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Agenda item

Islington Safeguarding Adults Board - Annual Report

Minutes:

The annual report for 2021-22 was presented to the Committee by Fiona Bateman, Independent Chair of the Board.

 

The Committee was told that homelessness is one of many key areas which Islington are tackling head-on.

 

Ms Bateman also noted that some groups have been very vocal in feeding back to Government regarding proposed and enacted changes in the law that have been publicised recently, such as reforms to legislation concerning mental health and how this would impact their safety and human rights.

 

The Board’s annual report highlighted the purpose of the Board, key areas agencies achieved during the year, the agencies that make up the safeguarding board, and how statutory functions are met.

 

In response to a member’s concern regarding the safeguarding of those held in police cells, Ms Bateman noted that the board works with all statutory partners – the Integrated Care Board, Metropolitan Police and Islington Council make up the key partners – and that the representative from the Metropolitan Police feeds back learning to the organisation. They also provide regular data into the Board’s quality assurance subgroup. Every organisation is responsible for the safeguarding of people in their care, and while the safeguarding board isn’t responsible for safeguarding people in police custody, they ask for assurances of each partner. There were presently no concerns regarding those held in police custody in Islington.

 

The Safeguarding Board is a critical friend. Partners will report in any serious incidents that might have occurred in their setting, and that will be scrutinised by the Board to see if that meets the criteria for a serious case review.

 

The Board is in regular dialogue with the police via the London Safeguarding Board and Chairs Network. The London Police Commissioner recently talked of the effect of the time spent in custody by people in mental health crisis, as well as the impact on police resources, and openly stated their intention to liaise with partners about adopting a more collaborative approach that is in-use in other regions of England.

 

In response to a member’s concern regarding young people’s encounters with the police, the representative noted that the remit for the Adults’ Safeguarding Board technically begins with those aged 18 and above, however work is also overseen by the Board on the transition from adolescence. No issues have arisen regarding contact with the police in Islington specifically. However, London-wide there has been work to ensure there are adjustments made concerning those in police care who have autism, but it was not possible to say that this was applied in every instance.

 

The Safeguarding Adults Board are working closely with the Safeguarding Children’s Board to understand the risks around that transition to adolescence and adulthood. There’s a lot of work going on in Islington across different agencies, across housing and others regarding how to support young people going through that transition.

 

The Chair expressed concern about those who are lonely and suffering from financial abuse that do not know how to access support. The Board is looking into this for the new year. There was work underway into defining economic coercion and abuse. DWP were looking into identifying and preventing financial abuse such as people who befriended vulnerable people to exploit them, and the Board was looking at that as a form of domestic abuse. At the appropriate time, the Board will look into deploying visual and understandable publicity concerning the matter.

 

The Committee welcomed the report and thanked Ms Bateman for attending.

 

 

 

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