Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Adult Social Care.

The report gives an overview of partnership activity in the Children and Adult Safeguarding Partnerships. The focus of the report is on the business plan priorities and progress made in 2022-2023.

The Health & Wellbeing Board is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Katie Bates on 0161 474 6828 or email: katie.bates@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Adult Social Care submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an overview of partnership activity in the Children and Adult Safeguarding Partnerships.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         It was noted that the business plan priorities and progress made in 2022-2023 were the focus of the report.

·         It was commented that the theme throughout the items considered by the Board at the meeting discussed the strength and importance of maintaining partnership working within Stockport.

·         Thanked the Chair of the Children and Adult Safeguarding Partnerships for her work and challenge that the Partnerships provide to drive improvements to deliver better services for local people.

·         It was noted that Stockport was one of a third of councils that had achieved protected characteristics for care leavers in the borough.

·         It was queried why there was no reference to young carers within the annual report.

·         In response, it was commented that young carers were an important element in in the whole picture of safeguarding, however the annual report focussed on a select number of key core priorities to ensure they were achievable. It was stated that the Partnership would seek an update in relation to young carers.

·         It was commented that a number of support offers were available for young carers including SignPost Stockport for Carers, however the challenge was around hidden carers and in ensuring they were known to the authority.

·         It was queried how, as a system, the robustness of staff could be maintained against the challenge around finances and resources and in light of increased demand.

·         In response it was commented that one of the partnership offers was sessions to outline expectations of individuals involved in working groups or sub-groups to support them to engage successfully.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Director of Adult Social Care.

The report gives an overview of partnership activity in the children and adult safeguarding partnerships. The focus of the report is on the business plan priorities and progress made in 2022-2023

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Katie Bates on 0161 474 6828 or email: katie.bates@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Adult Social Care submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an overview of partnership activity in the children and adult safeguarding partnerships, and focussed on the business plan priorities and progress made in 2022-2023.

The Cabinet Member for Health & Adult Social Care (Councillor Keith Holloway) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         In response to a query around the needs and challenges around equality, diversity and inclusion and requirement for a sharper focus, it was commented that the vast majority of people living in Stockport were white British and where there was a minority, there was a risk around the minority being left behind. It was noted that it was important to empower people to have confidence with working with minority groups in order to learn from their experiences.

·         In relation to the community-based, volunteer-led project, Orange Umbrella Scheme, dedicated to raising awareness and signposting support for those experiencing domestic abuse and violence, it was queried how extensive the scheme had been.   

·         In response, it was stated that the Domestic Abuse Partnership was separate from the Safeguarding Partnership, however the Safeguarding Partnership supported and encouraged the wider work as part of the One Stockport Safety Partnership.

·         In relation to the Caring Dads Programme, it was noted that whilst 63 referrals had been made and 41 fathers had been accepted onto the programme, only 24 had successfully completed the programme.

·         In response, it was commented that the Caring Dads Programme was a six month programme, twice per year, that ran in smaller cohorts to ensure that they were manageable groups with dedicated support which impacted on the total figures and didn’t reflect the determination and progress that had been made.

·         Members noted the increase in criminal exploitation and welcomed the focus on the issue as a priority area within complex safeguarding. It was queried what additional plans were in place to address this growing problem including Cuckooing.

·         In response, it was stated that as part of complex safeguarding in Greater Manchester, work had been undertaken around youth justice services to understand whether the people working with children and young people in the service understood the signs of criminal exploitation and how to protect and support the young people involved as well as challenging their criminal activity. It was noted that Stockport had supported the ACT approach with a specialist multi-agency team and was the first borough to engage an ACT worker within its Pupil Referral Unit across Greater Manchester to support people who were at risk of or experiencing criminal exploitation.

·         It was queried how adults with a learning disability featured in the work of the Partnership Board over the last year and whether there were any plans in relation to safeguarding adults with a learning disability in the year to come.

·         In response, it was stated a piece of work was underway to work more closely with NHS Greater Manchester around the LeDeR programme, Safeguarding Adult Reviews to feedback at learning events in order to work in collaboration at a Greater Manchester level across a range of partners.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.