This section provides a summary of how to use this Greenwich Adult Policies, Procedures and Practice (APPP) portal, and its main features.

This is a recording of the Adult Policies, Procedures and Practice (APPP site) Launch Presentation (49 minutes). This includes an online demo of the features of the site (starts at 14 minutes 15 seconds).

Contents

Finding your way around this Portal

This portal is structured into different sections. The tabs along the top are the key areas:

‘Home’  provides information about the portal, space to include a message from the local director / chair; Using this APPP Portal is this page, which provides information about how to use this resource.

‘Contents’ contains the different sections and chapters in the main body of the portal.

‘Resources’ provides a range of relevant supporting information (see below).

‘Contact’ contains local contact details for teams, services and partner organisations. It also has a contact form, for you to send a message to the named single point of contact in your organisation who oversees the coordination of this portal, should you have a comment or suggestion you wish to make.

Hover your cursor over one of the tabs, and a drop down list will appear with each named section / page. Click on the one you want and it will take you to the specific information you require.

When you are on a section / page, the remaining contents list for that tab is accessible via the buttons below. You can either click on one of these, to go to the next section you want, or you can use the back / forward arrows in the top left next to your address bar or the page up / page down buttons on your key board.

When you are in a webpage that has a contents list, you will notice a blue tab on the right hand side. You can click on this at anytime when you are in the chapter and it will bring up the contents list. This means you can jump around sections of the page, without having to return to the top to see the contents. It is particularly useful in longer chapters.

Accessibility Options

This portal has a number of different options to aid online reading. Using the ‘Accessibility’ drop-down menu on the left-side of the screen, you can change to green, blue or pink backgrounds, high contrast (dyslexia-friendly) purple text on a beige background, high visibility yellow text on a black background or you can return to the default setting.You can also resize the website by pressing CTRL and + together to make the site larger, you can keep pressing this to increase the zoom level. Pressing CTRL and – together makes the site smaller. This is a feature built into your web browser, known as in-browser zooming, and so depending on the browser you’re using the controls may be different.

In addition, the site is designed to be accessible for users of text only and screen reader software programs which allow blind or visually impaired users to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech synthesizer or braille display. Our content is consistently structured, including headings, which makes using the software on our site easier. Also, when viewed though screen reader software, every page has a ‘Skip to main content’ link which allows software users to go straight to the main content of that page instead of receiving the full navigation options every time. Please share this information with blind or visually impaired colleagues.

Using the APPP Portal on Smartphones and Tablets

This portal works well on smartphones and tablets by typing in the weblink in the internet address bar. When used on a smartphone, the website will immediately convert into a mobile friendly version, where the tabs sit behind the Menu button. If it does not work straightaway, tap on the refresh circle in the address bar.

If your phone or tablet has a reader option (it may be an ‘R’ or say ‘Reader’ in the address bar, you may have to install it), tap on it and it will convert the text into a more easy to read version for phones or tablets.

Adding Shortcuts to the APPP
You can easily access the APPP by installing a shortcut on your device, which will directly open up your internet browser to the APPP site. You can do so using the following methods:

  • on desktop / laptops: go to the homepage of the APPP portal website in your internet browser, then bookmark it using your browser’s bookmark feature. Open your browser’s list of bookmarked websites and drag the APPP bookmark onto the desktop of your device.
  • on smartphones / tablets: open the APPP portal website in your internet browser, and do the following:
    • on Android devices – click the three dots, and select ‘add to home screen’.
    • on iOS / Apple devices – click the share icon Apple share icon, scroll down the page and select ‘add to home screen’.

Resources

The Resources section contains a number of links and documents to supplement the information in chapters. It includes

For ease of use, if you can open the portal in two tabs next to each other you can click on the Resources section to consult related resources without leaving the chapter you are reading.

ePractice

Some key chapters in this Portal have epractice questions at the end, which help you test your understanding of the subject and provide evidence for your continuing professional development. For more information see: ePractice.

At the top of the questions you will be asked to enter your name and email address. It also asks for your manager’s email address, but the email that goes to them will not tell them anything about your results, or a pass / fail status, only that you have recently completed the questions.

The questions tare straightforward to answer. Some will only allow for a single choice of answer, for example true or false, and others have checkboxes which allow you to tick as many as you feel apply.

Once you reach the end just click on the blue’ Submit’ button to send in your answers. All questions must be answered before you can do this. You will automatically be taken to a detailed results page, showing you how you did and explaining the answers further. You’ll also receive a copy of those results via email, as well as a certificate of completion should you pass.

Quick Reads and Audio Summaries

Some chapters have summaries (Quick Reads) and Audios which provide key information for staff who do not need to know the full detail of the chapter. They can be found at the top of the relevant chapter. A full list can be found in Quick Reads and Audios, in Resources.

Reading Confirmation

This form enables Adult Social Care staff to confirm they have read specific chapters in this APPP. This is useful for newly employed staff as part of their induction, supervision, CPD and for team discussions for example.

When you complete and submit the form, it also requests your manager’s email address so a copy will go to them.

CQC Quality Statements

At the top of relevant chapters, we have added Quality Statements from the CQC Assessment Framework for local authorities.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich statements are included to help staff understand the service the CQC expects a good local authority to provide. They contain statements that local authorities should live up to in order to deliver truly person-centred care and support.

The ‘What people expect’ statements are taken from Making it Real which was developed with adults who have lived experience of adult social care, to capture what good, person-centred care looks like to them. These statements help staff understand what a good experience of care looks and feels like from the perspective of an adult who is in contact with the local authority.

Chapter Feedback

You can provide feedback on whether you found this site useful by using the ‘was this helpful’ tool at the bottom of each page.  If you found the content useful, select the ‘yes / thumbs up’ image, or if it was not helpful, you can select ‘no / thumbs down’. You will be given the option to provide additional feedback / comment. Any feedback you provide is anonymous.

Amendments

With each revised edition of your APPP portal, we indicate which chapters are new or have been updated. This information is available in this section in the table below and at the top of each chapter.

The chapter you wish to amend must be copied into Word and amended using track changes. Read Making Changes to Chapters for information about how to make the changes in the way we require.

August 2026

Chapter Summary of Changes
Equality, Diversity and Human Rights This chapter was amended to note that the Mental Health Act 2025 has extended the remit of the Human Rights Act 1998 to private care providers when providing care and treatment in hospital to patients (including informal patients) and aftercare under section 117 of the 1983 Act.
Section 117 Aftercare This chapter was amended to note that the Mental Health Act 2025 has extended the remit of the Human Rights Act 1998 to private care providers when providing care and treatment under section 117 of the 1983 Act. In section 3.2 Care planning, information was added in relation to Supervised Discharge/ Conditional Discharge Subject to Deprivation of Liberty Conditions.
Mental Health Act 1983 This chapter was amended to note that the Mental Health Act 2025 has extended the remit of the Human Rights Act 1998 to private care providers when providing care and treatment in hospital to patients (including informal patients) and aftercare under section 117 of the 1983 Act. In section 3.8 Nearest Relative – Section 26, a link was added to Resources for Nearest Relatives – Improving support for Nearest Relatives under the Mental Health Act.  Section 3.9 Supervised Discharge/ Conditional Discharge Subject to Deprivation of Liberty Conditions was added, to reflect a change made by Mental Health Act 2025.
Health and Care Passports In section 1. Introduction, a paragraph was added on findings from LeDR reviews.
Continuing Healthcare (NHS) The updated NHS Continuing Healthcare Consent form has been added. Section 4, Consent, has also been updated to reflect revised DHSC guidance on giving consent for information on care and treatment to be shared with a third party.
Working with People Living with Frailty This chapter was reviewed / generally refreshed and information added on how the NHS is identifying frailty using the electronic frailty index (eFI). Learning from a recently published National Audit Office report on support for people living with frailty was also added.
Whole Family Approach This chapter has been reviewed and updated throughout to reflect revised LGA Guidance ‘The Care Act and Whole Family Approaches’.
Working with People Living with Dementia The link to local information was updated.

A new Section 9, Missing Episodes, has been added. It contains information on how technology can be used to help keep adults safe, and the Herbert Protocol which is a national scheme that provides the police and other emergency services with essential information if an adult with dementia goes missing.

June 2026

Chapter Summary of Changes
Safeguarding A link was added to the London Multi-Agency Adult Safeguarding Policy, Practice Guidance and Procedures.
Adult Safeguarding A link was added to the London Multi-Agency Adult Safeguarding Policy, Practice Guidance and Procedures.
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards This chapter has been updated in line with a Supreme Court ruling on deprivation of liberty. References to the ‘acid test’ have been removed, and replaced with detail from the Court judgment, see Section 3, Identifying Deprivation of Liberty.

Section 14, Patients Receiving Life Sustaining Treatment has also been updated.
Mental Health Act 1983 This chapter has been updated in line with a Supreme Court ruling on deprivation of liberty, to remove references to the ‘acid test’.
Transition to Adult Care and Support This chapter has been updated in line with a Supreme Court ruling on deprivation of liberty, to remove references to the ‘acid test’ and previous case law.

February 2026

Chapter Summary of Changes
Health and Care Passports This new chapter was added.  It outlines key safeguarding issues for adults with learning disabilities.
Working with Adults with Learning Disabilities This new chapter was added. It gives an overview of health and care passports which are used to share information with health and social care staff so they can provide adults with the right care and treatment.
Complaints This chapter was updated throughout to reflect updated LGSCO guidance Adult Social Care Complaints, Reviews and Appeals: A Good Practice Guide for Local Authorities and Guide for Complaint Managers: Designing and Delivering Effective Complaint Systems.
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards In section 11. Deprivation of Liberty outside a Hospital or Registered Care Home Setting, a link was added to the ADASS Community Deprivation of Liberty Priority Tool. 

A note was added on the consultation on Liberty Protection Safeguards.
Modern Slavery In section 3, Identifying Victims a link was added to the Modern Slavery Self Identification Tool (Human Trafficking Foundation).  Links were added to local information.
End of Life Care New section 7.1 was added on Support for Carers. A link was added to local information – Carers Assessment, Support Plan and Review Practice Guidance.
Domestic Abuse A new section 2.1 Dementia and Domestic Abuse was added, to highlight issues to consider when domestic abuse and dementia are both present in a relationship. A link to a practitioner toolkit and safety planning tool developed by Aberystwyth University was also added, together with a link to local information on MARAC and domestic abuse.
Working with People Living with Dementia A new Section 9, Dementia and Domestic Abuse was added, to highlight issues for practitioners to consider when domestic abuse and dementia are both present in a relationship. A link to a practitioner toolkit and safety planning tool developed by Aberystwyth University was also added along with a link to local information.
Direct Payments A link was added to local information.  A new section 16, Reclaiming Direct Payments, was added.
Workplace Harassment and Violence to Staff Links to Local Information were added.

December 2025

Chapter Summary of Changes
Direct Payments In section 21.2 Relevant Information, a link was added to Understanding Direct Payments Learning Series (Think Local, Act Personal).
Supervision In section 6.2 Relevant Information, a link was added to Reflective Supervision – How to Put Reflection at the Heart of Practice (Research in Practice).
Workplace Harassment and Violence to Staff In section 5.2 Relevant Information, a link was added to Managing Online Abuse and Harassment of Staff (Local Government Association).
No Recourse to Public Funds In section 8.2 Relevant Information, a link was added to No Recourse to Public Funds: A Toolkit for Social Workers in England.
Equality, Diversity and Human Rights In section 6.2 Relevant Information, a link was added to Human rights easy read postcards (British Institute of Human Rights).
Working with Autistic Adults In section 8.2 Relevant Information, a link was added to Tackling Inequalities in Care for People with Learning Disabilities and Autistic People (SCIE).
Self-Neglect and Hoarding In Relevant Information, a link was added to Ten Top Tips when Working with Adults who Hoard – Community Care.
Carers: Preventing, Reducing or Delaying Needs A link was added to Supporting Carers Hub (ADASS).
Carers and Adult Safeguarding A link was added to Supporting Carers Hub (ADASS).
Carers’ Breaks A link was added to Supporting Carers Hub (ADASS).

August 2025

A new side bar has been added to the site. When you are in a webpage that has a contents list, you will notice a blue tab on the right hand side. You can click on this at anytime when you are in the chapter and it will bring up the contents list. This means you can jump around sections of the page, without having to return to the top to see the contents. It is particularly useful in longer chapters, such as Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Chapter Summary of Changes
Assessing and Managing Risk This chapter has been refreshed throughout.  It replaces the previous chapter called Risk Assessments.
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Section 4, Restrictions and Restraint has been updated to reference the LGA and ADASS publication Promoting less restrictive practice: reducing restrictions tool for practitioners and reinforces the importance of ensuring that least restrictive practice principles are being followed. A new Section 5.3 contains information on the ADASS DoLS Priority Tool, which can be used by local authorities to help screen requests to authorise a deprivation of liberty.
Measuring Outcomes in Adult Social Care This chapter has been updated,  linking the latest Handbook of Definitions and updating quotes.
Mental Capacity Additional information has been added to Section 3.1, Two stage test and a new Section3.2, Who should carry out a mental capacity assessment? has been added.
New chapter Summary
Executive Function This new chapter outlines what is executive functioning and its importance in mental capacity assessments in particular.

Next Edition

This APPP portal is regularly updated. Notifications will be sent out to staff, to alert you as to what has been updated and what is new.

Search

On the home screen, type in the word or phrase you are looking for in the ‘Search’ facility and press ‘Enter’. It will bring up a list of all the chapters where it appears. Click on the one you want. The word / phrase will remain highlighted in the chapter.

To make sure the search results more accurately reflect what you are looking for, you can add inverted commas (also known as speech marks) to the word or term you are looking for, for example “safeguarding” or “adult safeguarding”.

If you want to search for specific text within a chapter or a pdf document, you can also press ‘Ctrl’ and ‘f’ together. A box will appear in the top right of your screen. Type in the word / phrase you want to find and press ‘Enter’. The number of times it appears in the chapter will be displayed next to your word. Use the up and down arrows next to it to find all the references.

Print

This portal has been designed to be used online. If you print a chapter, for example to take to a meeting, please note it is valid for 72 hours only from the date it was printed. Whilst this portal is usually updated every six months, there may be occasions when it is updated urgently as a result of a Safeguarding Adults Review or inspection recommendation, so it is important to be sure that you are using the most recent copy. This is why we recommend that if you have to print a chapter, you no longer refer to it after that time.

Please remember that the portal can be also accessed on smartphones and tablets (see Using the APPP Portal on Smarthones and Tablets).

Copyright

The chapter content in this portal can be accessed, downloaded and printed unchanged, on a temporary basis. Any content printed or downloaded may not be sold, licensed, transferred, copied or reproduced in part or in whole in any manner or format without the prior written permission of Policy Partners Project Ltd.

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