Agenda item

Report of Catherine Hardman, Business Manager, Safeguarding Adults Board

The OSC was presented with the Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board (GSAB) statutory Annual Report 2022/23 and the updated 2023 refresh of the Strategic Plan 2019/2024.

The GSAB 2022/23 Annual Report highlights progress throughout the 2022/23 financial year. The report articulates how partner governance arrangements ensure members are accountable for Safeguarding Adults.

The GSAB Safeguarding Adult Review and Complex Cases Sub-group continues to support the statutory work of the GSAB through completion of mandatory Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) and local learning reviews. This provides an opportunity for GSAB partners to review cases where a person with care and support needs has suffered abuse and neglect which has resulted in their death or serious injury or illness.  The learning from these reviews allows the board to identify areas of development, in knowledge, skills and practice and to focus on areas where improvements are required to protect people which care and support needs.  The Quality, Learning and Practice Sub-group takes on an operational role, taking the learning from SARs and developing these into clear and measurable actions to be progressed by partners.

Key areas of work in 2022/23 include the launch of the regional self-neglect seven-minute guides and animation, the introduction of the Adult Concern Decision Making tool to support practitioners in deciding on whether to submit a safeguarding concern.  Northumbria Police have started to implement Right Care Right Person in line with national best practice and Gateshead Housing have set up the ‘Less is More’ – Hoarder Support Group, residents and practitioners are working together to identify best practice in dealing with hoarding issues.  Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue continue to promote the Safe and Well visits.  All agencies have promoted safeguarding training and development both internally and through the multi-agency offer. The GSAB multi-agency training offer has been reviewed and refreshed offering a robust and accessible training offer for partners.

The revised Strategic Plan 2019/24 (2023 refresh) sets out how the Safeguarding Adults Board will achieve its five Strategic Priorities which are:

·        Quality Assurance

·        Prevention

·        Communication and Engagement

·        Operational Practice

·        Mental Capacity

As this is the final year for the current Strategic Plan the Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board has arranged a development day in September 2023.  The purpose of the day is to identify the priority areas for the Board over the coming 3 years, with the aim of setting objectives, goals and actions as well as identifying mechanisms to measure outcomes and the impact of the boards work.

The OSC discussed the challenges of defining self-neglect and how this term should be further explored. There is a balance to be negotiated between self-neglect being on a fine line of health issue and conscious living choices, while it should also be recognised as a cause of death. Concerns about hording behaviours were also discussed. Northumbria University have done some work on what drives hoarding behaviours and when it becomes problematic.

It was recognised that the Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) National Partnership Agreement will have an impact on services and will focus on making sure all needs are in place before the police withdraw. Northumbria Police will be the first in the region to adopt this change and will share the impacts they find with other cities when they have data available. If data is not distributed soon this will be raised as a Gold Command.

RESOLVED:

i.                 The Safeguarding Adult Board Annual Report 2022/23 and Strategic Plan 2019/24 was considered.