Agenda item - Brighton & Hove Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Update 2023-24

Report of the Independent Safeguarding Adults Board (copy attached).

6.1       This item was presented by Seona Douglas, Brighton & Hove Independent Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) Chair; and by Guy Jackson, SAB Business Manager.

6.2       Ms Douglas told the Board that she had been appointed in autumn 2023, replacing Annie Callanan. She thanked Ms Callanan for a positive handover. Priorities for SAM over the past year have included developing standardised safeguarding kpis; evaluating the impact that the SAB has had; conducting 2 safeguarding adult reviews; and focusing on better use of data.

6.3       Cllr Burden asked a question about the use of feedback. Ms Douglas responded, agreeing that feedback was key to improving services. There is work to me done on ensuring a more systematic approach across partners to capturing and evaluating feedback.

6.4       In response to a question from Cllr Grimshaw on  frontline staff training on trauma, Ms Douglas responded that partners are encouraged to include trauma in staff training. Steve Hook noted that trauma-informed practice is at the heart of work on multiple compound needs and is informing the development of Integrated Community Teams.

6.5       Stephen Lightfoot commented that the SAB annual report represented very important work. The case studies in particular make difficult reading, but include information that services must learn from. It would be helpful to use this information to inform the development of Integrated Community Teams. Ms Douglas welcomed this approach.

6.6       Professor Banerjee asked how we benchmark against comparators. Ms Dougles responded that benchmarking information can be very useful. However, it does need to be treated with some caution, particularly in terms of looking at regional comparators, as Brighton & Hove is dissimilar to our neighbours in a number of ways.

6.7       Ms Douglas agreed to respond outside the meeting on a question around a reduction in domestic assault referrals to SAB from University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.

6.8       RESOLVED – that the report be noted.