Agenda item

Sandi Keene, Independent Chair of Rotherham Safeguarding Adults Board, to present

Sandi Keene, Independent Chair of Rotherham Safeguard Adults Board, presented the Rotherham Safeguarding Adults Board 2016/17 Annual Report.

During 2016/17 all the agencies in Rotherham had continued their commitment to improve Adult Safeguarding in the Borough and to build on previous progress.  It was still the Board’s aim to engage better with the public and make it easy to report concerns about safeguarding and ensure that where there where safeguarding concerns were identified, that a personal response was provided.

Sandie highlighted:-

Achievements

-          The Board had developed its Constitution with all partner agreement

-          More public awareness, a website, leaflets and posters

-          Partner self-assessment and challenge with key partner buy-in

-          Performance framework with partner contribution

-          Revise and refresh RSAB training plan and strategy

-          Increased Board membership

Common Themes

-          Mental Health – RDaSH Board and Sub-Group members

-          Self-Neglect – regional and local work planned

-          Domestic Abuse

-          CSE – close partnership working and monitoring

-          Users and carers – Board priority to increase customer involvement

-          Learning Disability – working to embed the Making Safeguarding Principle in all Learning Disability Service

Future

-          Case file audits/quality assurance

-          Multi-agency training approaches

-          Practice issues (self-neglect, trafficking/modern day slavery, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs – all ages, MCA consistency)

-          Assurance (Safeguarding and Learning Disability, Safeguarding Adult Reviews action plans and dissemination, advocacy take-up)

-          Campaigns (Safeguarding is everyone’s business, Legal Power of Attorney)

-          Development (joint work with Community Safety and Children’s Boards)

Sandi also drew attention to the following:-

·           Due to the profile and complexity of cases it was important that a refresh of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy included a focus on Safeguarding for Adults as well as Children

·           An independent person was undertaking the first independent case file audit

·           There was to be a Safeguarding Week in Rotherham 9-13^th July in collaboration with Children’s Services and other South Yorkshire authorities

·           Work was taking place with the RSAB’s Legal Team updating the literature regarding Lasting Power of Attorney.  It was the aim to have a publicity campaign around the issue which would hopefully have a positive impact on the number of DoLS

·           Trafficking and modern slavery was seen as a potential growing need and the Board’s expertise needed to be built on the issue

·           There was a gap in written policy, practice and procedures between all agencies ensuring there was a “golden thread” from a referral to an outcome, the ability to identify the appropriate practice/procedure that delivered the outcome.  Sandie suggested the Safeguarding Adults board did not have the capacity to do it

With regard to the last bullet point, Kathryn Singh reported that it had been a common theme for all the Chairs at the Safeguarding Partnership Protocol Joint Chairs meeting that the capacity to ensure an effective safeguarding board was really important.  However, it applied to all the organisations as well as the Adults and Children’s Boards.  If workforces were expected to be consistent with policy and procedures but were not clear of the strategic level there was a disconnection.  It was important for Chief Officers to ensure they were supportive of the approach.

It was proposed that practitioners across all agencies be brought together to look at Safeguarding and discuss the same family approach to safeguarding the most vulnerable people.  The involvement of Elected Members would also be useful for identifying of those at risk in their Wards.  Such an event could be held during the July Safeguarding Week.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be noted.

(2)  That consideration be given to an event being held during Safeguarding Week of all practitioners across the agencies, Elected Members and the voluntary sector, to discuss policy, practice and procedures with regard to Safeguarding.

(3)  That an agenda item be included at the next meeting of the Chief Executives Group of the Rotherham Together Partnership with regard to policy and procedures for Safeguarding.