Statutory background
The Care Act 2014 sets out that the overarching objective of a Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) is to assure itself that effective local safeguarding arrangements are in place, and that partners act to help and protect adults in its area who:
- Have needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs); and
- Are experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect; and
- As a result of those care and support needs are unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect.
As well as its main objective the Care Act 2014 sets out the Board’s specific functions. One of these is that it must publish a strategic plan for each financial year that sets how it will meet its main objectives and what the members will do to achieve these objectives. The Care and Support Statutory Guidance gives further detail about how SABs should meet the requirements of the Act.
How this strategy was developed
This strategy was developed by all Safeguarding Adults Board members at our Development Day in April 2023, with additional input from members of the Quality in Practice subgroup. Members made use of available data on local adult safeguarding activity, as well as considering the feedback from frontline staff and the responses to the London Safeguarding Adults Partnership Tool (SAPAT). Our strategy is also guided by the six key principles of adult safeguarding set out in the Care Act 2014.
In building this strategy, SAB Members have also reflected on the impact of national issues, such as the pandemic and cost-of-living, on both residents and our workforce and how this can increase risk. Reduction in the workforce and constraints on budget present clear challenges for organisations, and safeguarding work can be pressured and demanding. The SAB has thought carefully about how we work in a way that supports those on the frontline.
The strategic plan will ensure everyone living and working in the borough are clear about what we want to do and how we intend to make it happen.
Fulfilling our core duties
In addition to our strategic objectives, the SAB will continue to work towards ensuring that we are fulfilling the core duties of the SAB. This includes development of guidance documents and providing assurance that effective safeguarding arrangements are in place across the partnership, as well collecting, analysing and interrogating local data to increase our understanding on how abuse and neglect is impacting H&F communities.
Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) has also been a central focus of the H&F SAB in previous years, and we remain committed to the principles that underpin this way of working.
Our key priorities
The H&F SAB will work together with partner organisations and people in our communities so that adults can be kept safe from abuse and neglect and live fulfilled lives. We have identified three priority areas for the coming year:
- Effective systems and processes:
We will use an evidence-based approach to develop our responses to potential abuse and neglect and areas of complexity.
- Creating a culture of learning:
We will promote continuous improvement in safeguarding practice by learning from experience and supporting workforce development.
- Communication and partnership:
We will work seek to build active partnerships and expand our network.
What will we do and how will we know if we are succeeding?
Priority area: Effective systems and processes
- The SAB to undertake audit to review understanding and application of the Mental Capacity Act by H&F practitioners.
- Improve our response to, and understanding of, self-neglect by undertaking greater analysis of the ways in which self-neglect presents in the borough and consider options for earlier interventions and support; for this work to include development of multi-agency guidance on responding to self-neglect.
- The SAB will seek to improve its understanding of how abuse and neglect impacts on different communities, considering issues of intersectionality and impact of focused needs such as substance misuse or mental health.
- The SAB will seek to understand professional awareness and responses to discriminatory abuse and determine whether there is an underreporting of this abuse category.
- The SAB to develop a framework for responding to allegations against Persons in Positions of Trust (PiPOT).
Measurements for success
- The SAB is able to present a clearer picture of how adult safeguarding concerns present across the borough and have developed a clear plan of action in response to audit and data analysis processes.
- The SAB has agreed a shared PiPOT framework.
Priority area: Creating a culture of learning
- Develop mechanisms to capture the voice of those with lived experience of adult safeguarding enquiries in H&F and using this to inform practice.
- To establish a framework which sets expectations for training compliance within partner organisations.
- All SAB members to commit to joint development of multi-agency resources and training opportunities which promote learning and best practice, with specific focus multi-agency working.
- SAB to explore different mechanisms for sharing learning from Safeguarding Adults Reviews widely across the partnership, with clear methodology for reviewing impact on practice.
- To increase our engagement with frontline staff to support them in feeling confident to respond to adult safeguarding concerns.
Measurements for success
- The SAB will have received an initial report outlining how we intend to receive regular feedback from those with lived experience.
- The SAB will be able to show total number of frontline staff reached during dissemination of learning, via surveys and attendance at events.
- The SAB will repeat staff survey (first conducted 2022/23) to measure confidence in responding to safeguarding concerns.
Priority area: Communication and partnership
- The SAB to build stronger relationships with the local voluntary and community sector so as to increase our engagement with service users and residents; with consideration to how we increase engagement with existing forum spaces.
- Develop mechanisms to raise awareness in H&F communities on how to spot signs of potential abuse and neglect, and how to seek support.
- The SAB to undertake a review of the Terms of Reference for the High-Risk Panel, considering which other partners need to be engaged in the panel, roles and responsibilities, and potential overlap with other multi-disciplinary processes.
- SAB to develop website which can act as central source of information for adult safeguarding practice in the borough.
Measurements for success
- The SAB will be able to evidence closer collaboration with voluntary and community groups.
- The SAB will be able to evidence the development of new communication tools for raising awareness, such as leaflets and online resources (hosted on new website).
- The SAB will have received proposal for updated Terms of Reference for High-Risk Panel and actioned any necessary changes
The subgroups of the SAB are pivotal in supporting the us to achieve its objectives and continue to deliver on campaigns and develop tools to support professionals and residents in understanding and responding to adult safeguarding concerns. Our subgroups will seek to develop specific action plans which will complement the overarching priorities of the Board, and will regularly provide updates to the SAB to allow for monitoring of our progress.