Agenda item

The Board will be considering further updates by the Deputy Director (Strategic Commissioning) and have invited Dr Margaret Flynn to attend to provide supporting information.  The Board will be concluding the examination of these specific areas and may wish to make recommendations on specific actions.

 

 

The Director of Adult Social Services submitted an update report on progress made against recommendations since the inspection of social care services by the Care Quality Commission (formerly CSCI) and the resulting Independence Wellbeing and Choice action plan.

 

Appended to the report were copies of the following documents for the information/comment of the meeting:

 

(a)  Appendix 1 - Independence, Wellbeing & Choice Inspection Progress Review – 19^th March 2009.

(b)  Appendix 2 - Case Audit – CPEA Associates – March 2009.

(c)  Appendix 3 – Safeguarding Supervision Checklist for Team Managers – January 2009.

 

The Chair welcomed Doctor Margaret Flynn and her associate Mr Vic Citarella from CPEA Limited, who are experts in the field of adult safeguarding, to the meeting.

 

The Chair also welcomed Sandie Keene, Director of Adult Social Services

who advised the board that the CSCI inspector had conducted a review on the 19 March 2009. The Inspector had given some positive feedback and recognised the extensive work the department had already undertaken on the action plan in relation to safeguarding, cultural change, management and quality assurance process, personalisation and partnerships. 

 

In attendance at the meeting were the following officers:-

 

Emma Mortimer – Safeguarding Co-ordinator

Christine Clarke – Safeguarding Co-ordinator

 

The Director also introduced Richard Graham the newly appointed Quality Assurance Manager.

 

Doctor Flynn then gave a brief update on the audit work carried out in November 2008 with her colleague Pamela Shelton which was supervised by Vic Citarella. A sample of twenty cases selected included those for older people, people with mental health problems, people with learning disabilities and people with sensor impairments and physical disabilities. 

 

The audit highlighted a connection between abuse and alcohol . There was also concern that to manage the problem other agencies such as the Police would sometimes operate independently from the local authority.  Doctor Flynn informed the meeting that the overall picture for Leeds in her opinion was promising and that she perceived that Leeds had a humane approach to dealing with safeguarding cases. 

 

In brief, the main issues raised were:

 

·  Confirmation that the structures in terms of the safeguarding committees and partnerships were going to be right.

 

In response, the Director informed the meeting that cultural change was being established throughout the whole of the authority.  The department is getting systems into place. It is expected that in three years time they would be well on their way to being transformed and that in five years time the department should be completely transformed. 

 

·  Concern was expressed that case information was not held in one central place, as highlighted in Doctor Flynn’s report. There were examples of cases being held on computer in part and the remaining information held in a paper based filing system. 

 

In response, the Director informed the meeting there is a need to look at the way data is being stored, which may mean updating or replacing the current computer system. Data on care matters however needs to be readily available in one place.

 

·  What had been learnt from auditing the cases and what had been done with the case studies to rectify the mental health cases?

 

In response, the Director informed the meeting that in general lessons are learnt from bad cases. Nationally there are very few referrals from the Mental Health Service.  Doctor Flynn informed the meeting that an enormous amount of work needs to be done nationally with mental health providers to enhance safeguarding and the awareness of abuse in mental health settings. 

 

·  How can the voluntary sector be supportive in helping service delivery with personalisation changes and safeguarding activity and would Doctor Flynn recommend advocacy for the service users throughout the process of personalisation?

 

In response, Doctor Flynn informed the meeting that those in a position to employ personal assistants need to make sure they are checked out thoroughly.  Unlike local authorities who carry out CRB checks, people who receive individual budgets can employ a person who has not been CRB checked.  For those with compromised mental capacity authorities should interviene and specify who should be recruited.

Doctor Flynn did recommend advocacy for service users as she believes that advocacy is a vital service, adding that the voluntary

  sector could play a crucial part in assisting service users and relatives   when recruiting personal assistants.

 

·  Had the case files being audited by Doctor Flynn been a fair example or did she feel that they had been ‘tidied up’ in preparation of her visit?

 

In response, Doctor Flynn informed the meeting that the case files were a typical sample of cases which reflected the different groups of vulnerable adults.  Some of the cases were very complex ongoing cases and some cases were straight forward.

 

·  Why was there no black or ethnic minority cases reflected in the study?

 

In response, the Director informed the meeting that service delivery   managers had taken a sample of the most recent investigations   deliberately choosing those which were live.  It was clarified that the   data in respect of referrals was representative of the overall population.

 

   Doctor Flynn also informed the meeting that nationally there were very few referrals from black and ethnic minority communities. 

 

·  Why did Dr Flynn think that there were very few black and ethnic minority cases referred?

 

In response, Doctor Flynn informed the meeting that awareness is not always raised and there are barriers with language. 

 

·  What was the department doing in getting the message across, especially with regard to the language problems?

 

In response, the officer reminded the meeting that as part of the publicity and marketing process leaflets were being produced in various languages and distributed to numerous organisations .

 

·  What help or assistance was there for people or organisations who support asylum seekers and may need to make a safeguarding referral?

 

In response, the Director informed the meeting that safeguarding referrals for asylum seekers should be a straight forward process.  The marketing plan referred to previously, includes making sure that information is provided to the Refugee Council and other related organisations .

 

·  What was the current position regarding the setting up of the sub-groups on the Safeguarding Board?

 

In response, the officer gave an overview of the sub-groups and informed the meeting that the Training and Workforce Development Sub Group was now doing its work.  The Quality Assurance Sub Group was now established and a work plan for this sub group was now ready.  The Serious Case Sub Group has also been established, and there are a number of cases that the group would be looking at.  The Policy and Procedures Sub Group had also been set up .

 

·  Clarification was sought on the training figures as the percentage of the workforce receiving safeguarding training was less than expected.

 

In response, the Director informed the meeting there was a limit on how quickly specialist training could be implemented.  It was the department’s aim to have staff trained by December 2009 which is on target .  Much of the training had been commissioned from expert training agencies from outside the council. 

 

The Chair thanked Doctor Flynn and Mr Vic Citarella for their attendance and for their very interesting report.

 

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the report and its appendices in relation to the Adult Inspection Adult Plan be noted.

(b)  That the continuing involvement of the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee in the overview of risk management arrangements and governance arrangements in relation to the Leeds Adult Safeguarding Partnership Board be noted.

 

Note:  Councillor P Ewens joined the meeting at 10.45 a.m. during discussions on the above item.