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Over 20 years experience of training in the care sector
Call us on
020 3129 5667
Care Inspectorate Wales has highlighted important changes to Section 5 of the Wales Safeguarding Procedures, covering allegations and concerns about practitioners and people in positions of trust.
The revised procedures were updated in June 2026 and highlighted by Care Inspectorate Wales on 10 July. They are intended to strengthen how safeguarding allegations are managed across Wales so that responses are safe, fair, consistent and lawful.
For care providers, this is a useful prompt to review local procedures, staff knowledge and management responsibilities before a concern arises.
What is Section 5?
Section 5 explains how concerns and allegations should be managed when they involve someone whose paid or voluntary work brings them into contact with children or adults at risk, or someone who occupies a position of trust.
This can include residential care workers, home care workers, support workers, personal assistants and many other roles across health, social care, housing and voluntary services.
The procedures sit alongside wider safeguarding processes. Their purpose is to protect children and adults at risk while ensuring concerns about practitioners are handled fairly and consistently.
What has changed?
Care Inspectorate Wales says the revised procedures strengthen how allegations against practitioners and people in positions of trust are managed.
The updated Section 5 includes clearer information on threshold criteria, initial responses, reporting, employer responsibilities, strategy discussions, information sharing, outcomes, timescales and the role of the Local Authority Designated Officer or Designated Officer for Safeguarding.
CIW has also said it will begin reviewing how partners are applying the changes later in 2026.
This means providers should check how their safeguarding, HR and management arrangements connect with the revised national procedures.
What should happen when a concern is received?
The updated procedures give clear expectations for the initial response.
Anyone receiving information about a possible safeguarding allegation should take it seriously, keep an open mind, record the information factually and report it immediately to the organisation’s safeguarding lead.
They should not investigate the allegation themselves, ask leading questions or promise confidentiality.
If a child or adult at risk is believed to be in immediate danger, the police and any other relevant services should be contacted.
The key principle for workers is to recognise, respond, record and report — not decide whether an allegation is true.
What are the employer’s responsibilities?
Employers have significant responsibilities once an allegation or concern has been identified.
They should ensure the immediate safety of those involved and complete an initial organisational risk assessment. They should consider what measures may be needed while enquiries or investigations take place.
Depending on the circumstances, this could include changes to duties, additional support or restrictions. Employment decisions remain the employer’s responsibility and should be made fairly in line with relevant policies and advice.
Importantly, employers must notify the Local Authority Designated Officer or Designated Officer for Safeguarding within 24 hours, or the next working day.
They should also consider safe care arrangements for any other children or adults at risk who may be affected.
What is the LADO/DOS role?
Every local authority must have a senior designated officer responsible for managing and monitoring allegations or concerns about practitioners and people in positions of trust.
The Local Authority Designated Officer, or LADO, and delegated Designated Officer for Safeguarding, or DOS, help determine thresholds, coordinate the Section 5 process and support consistent decision-making.
The employer still remains responsible for employment decisions and for considering whether the worker can safely continue in their role while the process is ongoing.
Fair treatment is part of safeguarding
The revised procedures also emphasise fair treatment of the person who is the subject of an allegation.
Where it is safe and appropriate, they should be informed about the allegation and process. Employers should provide wellbeing support and ensure they are treated fairly and honestly.
This matters because an allegation is not the same as a finding that abuse or harm occurred. Providers need to avoid prejudging the outcome while taking appropriate steps to protect people.
What should care providers do now?
Providers in Wales should use the update to check five areas:
Providers should also make sure staff can access the current Wales Safeguarding Procedures rather than relying on older saved guidance.
Why training matters
Safeguarding training should do more than help workers recognise possible abuse.
Workers and managers also need to understand what to do when a concern involves a colleague, practitioner, volunteer or other person in a position of trust. Asking leading questions, delaying a report or starting an informal investigation can complicate the safeguarding process.
Managers need confidence around escalation, recording, risk assessment and the distinction between safeguarding processes and internal employment procedures.
How CareTutor can help
CareTutor’s new Wales safeguarding course is due to launch soon and has been developed specifically around the Welsh safeguarding context.
It will help care and support workers understand their responsibilities, recognise concerns and respond appropriately, while reinforcing the wider role of managers, safeguarding leads and local safeguarding processes.
Want to make sure your workforce is ready for the latest safeguarding expectations in Wales? Speak to CareTutor about our upcoming Wales safeguarding course and how it can support safer, more confident practice across your organisation.