Why Section 42 enquiry matters
A practical guide to Section 42 enquiry for safeguarding partners, providers and system leaders. Learn the governance, evidence and delivery steps that improve outcomes and reduce risk. Effective safeguarding depends on professional curiosity, robust escalation, timely information sharing and governance that turns learning into safer practice.
The current landscape
Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) and Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (CSPRs) are statutory learning processes designed to improve multi-agency practice. However, their value depends entirely on whether the recommendations are implemented and whether practice actually changes. Too often, reviews produce lengthy reports with generic recommendations that are difficult to track or embed.
Information sharing remains one of the most persistent challenges in safeguarding. The legal framework — including the Data Protection Act 2018, GDPR and the Children Act — permits (and in some cases requires) sharing of information where there are safeguarding concerns. Despite this, practitioners frequently cite data protection as a barrier, leading to dangerous gaps in multi-agency intelligence.
What organisations need to know
This article focuses on Section 42 Enquiries: A Practical Guide for Adult Safeguarding Leads and the wider priorities around Section 42 enquiry, adult safeguarding enquiry, Care Act safeguarding. The strongest organisations do not treat this as a stand-alone exercise — they connect governance, workforce, communication and evidence so leaders can make decisions quickly and confidently.
Safeguarding partners, providers and system leaders should consider these questions before proceeding:
- What does your safeguarding supervision model look like in practice?
- How do you measure the quality of your safeguarding practice, not just the volume?
- How does your organisation support practitioners to exercise professional curiosity?
Practical checklist
Getting Section 42 enquiry right requires structured preparation and disciplined follow-through:
- Clarify statutory duties, thresholds, decision-making routes and escalation responsibilities
- Bring agencies together around a shared chronology, agreed risks and clear ownership of actions
- Use supervision, learning events and governance reporting to embed improvement across teams
- Translate Section 42 enquiry into named actions, owners and realistic deadlines
- Keep evidence, decisions and outcomes in one place so future assurance, inspection or procurement activity is easier to manage
Evidence you should have ready
Organisations with strong evidence bases consistently perform better in safeguarding activities. Key evidence includes:
- Training attendance and competency assessment records for safeguarding staff
- Case examples demonstrating effective escalation and multi-agency coordination
- Supervision records demonstrating critical reflection on safeguarding cases
Governance considerations
Strong governance underpins successful delivery. For Section 42 enquiry, this means:
- Regular safeguarding governance reports to the board or partnership with qualitative analysis
- Clear escalation pathways that practitioners understand and feel confident using
Common mistakes to avoid
Based on our experience working with safeguarding partners, providers and system leaders, these are the most frequent errors:
- Allowing threshold disputes to delay action on clear risk
- Focusing on process completion without testing whether practice changed
- Producing action plans after reviews without tracking implementation or measuring impact
Avoiding these pitfalls requires leadership commitment, clear accountability and a willingness to seek independent review when internal perspectives may be limited.
How CPGB Ltd can help
We support safeguarding partners, providers and system leaders with safeguarding reviews, practitioner support, governance improvement and multi-agency facilitation. Our team combines frontline health and social care experience with practical consultancy so recommendations are proportionate, evidence-led and built for real delivery.
With over 100 years of combined NHS experience and a track record that includes contracts worth over £200 million, investigations across 50+ NHS trusts and 40+ CQC improvements achieved, we bring both credibility and practical expertise to every engagement.
Contact us to discuss Section 42 enquiry and the wider priorities around adult safeguarding enquiry, Care Act safeguarding.