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The police are key partners in adult protection work locally and take lead responsibility for investigating alleged crimes committed against vulnerable adults in our communities. They therefore play a critical role in many serious and complex adult protection investigations. This paper describes how a large police service has organised its adult protection resources and maps out the basic processes and responsibilities involved in leading criminal investigations involving vulnerable adults. Using a case study it also identifies and examines the different demands criminal work brings at the inter‐agency, agency and case levels and identifies solutions and pointers for best practice.

Kent was one of the first social services departments to develop a specific adult protection policy in 1987. This paper charts the development of policy and references key landmarks on this journey from the perspective of the policy manager's role. Opportunities are also taken to identify the key learning from this experience and the main challenges for the newly emerging safeguarding agendas.