Agenda item

The Board considered a report reviewing (a) the Safeguarding Adults in Swindon Annual Report 2015/16, (b) progress made against the Local Safeguarding Board’s Strategic Plan, and (c) details on activity in relation to safeguarding adults in Swindon.

Diana Fulbrook, Independent Chair of the Swindon Local Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB), and Doug Bale, Adult Safeguarding Manager at Swindon Borough Council, introduced the report and highlighted activities during the year in relation to the core 2015/16 priorities and Care Act requirements. The report also set out data collection throughout the year which supported the direction of travel for safeguarding adults and details on how the Care Act was embedded into the work carried out by the Board.

Following the introduction of the report by Ms Fulbrook and Mr Bale the Board discussed key issues raised including:

·       The increase of 56% in the activity of the Adult safeguarding team in Swindon.

·       That 38% of cases referred to the Adult Safeguarding Teams were investigated and 44% of cases required no further action.

·       The source and nature of referrals during the 2015/16 reporting year.

·       The impact of reduced resources and staff changes on work undertaken during the year.

·       The furtherance of the following four strategic priorities for the Board during 2016/17:

1. Effective Governance (to develop the capacity of the Swindon LSAB and its infrastructure to effectively deliver the core functions of the Board to help keep adults with care and support needs in Swindon safe).

2. Performance and Quality ( to ensure that there are effective multiagency quality assurance and performance management processes in place which will promote the welfare of adults with care and support needs and will hold partners to account).

3. Communication and engagement (to ensure there is a consistent and co-ordinated approach to how the safeguarding message for adults is disseminated to all groups and communities in Swindon, and ensure that adults and communities of all backgrounds and makeup are engaged in the work of the LSAB.

4. Workforce Development (to ensure the workforce of all partner agencies have access to and have undergone robust training relevant to their role and that they understand how to apply the training to their role).

·       Work undertaken in respect of domestic violence/abuse including joint work with partners on this major issue (54% of major case reviews involved domestic violence) including the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Team.

·       The effect of benefit changes on domestic violence.

·       That domestic abuse had been added into the Board’s guidance and that data was always collected in such cases.

·       The LSAB’s perspective of where safeguarding began and ended.

·       The need to distinguish between care and support needs and adults being identified as vulnerable.

·       Monthly training provided free of charge by the LSAB team Quality Assurance Manager for people with care and support needs.

·       The need for partner organisations to better understand the referral criteria in order to reduce wasted time and costs involved in initial assessments to identify vulnerable adults that are not progressed by the LSAB (although some would be referred to other professionals where appropriate).

Resolved - That the Safeguarding Adults in Swindon Annual Report for 2015/16 be noted.