Agenda item

The Health and Wellbeing Board gave consideration to the Oldham Safeguarding Board’s Annual Report and Business Plan.

The report outlined the key messages from the Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report for 2017/18, progress made against the Safeguarding Adults Board Business plan 2018/19, the implications for Safeguarding Adults arising from the integration of adult and social care in Oldham, the developing links between the Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board and the Oldham Safeguarding Children’s Board and the outcome of the Safeguarding Adults Review and proposed implementation plan.

In accordance with the statutory requirements of the Care Act 2014, Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board must produce and publish a three-year strategy, annual business plan and annual report.  The Health and Wellbeing Board had requested updates from the Safeguarding Adults Board on progress against the annual business plan.  The update served to provide evidence of how partnership working supported adults to live safely in Oldham, free from abuse and neglect. 

The Safeguarding Adults Boards 2017/18 annual report demonstrated the progress made on adult safeguarding and individual partner organisations in 2017/18.  The latest annual report brought to a conclusion the previous three-year strategy of the Board. 

The new three-year strategy, 2018 – 2021 Priorities, articulated a vision that:

“The people of Oldham had a right to live safely, free from abuse and neglect, and are supported to do so by co-operative communities and organisations which;

·         Do not tolerate abuse and neglect.

·         Champion making safeguarding personal.

·         Work preventatively through early identification of new safeguarding issues.

·         Deliver excellent practice as the norm.

·         Share information effectively.

·         Ensure that the public feel confident that adults are protected.”

Board partners prioritised their commitment to the board, held one another to account effectively and promoted and embedded learning.”  The strategic objectives for 2018 – 2021 were outlined at Section 2.2 of the report.  These priorities were reflected in the 2018/19 business plan of the board and monitored via the board executive and the Board.

It was acknowledged that further work was required to raise the profile of the Safeguarding Adults Board and to address the priority status of transitions.

The integration of community health and social care services across Oldham took place in 2019 as part of the development of Oldham Cares Integrated Care Organisation (ICO).  The ICO had seen the integration of CCG and social care commissioning which in Oldham currently included strategic adult safeguarding services.   Alongside significant benefits, a number of unintended consequences linked to local integration were recognised.  In January 2019, Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board endorsed 22 individual recommendations regarding how the current local model could be strengthened and improved.  An implementation programme brief had been developed to propose an approach to deliver the changes involved and the workstreams to delivery the recommendations.  Delivery was expected to take place through three phases of activity.  A programme team which included Programme Board arrangements, were in place to direct, co-ordinate and deliver the programme. 

The Board remarked on the activity to date benchmarking information.  Members were informed that stakeholder engagement was stronger than when the LSAB first stated.

The Board were informed of the effectiveness of integrated working and concrete proposals should be developed in six months.  The proposals would come back to the Health and Wellbeing Board to asked what needed to be developed. 

Members commented on the Prevention Strategy and were informed that Oldham was seen as an advanced player and the joint approach was influential in reducing conflict.

Members noted the benchmarking with regard to ethnicity of the population and were informed of work with the faith communities and that links needed to be strengthened.  Some initiatives were needed to engage communities.

Consideration was also given to the Local Safeguarding Children’s Annual Board Annual Report 2017/18 and the 2018/19 Business Plan.  The annual report detailed the partnership’s safeguarding activity over the 12 month period and assessed the impact this activity against the LSCB’s Strategic Plan for 2015/18.

The report identified the strategic safeguarding priorities for the next three-year period – 2019/2021 which were:

1.    Domestic Abuse

2.    Complex and Contextual Safeguarding

3.    Children not accessing education including elective home education

4.    Transitions

5.    Understanding the impact of trauma on children and young people

6.    Child’s lived experience.

The Business Plan 2018/19 was guided by the priorities outlined in the Strategic Plan.  It was noted that the LSCB had commissioned a large number of Serious Case Reviews during the 12-month period which had impacted on the ability to progress some action to the desired stage.  Some actions were agreed to be carried into the 2019/20 business plan.

RESOLVED that:

1.         The Local Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report for 2017/18, the Business Plan 2018/19 and Safeguarding Review be noted.

2.         The Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Annual Report for 2017/18, the Business Plan 2018/19 be noted.