Agenda item

The committee conducts an interview with the independent chair annually, minutes of last year’s meeting can be found here:

http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=22599

6.1  The chair invited Terry Hutt, Independent chair of the Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Board, to present the report circulated with the papers. He said he would highlight the main themes in the report.

6.2  He first spoke about the national context.  Social services will be affected by legislation going through parliament. He explained a significant change is that the Vulnerable Adults Safeguarding Board will, like the children's board, be a statutory function. This means there will be a requirement for people to attend the board. He added that this is not a problem in Southwark as the board already has good attendance.

6.3  The Independent Chair reported that there is an ongoing investment in the process of making a safeguarding referral. A senior manager group is focusing on the care in residential homes, particularly safeguarding concerns. One of the outcomes has been the initiative "my home life". The team has brought together residential nursing care practitioners to look at safeguarding. He explained that the staff experience of safeguarding investigations is often very difficult so the council is looking at improving the process.

6.4  The Independent Chair reported that safeguarding alerts have been growing and if this trend continues then a significant amount of officer time will be spent on this activity. He said that the service want to consider the thresholds - Lambeth has twice the alerts. He speculated that this might be because their understanding safeguarding is different. He explained that the board will be spending about 9 months considering this issue. He explained that some safeguarding alerts are more about poor quality services, or sometimes a result of conflict between adults who might be vulnerable.  However, he reported that if they decide that the increase in safeguarding alerts is due to increasing need then services then we will need to reconfigure services. He reported that they will be looked at learning disabilities, which is over represented for alerts, and explained that one reason could be the higher level of awareness created by the Winterbourne abuse scandal.

6.5  The Independent Chair reported that he has raised concerns about the lack of alerts for substance misuse adults. There was a query about alcohol misuse. He explained that alcohol misuse is not included in substance misuse. The official definition only includes illegal substances and alcohol abusers do not figure as a vulnerable group in terms of safeguarding. He commented that alcohol users can become homeless. A member asked if they would then be picked up and asked who would deal with alcoholic homeless people. Another member raised a concern about a member of the public who went to various settings - but everywhere they went they were told to come back sober. She asked where a chronic alcoholic would be able to get help.

6.6  A member commented on the recent stories that have surfaced in the media that women were encouraged to withdraw rape allegations by the Southwark Sapphire rape investigation unit based at Walworth Police Station. The Independent Chair responded that the next board meeting will consider this. He voiced his concerns and agreed that there is a need for follow up with the women to see they wish to pursue actions and generally be offered support.

6.7  Members voiced concerns about the ease of making safeguarding complaints and suggested that all safeguarding publications are produced in ‘easy to read’ formats.

6.8  Questions were asked about the number of prosecutions of perpetrator and the success rate and the Independent Chair agree to provide follow up information.

6.9  A member asked why none of the Hospitals had made safeguarding alerts and noted that the Francis report had highlighted the importance of effective complaint, investigation, training and whistle blowing procedures.

RESOLVED

Report back to scrutiny into the analysis being undertaken by the Safeguarding team into the reasons for an increase in safeguarding alerts, including a detailed breakdown of the figures.

A recommendation that easy to read formats for all safeguarding publications is made available.

More information on what happens to perpetrators, and if there have been any prosecutions.

More detail on how people are protected form abuse that are a) substance misusers (and are defined as ‘vulnerable’) and, b) those that misuse alcohol (and are not counted as ‘vulnerable’).

A report into the safeguarding implications of the recent revelations that the Sapphire Unit encouraged women to withdraw rape allegations.

More information on safeguarding in hospitals; in particular why have there been no safeguarding alerts, who do patients, report alleged abuse to, and who investigates.

Details of safeguarding training provided.

The safeguarding whistle-blowing procedures of all partners.