Exceptional Risk Forum (ERF
Who its for:
The Exceptional Risk Forum has been established by the Leeds Safeguarding Adults Board in recognition that sometimes, despite the best efforts of agencies to work together to intervene and provide support to someone, an exceptional risk to their safety can remain.
The Forum can accept referrals in relation to any adult aged 18 years or over:
- Who requires assistance with aspects of their day to day living as a result of a physical or mental impairment or illness (including a mental health condition or substance misuse), and;
- Who lives in circumstances of exceptional risk to themselves despite the best efforts of individual agencies and multi-agency approaches to mitigate those risks
Referrals can only be accepted by professionals and with the approval of their organisation's lead.
There is a clear expectation that prior to making a referral to the Forum, agencies will have explored the available options to respond to and mitigate the risks that the person experiences. It is only where these approaches have been tried and have been unsuccessful in mitigating exceptional risk, that a referral to the forum should be considered.
What the Forum can offer:
- The Exceptional Risk Forum can offer agencies with a fresh perspective and multi-agency advice and recommendations as to how that person's risk could be reduced.
What the Forum cannot offer:
- Funding - The Forum has no funds of its own. It cannot fund or commission services for any individual.
- Access to services - The Forum is unable to provide access to services. It cannot be used to bypass any organisation referral processes or eligibility criteria.
- To resolve disputes - In the event of disputes these should be addressed between agencies using the Board's Professional Concerns Resolution process
- Ongoing case management - The Forum cannot be responsible for the ongoing management of an individual's support. Individual practitioners and services retain responsibility for their service responses, including the decision to act upon or not act upon the advice given.
- To track progress - The Forum is unable to ask for or receive updates on progress, as it has no means to act on the information provided. It is possible for a re-referral to be make to the Forum however if this is necessary to achieve improved outcomes for the individual concerned.
- Crisis resolution - The Forum works through a planned referral process with set monthly meeting dates. It cannot offer advice outside of these arrangements and so is unable to respond to emergency or crisis situations. Where such situations arise, these need to be responded to by the responsible agencies within their agreed arrangements and procedures.
NB. It is important to note that the Exceptional Risk Forum is not a replacement for any other process or procedures, including the multi-agency safeguarding adults policy and procedures.
Where there is a need to raise a safeguarding adults concern:
- You must contact Adults & Health
- You must not make an ERF referral instead