Agenda item - Brighton & Hove Safeguarding Adults Board, Annual Report 2018/19

Report of Brighton & Hove Safeguarding Adults Board Independent Chairperson (copy attached)

RESOLVED - (1) That the Board notes the content of the report and commends the partner agencies for their contribution to safeguarding adults with care and support;

(2) also notes the Safeguarding Adults Board’s achievements and challenges as set out on Pages 9 and 10 of the circulated Annual Report.

35.1    The Board considered the annual report of the Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Adults Board (B&H SAB) for 2018/19. The Board were asked to note the achievements for and challenges of the Board set out on pages 9 and 10 of report. The report covered the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019.

35.2    It was noted that the SAB comprised senior representatives from statutory and non-statutory agencies and organisations in Brighton and Hove with responsibility for safeguarding adults with care and support needs. The role of the Board was to co-ordinate local safeguarding activity and to seek to ensure the effectiveness of local work; it was a statutory requirement that it publish an annual report evaluating the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements for adults with care and support needs in the local area.

35.3    The Independent Chair to the Board, Graham Bartlett introduced the report and highlighted its achievements and the challenges to its work going forward. The continuing aim of the SAB was to provide strategic leadership to ensure that adults who were at risk of abuse or neglect were effectively safeguarded and to co-ordinate and assure the safeguarding system. His role was to support and challenge SAB partners and agencies in the city to work collaboratively for the care of adults with care and support needs and to bring about continuous improvement.

35.4    Reflecting on the SAB’s achievements over the past year progress had been made against a number of priorities set out in the Strategic Plan and he wished to acknowledge the hard work and commitment shown by all partner assurance agencies in seeking to achieve those aims. A notable achievement had been the positive impact which had resulted from the creation of the Quality Assurance and Learning Development Officer role which was shared with East Sussex. In consequence the data collected had improved and auditing arrangements had been strengthened thus ensuring that learning from reviews carried out had been taken forward and embedded into practice.

35.5    The small budget which the SAB had to carry out its work remained an issue. The SAB had struggled with some of its priorities as, compared with similar Boards, it operated with a particularly small budget which had a real impact on its capacity. He was committed to working with the Local Authority, Police, NHS and statutory partners in order to improve that situation as it presented a continued risk to the Board’s work.

35.6    The CEO of Healthwatch, Brighton and Hove, David Liley, commended the report explaining that Healthwatch, Brighton and Hove had worked closely with the Brighton and Hove SAB over the last year. Healthwatch’s focus was to improve how people experienced health and social care services, particularly in the case of vulnerable people and those who did not have a strong voice. The Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Board provided excellent leadership and co-ordination and a focus for partnership to promote high standards of safety and quality in health and social care for vulnerable adults in the city.

35.7    Councillor Shanks referred to the “Deprivation of Liberty” legislation which had been put into place asking whether/what impact this had had on the SAB’s work and whether there had been linked to public health initiatives, age related suicide prevention and measures in relation to vulnerable groups. It was explained that the position remained that those with lack of mental capacity could not have their liberty removed unless there was good reason to do so. In the longer term it was hoped that the number of individuals to whom this applied would reduce although the guiding principles remained the same. Those covered by the SAB were not considered to have specific vulnerabilities towards potential suicide but to abuse and or neglect.

36.8    The Chief Executive, Geoff Raw, stated that there was recognition that there were a lot of vulnerable people in the city both children and adults and thought was being given to the means by which their continuing needs could be best served going forward including the arrangements for those who were vulnerable children who could then become vulnerable adults.

36.9    Mr Bartlett confirmed that going forward discussions were taking place in order to ensure that the Board continued to receive perspectives from those who could bring valuable expertise and experience. Besides a number of voluntary sector partners a broad spectrum of disciples were recognised as needing to give input in order to act robustly on behalf of and to give those who were vulnerable a voice.

36.10  Councillor Appich commended the report and was pleased to note that it appeared that efforts to increase the funds available for the SAB’s work appeared as if they would come to fruition. Linkage and collaboration with children’s safeguarding was critical.

37.11  The Executive Director of Adult Health and Social Care also commended the report and the work undertaken by the SAB. They acted robustly in scrutinising the work of the local authority and other partners and of holding them to account which was a very important role.

37.12  RESOLVED - (1) That the Board notes the content of the report and commends the partner agencies for their contribution to safeguarding adults with care and support;

(2) also notes the Safeguarding Adults Board’s achievements and challenges as set out on Pages 9 and 10 of the circulated Annual Report.