Skip to content

Agenda item

Annual Safeguarding Report

Minutes:

 Elaine Oxley Head of Safeguarding Adults, and James Reilly, Independent Chair Adult Safeguarding Board, were present and outlined the report to the Committee

 

During consideration of the report the following main points were made –

 

·         Key achievements – selected by the Office of the Public Guardian to pilot a scheme to raise awareness in the borough around Lasting Powers of Attorney. This is an important preventative protection against financial and other types of abuse, for people who lose the ability to make decisions about their finances, health and well-being. The Board continues to encourage partner organisations to focus on the link between homelessness, risk of abuse, and neglect

·         A safeguarding adults review was commissioned into the care of Mr.Y, and the report published in August 2019. The Islington Safeguarding Adults Board is working on an action plan to implement recommendations, and its learning from the review. 157 organisations have signed up to the Hate Crime pledge, and the service user, and carer sub group, continues to run successfully, and is positively influencing decisions of the Safeguarding Adults Board. Over the past year, a new safeguarding structure has been introduced in the Police service, which means that Islington now has dedicated safeguarding police officer posts, and this has improved communication

·         There has been a 15% increase in safeguarding adults concerns on the previous year, however safeguarding enquiries have decreased. This means that in roughly, 9 out of 10 cases of people where there were concerns, it had been decided not to proceed to a formal safeguarding enquiry

·         Referral rates for concerns remain at a comfortable level, and regular case file audits are carried out to ensure that thresholds are being applied appropriately, and proportionately, by practitioners. The three most common types of abuse in Islington last year were neglect, financial and psychological abuse

·         There were no cases to date, involving formal enquiries into any suspected cases of modern slavery, or sexual exploitation of adults with care and support needs, however work is taking place to raise awareness of these types of abuse

·         The Annual report further details progress on delivering the first year of the Islington Safeguarding Board’s 3-year strategy, and Annual Plan 2018/21. The strategy has been aligned with those of the Safeguarding Adult Boards in the North Central London cluster, and there has been collaboration, where it makes sense to do so, such as holding a joint Challenge event around Board assurance work

·         In response to a question it was stated that the Safeguarding Board is functioning well and there have been improvements in training and development across the NCL region. It was stated the serious case review into Mr.Y had highlighted  a number of issues that needed to be addressed across a number of Local Authorities and  Members requested that the summary/action plan  be forwarded to them once it is available

·         In response to a question, it was stated that there is a need for more training on the mental health/mental capacity act, and there is a need to build up expertise on these issues

·         It was stated that there is a need to review in the forthcoming year, the provision for the 16+ cohort of young people who are at the most risk, and work will take place between the Adult Safeguarding Board, the Children’s Board, Community Safety and youth services in this regard

·         Reference was made to Liberty Protection Safeguarding, and that this service will start at 16, to keep people safe. This will expand the number of places, where a care order can be made available, in order to keep people safe. In the event of an objection, it will come to the Local Authority for review. The Code of Practice would hopefully be published in December

·         In response to a question as to HMP Pentonville, it was stated that the vast majority of prisoners did not reside in the borough, and that there is a challenge for prison officers in terms of training, due to the requirements of the job, and shortage of prison officers available, making it difficult for them to attend appropriate training. There is also a challenge to get home care into the prison, and at the moment in many instances, prisoners are providing care for other prisoners. Elaine Oxley informed Members that she is working closely with the Prison service

·         Reference was made to the situation with Lasting Power of Attorney, and that where there is no family member, there is a team in the Council who can assist with financial services, or an alternative person or solicitor can be appointed

 

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted, and that a summary/action plan in respect of the report into Mr.Y, be circulated to Members when it is available

 

 

                   The Chair thanked Elaine Oxley and James Reilly for attending

 

 

 

Supporting documents: