An Inspection of Adult Safeguarding Arrangements in the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice System- Terms of Reference

Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) proposes to undertake an inspection of adult safeguarding arrangements across the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. 

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.  This was emphasised in the joint Department of Health and Department of Justice policy for ‘Adult safeguarding prevention and protection in partnership’.^[1]  It aimed to improve safeguarding arrangements for adults at risk of harm from abuse, exploitation or neglect noting that:

‘The language of adult safeguarding previously focused on protection and used the term ‘vulnerable adult.’ This was widely misinterpreted, often used out of context and, for some, the term implied weakness on the part of the adult, which many found unacceptable. This policy moves away from the concept of ‘vulnerability’ and towards establishing the concept of ‘risk of harm’ in adulthood.’

This policy set out the definition for an ‘adult at risk of harm’ and ‘an adult in need of protection.’  The definitions were located within a continuum of adult safeguarding activity as shown in Figure 1:

Figure 1: Adult Safeguarding – Definitions

Preventative safeguarding was required for adults at risk of harm and protective safeguarding when harm was likely or had already occurred.  A pathway for reporting safeguarding concerns was also set out within the policy as in Figure 2:

Figure 2: The Adult Safeguarding Continuum – Prevention to Protection

Criminal justice organisations encounter emerging adult safeguarding concerns and circumstances where adults needed protection and therefore had an essential role in the collective response to adult safeguarding. 

This inspection will focus on criminal justice organisations’ policy and guidance about the identification and reporting of adult safeguarding concerns, arrangements for promoting staff awareness of this, processes for making adult safeguarding referrals, and promoting access to justice for adults at risk who have been harmed as a result of abuse, exploitation or neglect.

Context

The introduction of an Adult Protection Bill to the Northern Ireland Assembly in June 2025 had been a recent and significant development.  The Bill, if passed, would ensure Northern Ireland was no longer the only part of the United Kingdom without a statutory basis for adult protection.^[2]  

The Commissioner for Older People had called for a Bill including in the investigation ‘Home Truths’ in June 2018.^[3]  This examined care at Dunmurry Manor Care Home finding that ‘the most important theme emerging from the investigation, and one which covers broad range of issues, is safeguarding.’  In August 2020 an Independent Review into the leadership and governance at Muckamore Abbey Hospital found serious adult safeguarding failings.^[4]  At the Adult Protection Bill’s Second Stage in the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Minister of Health stated that ‘Subsequent to those reports and the shocking failings at Muckamore and Dunmurry Manor, it was recognised that there was a need to review and improve the departments adult safeguarding policy.’^[5]

CJI thematic inspections covered a range of circumstances relevant to adult safeguarding.  Inspections relating to domestic and sexual abuse,^[6] the experiences of older people in the criminal justice system,^[7] hate crime^[8] and modern slavery^[9] are some examples.  Adult safeguarding arrangements were specifically examined during inspections of places of detention.  The effectiveness of adult safeguarding processes and procedures was highlighted in the most recent inspection of Maghaberry Prison^[10] and subsequent Independent Review of Progress^[11] and the inspections of Hydebank Wood Secure College^[12] and Women’s Prison.^[13]

Inspectors had completed an inspection of the criminal justice system approach to adult safeguarding in 2015.^[14]  It reported changes in motion including a review of policies and procedures related to adult safeguarding, restructuring of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI’s) Public Protection Units and work to improve victims and witnesses’ experiences of the criminal justice system.  At that time it was decided unhelpful to make recommendations during a period of flux.  While acknowledging anticipated changes arising from the Adult Protection Bill passed, as part of our approved Inspection Programme, CJI considers it important to conduct an inspection of adult safeguarding arrangements within each of the criminal justice organisations to include considering readiness for the proposed legislation. 

Aims of the Inspection

The broad aims of the inspection are to:

• examine the strategic and policy framework applicable to adult safeguarding in the criminal justice system;
• examine criminal justice organisations’ contribution to multi-agency collaboration and work in this area;
• review the existence and effectiveness of adult safeguarding policy, guidance and procedures in each of the criminal justice organisations;
• assess the processes within criminal justice organisations for identifying adult safeguarding concerns and making adult safeguarding referrals, including record keeping;
• examine mechanisms to ensure organisational learning arising from adult safeguarding referrals;
• examine adult safeguarding training and support available to staff working within criminal justice organisations;
• explore criminal justice organisations’ readiness for the anticipated new adult protection legislation; and
• any other matters arising during the inspection, if considered appropriate by CJI.

Methodology

The inspection will be based on the CJI Inspection Framework.  The three main elements of the inspection framework are:

• Strategy and governance;
• Delivery; and
• Outcomes.

Constants in each of the three framework elements and throughout each inspection are equality and fairness, together with standards and best practice.  The CJI inspection methodology can be found in The Inspection Process on our website.

Design and Planning

Preliminary research

Data and initial information have been researched online to inform the scope of this inspection.

Contact with organisations

Terms of Reference will be shared with the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI), the PSNI, the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPS), the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS), the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS), the Youth Justice Agency (YJA), the DoJ and other organisations as appropriate.  Liaison Officers from the relevant organisations should be nominated for the purposes of the inspection.

Policies and procedures, management information, minutes of meetings and related documentation from the organisations will be requested and examined. 

Delivery

Stakeholder consultation

Stakeholder organisations from the voluntary and community sector and partner inspectorates as appropriate will be consulted and invited to meet with the Inspection Team as part of the inspection.

Self-assessment

The PBNI, PSNI, the PPS, the NICTS, the NIPS, the YJA will be asked to undertake a self-assessment which will be reviewed by CJI during the inspection.  The DoJ may also be invited to provide documentation where applicable.

Development of fieldwork plan

Interviews and focus groups will be conducted with the named criminal justice organisations, and relevant stakeholders to give an insight into the any issues affecting adult safeguarding arrangements within the criminal justice system.  At this stage, a case file review of police investigations or prosecution files relating to criminal investigations and prosecutions is not anticipated.  However, a sample of adult safeguarding referrals, including those considered by the PSNI Central Referral Unit,^[15] may be reviewed to help in understanding the operation of criminal justice organisations’ policies and procedures in practice.

Initial feedback to agency

On conclusion of the fieldwork the evidence will be collated, triangulated and analysed and emerging findings will be developed.  CJI will then present the emerging findings to the inspected organisations.

Drafting of report

Following completion of the fieldwork and analysis of data, a draft report will be shared with the inspected bodies for factual accuracy check.  The Chief Inspector will invite the inspected bodies to complete an action plan within six weeks to address the recommendations and if the plan has been agreed and is available it will be published as part of the final Inspection Report.  The Inspection Report will be shared, under embargo, in advance of the publication date with the inspected bodies.

Publication and Closure

A report will be sent to the Minister of Justice for permission to publish.  When permission is received the report will be finalised for publication.  A press release will be drafted and shared with the inspected agencies prior to publication and release.  A publication date will be agreed and the report will be issued.

Indicative Timetable

Scoping/Research: December 2025

Stakeholder consultation: January 2026

Agency fieldwork: February to March 2026

Draft Report to agencies: April – May 2026

Factual accuracy feedback received: June 2026.

The above timetable may be impacted by factors outside CJI’s control.  The inspected organisations will be kept advised of any significant changes to the indicative timetable.

Anyone who wishes to contribute to this inspection can do so by emailing [email protected]  by 15 May 2026 marking their information for the attention of the Adult Safeguarding Lead Inspector.

---

[1] The Department of Health and Department of Justice, Adult safeguarding prevention and protection in partnership, July 2015 available at https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/adult-safeguarding-prevention-and-protection-partnership-key-documents.

[2] See the Adult Support and Protection Act 2007 in Scotland; the Care Act 2014 in England; and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. See also Professor Williams, J., Adult Safeguarding Legislation in Northern Ireland, March 2020 available at https://copni.org/publications-research/reports.

[3] Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, Home Truths: A Report on the Commissioner’s Investigation into Dunmurry Manor Care Home, June 2018; see also Commissioner for Older People in Northern Ireland, A Call for Adult Safeguarding Legislation June 2014, available at https://copni.org/publications-research/reports.

[4] A Review of leadership and Governance at Muckamore Abbey Hospital, The Muckamore Abbey Hospital Review Team 31 July 2020 available at https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/review-leadership-governance-muckamore-abbey-hospital. Subsequently there was an Independent Inquiry to examine the issue of abuse of patients at Muckamore Abbey hospital which had concluded oral evidence and closing statement sessions in March 2025 and was in the process of preparing its report (see the Muckamore Abbey Hospital Inquiry website available at https://www.mahinquiry.org.uk/).

[5] Northern Ireland Assembly, Adult Protection Bill: Official Report of the Second Stage, 30 June 2025 available at https://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/officialreport/report.aspx?&eveDate=2025/06/30&docID=444644#5043518.

[6] For the range of CJI reports looking at domestic and sexual abuse see https://www.cjini.org/report-category/domestic-and-sexual-abuse/.  

[7] CJI, An inspection of the criminal justice system’s response to vulnerable older people, September 2023 available at https://www.cjini.org/reports/an-inspection-of-the-criminal-justice-systems-approach-to-vulnerable-older-people-in-northern-ireland/.

[8] CJI reports related to Hate Crime see https://www.cjini.org/report-category/hate-crime/.

[9] CJI, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking: An Inspection of how the Criminal Justice System deals with Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking available at https://www.cjini.org/report-category/modern-slavery-and-human-trafficking/.

[10] CJINI, Report of an Unannounced Inspection of Maghaberry prison 20 September – 6 October 2022, June 2023, available at https://www.cjini.org/reports/report-on-an-unannounced-inspection-of-maghaberry-prison-2/.

[11] CJINI, Report of an Independent Review of Progress (IRP) at Maghaberry Prison 31 October – 2 November 2023, February 2024 available at https://www.cjini.org/reports/report-of-an-independent-review-of-progress-irp-at-maghaberry-prison/.

[12] CJINI, Report of an Unannounced Inspection of Hydebank Wood Secure College  21 May – 6 June 2024, November 2024, available at https://www.cjini.org/reports/report-on-an-unannounced-inspection-of-hydebank-wood-secure-college/.

[13] CJINI, Report of an Unannounced Inspection of Hydebank Wood Women’s Prison 21 May – 6 June 2024, November 2024 available at https://www.cjini.org/reports/report-on-an-unannounced-inspection-of-hydebank-wood-womens-prison/.

[14] CJI, Adult Safeguarding: The approach of the criminal justice system to investigating and prosecuting crimes against vulnerable adults, September 2015, available at https://cjini.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Adult-Safeguarding-web-FINAL-02-09-15.pdf.

[15] The PSNI Central Referral Unit was part of the Public Protection Branch and received referrals in relation to child and adult safeguarding where a crime was alleged or suspected.  Its role included assessing referrals according to the Joint Protocol for the Investigation of Adult Safeguarding Cases and deciding on the allocation of a report, incident or crime (see PSNI Service Instruction SI2517: Adult Safeguarding, available at https://www.psni.police.uk/about-us/our-policies-and-procedures/corporate-policy/service-instructions).   

Please note: URLs included in these Terms of Reference may stop working overtime