Latest News May 2023

Spring is once again upon us, and it’s nice to have more daylight and some milder temperatures. It brings with it the end of one financial year and the start of the new one.

It’s a time to look back and reflect on what’s happened over the last 12 months – our achievements and also our challenges. It’s also a time for refreshing and renewing our focus for the next 12 months. We are currently preparing our annual report for 2022-23, one of our statutory duties and where we will be compiling lots of this information which we hope to share soon. 

We updated last time that the Adult Board and Children Partnership have aligned our 3-year strategy. Our strategy has been updated and will now run from 2023-2026 and our priorities have changed slightly to the following:

1. Working to prevent abuse
2. Working to protect adults from abuse
3. Voice of the adult (including carers)
4. Communications and engagement
5. Safeguarding Effectiveness

The new 3-year strategy and easy read strategy are available in the ‘About the Safeguarding Adult board’ section of our website.

HAVE YOUR SAY!

We are holding our first ever ‘Voice of the Practitioner’ survey! We want to hear from all workers, volunteers and practitioners from across Salford organisations who work directly with adults who have care and support needs. So care support workers, care home staff, advocates, charity volunteers, social workers, health practitioners, doctors, nurses and everyone in between – please click this link and let us know what you think!

We want to know your thoughts about safeguarding in Salford, any examples of good practice you’ve observed, and - using your experience and working knowledge – please let us know any suggestions you have to better protect adults at risk. All of your feedback will be read, listened to and considered by the SSAB to contribute towards continuous improvements in keeping Salford adults safe – so please let your voice be heard!

The survey is online, mobile-friendly and completely anonymous and should take no more than six minutes to complete. Please share across your teams and organisations – your experience and knowledge is so valuable and it’d be great to hear from hundreds of you!

Hoarding Awareness Week 15-19 May

Please take a look at the Hoarding Awareness Week website which includes lots of information and useful resources.  There are posters, leaflets, videos and a number of free webinars for professionals and for people who hoard. 

Hoarders Helping Hoarders

There is a Psychosocial Intervention/Peer support group in Salford for people who exhibit hoarding behaviours.

The group is facilitated by Ian Porter, a psychologist who coordinates a North West network of similar groups and was also responsible for the establishment and ongoing development of the GM Hoarding Improvement Partnership. Ian has considerable expertise and is happy to help or discuss any situation. 

To refer someone to this group, you can email Ian directly: ian.porterhhh@gmail.com or give him a call on 07815 872178.  He will discuss the person with you and then, if appropriate, ask for their consent for him to have their contact details in order to arrange a 1:1 call to have a chat and assess their suitability for group-based intervention/support.

Hoarding and Learning from SAR Irene

Learning from SAR Irene highlighted the need to remind professionals to use the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) Hoarding Assessment Tool (often referred to as the clutter scales). 

Our new multi-agency safeguarding policy and procedures contains a section on Self-Neglect and Hoarding and within this you will find a link to the Clutter Image Ratings.  These can be used to objectively assess the extent that a person may be hoarding. Remember that whilst hoarded belongings may appear to have little value, they often hold particular significance to the person hoarding them to be mindful of your language.

Information Sharing and Learning from SAR Jayne

SAR Jayne highlighted the importance of information sharing, particularly with family members who may be caring for a person.

Information should be shared with consent where possible, however there are circumstances where information can and should be shared without consent.

Please take a look at and familiarise yourself with the SSAB guidance on information sharing, which includes the 7 Golden Rules.  Please also ensure you are familiar with your own organisations policy and procedure on information sharing. 

Multi-Agency Escalation Policy and Procedure

A number of safeguarding adult reviews have highlighted insufficient action or delays in escalating concerns, particularly where the action or attempted action has failed to address an issue. 

Challenging one another is a crucial part of multi-agency working and the SSAB has a developed a multi-agency escalation policy and procedure which can support you to do this.

Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) Referral and Process

We have recently updated our SAR Policy and Procedure.  This includes information on how making a Referral for a SAR.  In the separate contacts and practice resources area, there is a Safeguarding Adult Review folder, where you will find the SAR Referral form, a flowchart that is used for decision making, an overview of the process (from referral to decision making and from decision to completion) and a 7 minute briefing. 

SARs can often make people feel fearful and worried, however the focus is about learning and not about blame.  As part of the SAR process, practitioner reflective events are usually held.  These events are held to try and understand what it was like for the practitioners / professionals who were working with the person and what made their job difficult or challenging.  It is an opportunity for practitioners / professionals to share their perspective on what happened and their thoughts on what needs to happen in future. 

We have produced an Information Sheet – Practitioners Reflective Session for professionals and practitioners who are invited to take part in a SAR and attend a reflective event.  This information sheet can also be found in the Safeguarding Adult Review section of the contacts and practice resources area.  It is important that professionals / practitioners are open and honest during these events.  Please contact us at ssab@salford.gov.uk if you would like any more information or if you have any questions. 

Training / Events

Bite Size Briefing – What is MARAC / MAPPA / DAPP (Drive)? – 18 May 1.30-3pm

Multi-agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) and Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Panel (DAPP) all play a role in the multi-agency response to domestic abuse. 

During this session, the Police, Probation and Talk Listen Change will explain what each one is and the role it plays in supporting victims survivors and managing and supporting perpetrators to change their behaviour. 

If you would like to attend, please seek agreement from your manager and e-mail your name, role, organisation and manager’s details to ssabtraining@salford.gov.uk

MARAC and DASH Training (Online) – Tuesday 6 June 10-12 or 1.30-3.30pm

Pre-requisite: this training requires an understanding and basic working knowledge of domestic abuse.

It is aimed at front line professionals who work with or may identify victims of domestic abuse.

Course Aims and Objectives:

• Increase practitioners’ awareness of the DASH risk assessment tool and MARAC process.
• Explore how to respond to disclosures of Domestic Violence and Abuse. Providing guidance on how to refer to specialist support.
• Increase practitioner’s knowledge of the high-risk referral pathway.
• Raise practitioners’ awareness around domestic abuse and the impact on victims and their families
• Raise and improve standards of good practice

To apply for a place, please complete the online application form by Thursday 11 May 2023.

Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) – Important Update

It was recently announced by the Government that the proposed Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) introduced through the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019 which were due to replace the current Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) arrangements will not be implemented within the remaining term of this government.

The new scheme was intended to provide a more efficient framework for authorising deprivation of liberty and ensuring appropriate protections were in place in a broader range of settings. 

This means that Local Authorities will continue to be the supervisory body for all cases in hospitals and care homes and the existing DOLS arrangements will continue as they are. To summarise, the current legal position:

• DOLS only applies to care homes and hospitals
• Depriving a person aged 16 and upwards of his or her liberty in other settings requires an order from the court of protection;
• Depriving a child 0-16 of his / her liberty can provide via the exercise of parental responsibility (when parenting has not been questioned) or via n order from the High Court (when parenting has been questioned).

Save the Date – Bite Size Briefing on MCA / DOLS - 21 June 10-11.30am

We are currently planning a Bite Size Briefing to remind people of the current legal framework regarding Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.  It will reiterate wen the legislation applies and when it doesn’t, the Local Authority’s role as the supervisory body for DOLS, good practice around capacity assessment, best interest decisions and looking for least restrictive options.  The session is aimed at a wide range of multi-agency professionals working with adults.  Separate training will be arranged for those working with 6/17 year olds.  If you wish to attend, please seek agreement from your manager and e-mail your name, role, organisation to ssabtraining@salford.gov.uk

Joan’s Legacy

In November 2022, the Safeguarding Adult Executive Board (SAEB) for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea published the SAR report and the associated learning briefing in relation to the circumstances of Joan who passed away at the age of 88 after experiencing a significant and rapid decline in her health over the last year of her life. 

The review highlighted key learning around:

• Multi-agency communication and coordination
• The importance of ensuring that reasonable adjustments are provided to support person-centred care
• The understanding and application of the Mental Capacity Act
• Working effectively with families who are expressing concerns about quality of care.

They have now launched Joan’s Legacy Video, in which Joan’s Granddaughter, Lesley offers powerful insights regarding Joan’s and her family’s experiences, making a valuable contribution that supports the legacy of learning from Joan’s story.

Any feedback / comments or queries should be made directly to the SEAB at makingsafeguardingpersonal@rbkc.gov.uk

Homeless Link - Homelessness and suicide prevention / postvention resources

People experiencing homelessness are at higher risk of ending their lives by suicide than the general population.  In partnership, Homeless Link has produced a set of resources for people experiencing homelessness, workers and managers.

Do you have any SSAB posters or leaflets on display anywhere?

Please can you check to ensure all SSAB posters with the old number are either amended or removed.  If you drop us an e-mail at ssab@salford.gov.uk, we can arrange for replacement posters to be sent out to you.

Save the date – 29 June - Baton of Hope

The Baton of Hope UK tour comes to Manchester this June.  Suicide is the biggest killer of men and women under 35 in the UK. The #BatonofHopeUK is designed to be the biggest suicide awareness and prevention initiative and will be touring UK towns and cities for two weeks in Summer 2023.

Upcoming dates:

• 15-19 May – Hoarding Awareness Week
• 5-11 June – Carers Week
• 19-25 June – Learning Disability Week

Links to other news

• Partners in Salford Latest News
• SSCP Latest News

Finally…

If you would like us to include anything in our next bulletin or have any feedback, please e-mail us: ssab@salford.gov.uk

Best wishes

The SSAB Team