Agenda item

Ms Lynn Gornall, Head of Adult Safeguarding and Principal Social Worker (Adults) presented the Year End Alerts and Referrals Analysis Report covering 1st April 2013 to 31st March 2014, together with the Alert and Referral Analysis and Practice Update for Quarter One 2014.

It was reported that in 2013/2014 Adult Social Care Services had actively supported 4,844 individuals out of a population of approximately 113,000. It was noted that 3,324 of those individuals supported were aged 65 and over. However, the Safeguarding Adults Framework was accessible to all individuals aged 18 and over, if they had been harmed or were at risk of harm and unable to protect themselves.

Ms Gornall advised the Committee that 771 safeguarding alerts had been raised with the Council in 2013/2014 relating to adults thought to be at risk. Of those, 402 were deemed to be ‘not safeguarding’ or ‘incident only’ issues and 328 were referred for investigation. It was explained that of those cases referred for investigation:

• 89 were not substantiated
• 67 were partly substantiated
• 79 were substantiated; and
• 30 were inconclusive due to insufficient evidence available.

Members of the Committee were also provided with details of the types of alerts received, of which the main types cited were neglect or mistreatment, institutional abuse, financial abuse, emotional abuse and physical abuse. Often alerts could cite more than one type of abuse. Details regarding the location of the abuse were also provided and it was noted that of the 464 abuse types, 304 had occurred in residential or nursing care settings, 116 in a person’s own home and eight in a hospital.

It was reported to the Committee that Adult Services had provided training to staff and managers in more than 50 residential and nursing homes in Blackpool and that the Service had worked in partnership to ensure consistency. Safeguarding information leaflets had also been produced to help widen publicity regarding adult safeguarding.

The Committee was also presented with details regarding service developments ahead of a Local Authority Peer Review of Blackpool Council Safeguarding Adults activity, which was scheduled to take place at the end of January 2015. It was reported that an advocacy agency (Empowerment) had been commissioned to carry out a series of Listening Reviews to identify where changes in the service could be made to improve people’s experiences.

It was also reported that from March 2014, changes had been made to the way in which the recording of safeguarding alerts, referrals and actions taken to protect individuals were made. The stated aim for making the changes had been in order to improve analysis of the statistics in the future and subsequently improve outcomes for individuals.

Members queried how those in care in private homes were monitored. Ms Gornall reported that, whilst this issue presented difficulties, domiciliary care contracts were being reviewed to improve safeguarding procedures and a domiciliary care survey was undertaken every year.

The Committee also discussed how Adult Services worked in partnership with mental health services to provide appropriate care for those individuals with mental health needs.

The Committee agreed to note the report.

Background Papers: None.