Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Health and Care

The Cabinet Support Member introduced the report updating Members on the Adult Safeguarding Transformation Project that had started in February 2020. Its aim was to ensure the correct processes and capacity were in place to deliver the Council’s statutory responsibilities for safeguarding.

The Committee had previously considered progress with the Transformation Project at their meeting of 14 September 2021. At that time Members had been made aware that all reported adult safeguarding concerns were reviewed by the Staffordshire Adult Safeguarding Team (SAST) on the day the concern was received, being risk assessed by a qualified social worker (Advanced Practitioner) working with other professionals across the MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub). Any concerns assessed as high risk were responded to as a priority.

The Committee received figures showing an increase in the number of Safeguarding concerns reported since 2017. During 2022 there had been an increase in the number of Safeguarding concerns reported between May and September, which had led to a backlog of work for this period. Members asked whether there had been a reason for this increase. They heard that no specific reason had been identified, and that there had been similar increases seen amongst other local authorities. The Transformation Project had enabled this backlog to be addressed. The number of outstanding concerns had now been reduced to 250, with the longest waiting for less than one month. Most of these reported concerns would not require a Section 42 enquiry. It was hoped that more consistent recording introduced as part of the Transformation project would enable appropriate contingency planning in the future.

The Committee heard that a wholesale review of processes and forms had been completed, removing duplication and repetition. This had enabled a reduction in administration tasks. Capacity had also been reviewed. The SAST was now fully staffed with seven substantive Advanced Practitioner posts filled. Key performance indicators for timeliness of decision making had been introduced, aiming to make an initial decision within 5 working days, and ideally within 2 working days. Members received details of month-on-month improvements made and details of the ongoing work to develop contingency plans to reduce the risk of delays caused by demand increases.

Hidden neglect was a concern for the Committee, with Members informed that robust practises were in place within adult social care and with commissioning colleagues to help uncover where abuse was hidden. Better relationships had also been developed with Healthwatch to help identify any concerns in care homes, hospitals or with agencies. Abuse taking place in an individual’s own home was more difficult to identify, however work was undertaken to raise awareness with agencies such as GPs to help support identification. Financial abuse was also an area of concern for the Committee, with training to help identify this issue being provided as well as support in place from the Office for Public Guardianship, however there was always more to be done.

Concerns were also shared around the appropriate use of Section 42 referrals. In particular whether changes made as a result of the Transformation programme would impact on other parts of the service or key stakeholders. This had not been the case and Members were reassured that consideration of possible impacts on stakeholders had been part of the planning process. Further work was needed to ensure appropriate Section 42 referrals made by some agencies, with Members querying referrals made by the West Midlands Ambulance Service in particular. Sandwell Council was the lead commissioner for this service and Members suggested the Committee’s concerns around the burden that inappropriate Section 42 referrals was putting on the system should be shared with them.

Members suggested more sophisticated use of data would help in identifying areas of concern and support contingency planning.

Resolved: That:

a)   progress on the Adult Safeguarding Transformation Project, including details of Key Performance Indicators, be welcomed; and

b)   the Chairman write to Sandwell Council, as lead commissioner for the West Midlands Ambulance Service, advising them of the Committee’s concerns at the burden inappropriate Section 42 referrals places on the adult safeguarding system.