared as appropriate between the services, including sharing any relevant previous safeguarding concerns at the earliest opportunity.
Step 3: Ensure that a safeguarding plan is determined no later than one month prior to the young person’s 18th birthday.
If there is already a safeguarding plan in place, this should be reviewed jointly between Adults Social Care and Children’s Services, as well as the Personal Assistant if the young person is in receipt of the Leaving Care Service. Any future safeguarding plans will be produced under safeguarding adults procedures.
Step 4: Once all avenues have been explored under safeguarding, if risk remains high, you should consider referring the young person to the Multi-Agency Risk Management (MARM) subgroup.
If, at any point after safeguarding processes are closed, new information indicates further risk, you should submit a new safeguarding referral.
To support referrers, the Sussex Safeguarding Adults Boards have created a guidance document to help referrers consider whether concerns are reportable, not reportable, or require consultation prior to submitting a referral. Please refer to this guidance when you are considering submitting a safeguarding referral.
Information about this risk should be shared appropriately with professionals who may work with the young person when they reach adulthood.
The young person who poses the risk may not come under safeguarding procedures unless they are themselves experiencing or at risk of abuse and/or neglect. The person at risk from a young person, if they appear to have care and support needs, may be meet the threshold for support under safeguarding. If this is the case the safeguarding procedure above, should be followed.
The following process outlines what will happen when a young person is funded by an out-of-area local authority, and a safeguarding concern is raised.
When a young person lives in West Sussex but is in receipt of funding from an out-of-area local authority, it will be the host authority, i.e. West Sussex County Council, who holds the responsibility to decide whether Children’s or Adults Services are best placed to triage and organise safeguarding arrangements. In all cases, representation should be sought from both Children’s and Adults Services in both local authorities (the host and the funding authority).
When a young person lives out-of-area but is in receipt of funding from West Sussex County Council, it will be the host authority, i.e. not West Sussex County Council, who make the triage decisions, in consultation with representatives from both local authorities.
If a young person aged 18 years or over dies, and abuse and/or neglect is suspected, the Sussex Adult Death Protocol should be considered.
If the Adult Death Protocol proceeds, the multi-agency meeting convened as part of that process will consider whether a Safeguarding Adults Review is indicated, and who would be best placed to submit that referral.
If the Adult Death Protocol does not proceed (or the young person has not died, but has experienced significant harm), and there is concern that there is multi-agency learning for agencies in the adults partnership, agencies should agree who would be best placed to submit a referral, with reference to the Sussex Safeguarding Adults Review Protocol.
If the young person is 18 or 19 years old and has been known to Children’s Services recently and not Adults Services, then Children’s Services should in the first instance, consider the work completed with the young person and any areas where there is an indication for learning.
If a Safeguarding Adults Review referral is submitted, the Safeguarding Adults Review subgroup will consider the referral alongside the referrer and a senior member of Children’s Services. Together, they will agree what type of review will progress, and who will lead on it. If there is a dispute of which Board should be leading, the Chairs of both Boards along with the West Sussex County Council Adults Assistant Director for Safeguarding, Planning and Performance and Children’s Head of Safeguarding, will together, decide on a way forward.
