Agenda item

This report is being presented to the committee prior to publication of the Blackpool Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report.  All partner agencies have been consulted with and contributed to the content of the report.

Mr Stephen Ashley, Independent Chair, Blackpool Safeguarding Adults Board (BSAB) presented the Annual Report to the Committee. He advised that the statutory requirement to produce an annual report during the pandemic had been removed, however, the BSAB had wanted to highlight the good work undertaken by all partners during this time and had therefore chosen to produce one. He noted that some work had been suspended during the pandemic, with emergency provision put in place and that there had been an increase in safeguarding activity.

Mr Ashley also advised that the BSAB was developing its future workplan which it would present to the Committee in approximately six months. The themes expected to be included in the workplan were mental health and inpatient bed availability, self neglect, domestic abuse, the care system and Covid recovery.

The Committee noted that 65.3% of the number of people who had expressed their desired outcome in relation to the safeguarding concern they raised had fully achieved the outcome they desired and how success was determined in this area. In response, Mr Ashley advised that the BSAB had the highest figure in Lancashire for achieving their desired outcome and that in the remainder of cases the outcome desired was unrealistic and could not be achieved.

Members commented that it was unclear from the report what ‘other safeguarding enquiries’ might relate to and Mr Ashley advised that it could be in relation to a health referral rather than a safeguarding concern and that he would ensure future reporting was better explained.

Reference was made to Blackpool as a whole being an outlier in many categories should as alcohol and substance misuse and queried the work of the BSAB in making improvements. Mr Ashley noted that Blackpool was a national outlier in many areas of concern and advised that there was a huge amount of work ongoing to address the concerns. He noted that there were long term plans in place that did not have an immediate impact and that finances continued to be a struggle. Councillor Jo Farrell, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health added that Young Adder, Adder and Changing Futures had all be established to address such areas of concern and that partnership working had improved with a new Health and Wellbeing Strategy expected to be developed in the near future.

In relation to the Health and Wellbeing Board, Members queried the role of the third sector on that Board. In response, Councillor Farrell advised that there were two third sector representatives on the Board and that other relevant partners could be invited to attend as and when necessary. Mr Ashley added that training and development provided by the BSAB was also open to third sector organisations.

From the Annual Report Members had concluded that the same themes and trends from reviews had been repeated and it was queried whether lessons were being learned. Mr Ashley agreed that themes from the Safeguarding Adult Reviews tended to be repeated and acknowledged that partners had previously not held each other accountable for learning. He advised that there had been a significant cultural change with more engagement with front line staff. He advised that he felt that improvement was ongoing and that at the time of his next Annual Report he was confident that the concerns would have been addressed.

The Committee agreed to receive the BSAB workplan in approximately six months.