Agenda item

To receive a report from the Head of Democratic Services which presents a progress report produced on behalf of the Independent Chair of the LSAB for the Scrutiny Board’s consideration.

The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report which introduced a progress report provided to the Scrutiny Board by the Leeds Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB).  The progress report included reference to the LSAB Annual Report for 2020/2021 and highlighted progress made against its Strategic Plan for 2021/22, as well as sharing some early thinking about its ambitions for 2022/23.

The following were in attendance for this item:

·  Cllr Fiona Venner, Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Richard Jones CBE, Independent Chair of Leeds Safeguarding Adults Board

·  Cath Roff, Director of Adults and Health

·  Victoria Eaton, Director of Public Health

·  Shona McFarlane, Deputy Director Social Work and Social Care Service

The Chair particularly welcomed the attendance of the Independent Chair of the LSAB, Richard Jones CBE.  In introducing this item, the Chair acknowledged the significance of the wording set out as part of the foreword to the LSAB 2020/21 Annual Report and therefore invited the LSAB Chair to relay this to the Board prior to presenting the broader progress report.

In introducing the LSAB progress report, the LSAB Chair highlighted the following:

·  There had been an increased rate of safeguarding referrals made during 2020/21, with 10,917 referrals made (an increase of 12% from 2019/20).

·  When a referral is received by Leeds City Council: Adults & Health, a decision is then made whether to undertake a safeguarding enquiry.  In 2020/21, there were 3286 safeguarding enquiries commenced, which amounts to 30% of all referrals.

·  Such safeguarding enquiries involved one or more of a range of different types of concerns, with the highest proportion involving concerns around neglect and acts of omission (32%); physical abuse (25%) and financial or material abuse (13%).

·  During 2020/21, the LSAB sought to reach out across diverse communities in Leeds, to promote awareness of safeguarding and the work of the Board.  This continues to remain a priority.

·  The LSAB is promoting positive images of safeguarding, of the support and help that is available, and the difference it can make to people's lives. These messages are based on citizen-led consultation about what good practice looks like and feels like. This also reflects the Board's commitment to becoming increasingly citizen-led.

·  The LSAB worked with the city’s Community Safety Partnership, Safer Leeds in undertaking a thematic review, conducted under Section 44 (5) of the Care Act 2014, using the LSAB’s powers to conduct a discretionary review, considering the experience of adults who died while living street-based lives in Leeds.

·  The LSAB also published two mandatory Safeguarding Adults Reviews in 2020 concerning Mr and Mrs A and Mr B. The joint action plan that was developed as a result of these two reviews has been a significant focus of the Board’s work in 2020-21 and has enabled the Board to work towards the development of a robust approach to supporting those citizens living in circumstances of harmful self-neglect.

·  It was acknowledged that the LSAB has close working relationships with a range of organisations and networks that enable the Board to work in partnership towards making Leeds a Safe Place for Everyone. Tributes were made to the frontline staff, practitioners and organisations for their extraordinary commitment to support and safeguard people from across communities, particularly during such a difficult period.

The following areas were also discussed during the Board’s consideration of the LSAB progress report:

·  The continual rise in safeguarding referrals and areas of particular concern, such as self-neglect linked to financial hardship.

·  The importance of monitoring practice and activity within care homes, particularly during periods of visiting restrictions linked to infection control and prevention measures.

·  The importance of collaborative working and maximising resources across key services and partners, with particular emphasis around information sharing and ‘Professional Curiosity’.

·  The work being undertaken with communities and partners to ensure people know how to seek help and have the confidence to do so.

·  Establishing appropriate success measures while acknowledging that safeguarding enquiries can take different forms so as to respond effectively to the nature of the risk, the specific circumstances and the person’s desired outcomes.

The Chair thanked everyone for their contributions and acknowledged the continued hard work and commitment of the Leeds Safeguarding Adults Board.

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report and discussions be noted.