Agenda item

Note by Clerk: This item was considered later in the agenda than originally scheduled.

The Board received the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Adult Safeguarding Partnership Board (SSASPB) Annual Report for 2022/23 for consideration and feedback.

This annual report covered the period 1^st April 2022 to 31^st March 2023. During this time, Mr John Wood was the independent chair of the Board. The report provided an overview of the work of the Board and its sub-groups and illustrated with case studies as to how the focus on making safeguarding person was making a positive difference to ensuring that adults with care and support needs were supported to make choices in how they would live their lives in a place where they felt safe, secure and free from abuse.

The Board were provided with adult safeguarding data and the Staffordshire headlines for the same reporting period, along with the SSASPB strategic priorities during the reporting period.

A new priority arose from a revision of the SSASPB strategic plan and in response to five themes of significant importance and recurring concern arising from a combination of learning events, this was around ensuring effective practice. Pages 18 – 32 of the annual report provided a comprehensive overview of activities of safeguarding partners in evidencing the changes in practice in response to learning experiences.

The Board thanked John for the comprehensive report and asked what had gone well over the past year, and also if there were any trends or issues providing concern. It was noted that following the revision of the strategic plan, the Safeguarding Partnership had matured and that partners were working to a common and coherent plan with good engagement. John further noted the area for future work around evidencing progress made against lessons learned and strengthening practitioner engagement. Colleagues further discussed the need to identify and recognise self-neglect earlier and more proactively.

Councillor Sutton queried whether self-neglect was linked to those who lose capacity, through dementia or Alzheimer’s in particular. It was clarified that lack of capacity would not be classed as self-neglect but would be dealt with under adult social care through the mental capacity act. Self-neglect would be better defined by people who have more complex needs, drug and alcohol abuse, bereavement etc.

Health colleagues commented on the consistency between Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire on the types and location of abuse but queried the correlation between this and national trends. It was noted that the trends were broadly similar from a national and regional perspective, but some anomalies were present in organisational abuse, however this could be attributed to reporting mechanisms. Safeguarding data nationally offered two schools of thought, and it was hoped that the recently started CQC enhanced assurance process would regularise this recording.

Assurance was provided that changes had been made to the management of incoming concerns and how resources were utilised to be more effective. Work streams had been reduced to ensure that response times were improved and most cases were now being dealt with in a two-week period. Technological changes were being explored such as online referral forms to improve the service.

Gender and ethnicity rates were discussed and it was noted that females featured disproportionately higher. It was further clarified that females are considered more at risk of abuse in older age but further auditing was being undertaken to source any reasons for this. A concern was raised around those seldom-heard communities within Staffordshire and that further work was being done to ensure that they were encouraged to report and record this.

A consistent theme around poor leadership and management was noted by the Board, and whether this was something that could be tackled under the remit of the Safeguarding Board as a recurring theme. This had been picked up through a previous Board meeting and subsequently discussed at a meeting with ICB colleagues. Subsequent discussions were ongoing around the support and training required, linking with more national conversations around recruitment and retention.

Resolved – That the Board (a) receive and consider the SSASPB Annual Report 2022/23 in accordance with the requirements of the Care Act 2014; and

(b) Provide feedback as to how the HWBB can enhance contributions to safeguarding of adults with care and support needs at risk of abuse or neglect.