Issue - meetings

To consider the Annual Report of the Safeguarding Adults Board.

The Annual Report has been prepared in accordance with the statutory requirements and is being submitted to the Scrutiny Committee in line with good practice.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to ask questions and comment on the report.

Officer contact: Nuala O'Rourke, 0161- 474-5657, nuala.orourke@stockport.gov.uk

Gill Frame, Independent Chair of the Stockport Safeguarding Adult Board, accompanied by Nuala O’Rourke, Head of Safeguarding and Learning, attended the meeting to present the Board’s Annual Report for 2016/17 (copies of which had been circulated) and to answer questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

It was commented that the 206/17 had been a positive year and that the Board was in an increasingly strong position.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The use of the ‘if Stockport was 100 people’ graphic within the report was commended.

·         It was important to utilise information from whistle-blowers and from other staff who were interacting with the public, even if they were not specifically employed in safeguarding. Ensuring as many people as possible were trained to identify risk and know how to report it would provide more ‘eyes and ears’. In response, this point was acknowledged and the Board had given particular emphasis to its auditing arrangements to ensure partners were held to account, and it was hoped this would show benefits in the next reporting year.

·         How was learning shared from serious case reviews and other review processes? In response it was stated that there were regular training/ learning events with practioners, as well as new 7 minute briefs on the Board’s website.

·         Was adult safeguarding as resource hungry in the way children’s safeguarding could be? In response it was stated that every social worker was likely to state that safeguarding adults was what they did every day but where there were issues of concern, such as around neglect, responding to these were by their nature it is resource hungry. Supporting partners and providers to improve was more effective.

·         More details were requested about how the Board was addressing self-neglect, particularly because there were unlikely to be practioners to report problems. In response it was stated that neglect this was a priority shared with the Children’s Board. A strategy and guidance was being developed for practioners to identify those at risk. This type of neglect was linked to capacity to make sound decisions.

·         What links were being developed with the Fire Service who undertook home visits to vulnerable residents? In response it was acknowledged that the Fire Service were a valuable source and partner, but that the Board was currently without a representative due to the retirement of the previous member.

·         An update was requested in respect of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. In response it was stated that there had been a significant challenge with the volume of applications, and tis was increasing. The outcome of a Law Society reviews and further government guidance were awaited. It was stated that the Council would always follow the spirit of the law to ensure that priority was given to processing applications where there was dispute or concern.

RESOLVED – That the report be welcomed and Gill Frame and Nuala O’Rourke be thanked for their attendance and presentation.

To consider the Annual Report of the Safeguarding Adults Board.

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

In relation to the Adult’s Board Report, Gill Frame highlighted the following issues:-

·         The Board was now statutory, and has been developing, including reviewing membership and governance.

·         One of the previous year’s Serious Case Reviews (SRC) was now complete and available on the website.

·         A peer review would be undertaken in January 2018 with colleagues in Oldham.

·         Quality assurance processes were under development that would then be used to audited partner agencies.

Members of the Board raised the following issues:-

·         Had the training for the Police on mental health led to a change in how they dealt with adults with mental health issues, particularly out-of-hours? In response it was stated that there had been a longer term change from treating those with mental health challenges as perpetrators to focussing on their vulnerability. There remained an issue with people being taken to hospital as place of safety as this created a bureaucratic burden but had little other value. It was further commented that there had been a significant shift in Greater Manchester in the last few years, through the Crisis Concordat, toward much closer working between mental health services and the police.

·         Assurance was sought that despite some of the CQC ratings for social care provision locally, steps were being taken to ensure adults in social care settings were safe. In response it was stated that the Council was working closely with care home providers through its Quality Team and Equip Team and increasingly through good multi-agency partnership working to address issues that might present safeguarding concerns.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report for 2016/17 be noted.

(2) That Gill Frame and Nuala O'Rourke be thanked for their attendance and presentation.