Agenda item

The Chair of the Local Safeguarding Boards will report to the Board providing an update in respect of the Children’s and Adults’ Safeguarding Boards’ Business Plans.  A paper relating to the Children’s Board is attached; a paper relating to the Adults’ Board will follow.

Dr Henri Giller, Chair of the Oldham Local Safeguarding Children and Adults Boards attended the meeting to present the Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2018-19 and the updated 2019-20 Business Plans for both the Safeguarding Children and Adults Boards.  An annual report for the Safeguarding Children Board was not presented as, due to the recently implemented revised arrangements, an 18-month Report was to be prepared and would be submitted in due course.

The Board gave initial consideration to the submitted Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board 2018-19 Annual Report that detailed safeguarding activity over the 12-month period and assessed the impact of this activity against the Board’s Business Plan for 2018-19.  Dr Giller drew attention to two key activities in 2018-19.  Firstly, a Peer Review had been undertaken by representatives from the Stockport Board, the conclusions from which and the Board’s reflection on these conclusions were presented in the Annual Report.  Secondly, and on reflection of the Stockport conclusions, a fundamental review of adults safeguarding had been undertaken from which a number of recommendations had been derived. 

These review recommendations then formed a significant part of the 2019-20 Safeguarding Adults Business Plan, and issues of ensuring that service integration did not dilute safeguarding, of trying to get a better picture of safeguarding in partner organisations, of making safeguarding more personal, and identifying joint work with the Safeguarding Children Board to consider transition issues looking towards a comprehensive all age safeguarding approach were highlighted to the Board.  In response to a query concerning joint working between the Safeguarding Boards, it was noted that the Stockport review was a formal Peer Review, but that issues were picked up among wider peer groups on a regular basis.  In addition, the Independent Chairs and Board Business Managers each had their own quarterly meetings to consider best practice and issues arising.

With regard to the 2019-20 Safeguarding Children Business Plan, the Board was advised that this sought to embed the new ways of working and new areas of work including complex and contextual safeguarding which included modern slavery and exploitation, and workforce development and training were highlighted.  The Board was advised of a Joint Communications Group that was seeking to communicate the work of the two Boards to the public, including development of a new website that was to go live with Children’s Board content in the near future, with Adults Board content to follow.  Work in the Children’s area was looking to maximise the profile and the quality of work for children and young people by enhanced commitment from statutory partners, gaining buy-in from relevant organisations, developing accountability mechanisms and seeking the views of the child.

The following issues were raised by Members of the Board in respect of the Safeguarding Boards reports - 

·         The Strategic Director Reform noted the need to ensure connectivity between the work of the Safeguarding Partnerships into the emerging staffing strategy in the health and social care sector and a need to ensure that structures would deliver this;

·         The reported joint work by both Safeguarding Boards around the transition period was welcomed by the Board generally

·         Following a query as to when and how the Children’s Board was to hear the voice of the child, the Board was advised that while traditional routes had been through the Youth Council and the Children in Care Council, work was being undertaken to configure new arrangements to access a wider constituency.  It was also noted that some children would not have a voice and that consideration of lived experience was also important;

·         The consideration within the Business Plans of patients with long term conditions who were at risk but were not known of was queried.  With regard to children, work had been done around early help and with schools to raise the issues of risk and vulnerability.  It was suggested that some organisations were changing their perspectives, the police now treating those subject to child exploitation as victims rather than criminals being highlighted;

·         Issues related to home schooling were noted, with a Member requesting a consideration of those children struggling to get into school.  The Board was advised that a sub-group of the Safeguarding Children Board was considering these issues and a report would be prepared in due course;

·         A Member noted concerns about local authorities placing children and young people in facilities that provided accommodation, as opposed to care, often distant from their home location, and queried use made by the Council of such facilities.   The Chair of the Boards advised of recent correspondence from the Minister about unregistered accommodation: a piece of work was ongoing and a report would be prepared in due course.  The Managing Director for Health and Adult Social Care undertook to prepare a breakdown as to the types of accommodation used, and to co-ordinate a report back to this Board on this issue.

RESOLVED that -

1.            the Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board 2018-19 Annual Report be noted;

2.            the updates on the 2019-20 Children and Adults Safeguarding Business Plans be noted;

3.            the intent to report further to the Board in respect of home schooling and the provision of accommodation be noted.