Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Chair of the Stockport Safeguarding Adults Board.

The Annual Report provides information for all those involved in the work of, or who are interested in Safeguarding Vulnerable People in Stockport. The report summaries the progress that has been made against the objectives set in the Board’s Strategic Plan for 2015/17; it highlights the key achievements and the challenges that have been faced as a Board and it also sets the scene for the following year.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer contact: Lee Woolfe, 0161 474 3590, lee.woolfe@stockport.gov.uk

The Chair of the Stockport Safeguarding Adults Board submitted the Adults Safeguarding Annual Report (copies of which had been circulated) providing information for all those involved in the work of, or who are interested in Safeguarding Vulnerable People in Stockport. The report summarised the progress that has been made against the objectives set in the Board’s Strategic Plan for 2015/17; highlighting the key achievements and the challenges that have been faced as a Board and it also set the scene for the following year.

The Executive Councillor for Adult Social Care (Councillor Wendy Wild) attended the meeting to respond to councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was commented that veterans had been identified as a vulnerable group, however the number of veterans within any given locality was not known so it was difficult to target resources appropriately.

·         It was essential that appropriate, effective and robust policies were in place around transparency, openness and honesty including whistleblowing policies to mitigate against organisational cultures within smaller organisations delivering vital and sensitives services.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Chair of the Stockport Safeguarding Adults Board.

The annual report provides information for all those involved in the work of, or who are interested in Safeguarding Vulnerable People in Stockport. The report summaries the progress that has been made against the objectives set in the Board’s Strategic Plan for 2015/17 ; it highlights the key achievements and the challenges that have been faced as a Board and it also sets the scene for the following year.

The Board is invited to comment on the report.

Officer contact: Lee Woolfe, 0161 474 3590, lee.woolfe@stockport.gov.uk

Gill Frame, Independent Chair of the Stockport Adult Safeguarding Board, and Lee Woolfe, Safeguarding Adults Business Manager, attended the meeting to present the Board’s Annual Report for 2015/16 (copies of which had been circulated) that set out the key activities and achievements of the Board and priorities for the future.

The following issues were highlighted:-

·         2015/16 had been a challenging year for the Board as the existing Chair had stepped down as had a number of senior officers.

·         The Board were revisiting their priorities to focus on the most significant issues and challenges.

·         During 2015/16 there were no serious case reviews, although one had been commissioned during the current year.

·         There had been significant work on training and awareness raising connected to safeguarding of vulnerable adults.

Members commented on the significance of mental health in the work of safeguarding, and the connections this had to vulnerability more generally. In response it was acknowledged that mental health was significant issue, particularly where users fell short of criteria for intervention. The challenge for partners was to ask themselves what they were doing to address these issues.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and that Gill Frame and Lee Woolfe be thanked for their attendance and presentation.