DSAPB STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN – 2017/2020

Our vision:

‘Is to ensure that Darlington is an increasingly safer place for adults at risk of abuse and neglect.’

Our Mission is to do the following:

  1. tell people how to get help about abuse if they are worried
  2. provide information by talking to people, providing leaflets and putting information online
  3. make sure that people are supported to make their make their own decisions
  4. listen to people and their families so that they are treated with respect and dignity
  5. check that those who look after people do their job well
  6. work with organisations to help people who are abused or neglected
  7. check that advocates are provided
  8. feedback so things can be done better in future
  9. check that adults feel as safe as they want to be.

Introduction

The Care Act explains safeguarding as ‘protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect … people and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect, while at the same time making sure that the adult’s wellbeing is promoted including, where appropriate, having regard to their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs in deciding on any action.’

The aims of adult safeguarding are to:

  • prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect to adults with care and support needs
  • stop abuse or neglect wherever possible
  • safeguard adults in a way that supports them in making choices and having control about how they want to live
  • promote an approach that concentrates on improving life for the adults concerned
  • raise public awareness so that communities as a whole, alongside professionals, play their part in preventing, identifying and responding to abuse and neglect
  • provide information and support in accessible ways to help people understand the different types of abuse, how to stay safe and what to do to raise a concern about the safety or well-being of an adult
  • address what has caused the abuse or neglect

There are Six key principles underpin all adult safeguarding work, which DSAPB have adopted as their strategic priorities:
  1. Empowerment: People being supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and informed consent.
  2. Prevention: It is better to take action before harm occurs.
  3. Proportionality: The least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented.
  4. Protection: Support and representation for those in greatest need.
  5. Partnership: Local solutions through services working with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse.
  6. Accountability: Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding.

The objective and focusof the DSAPBis to ‘assure itself that local safeguarding arrangements and partners act to help and protect adults in its area who meet the criteria[1]:

  • has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs)
  • is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect
  • as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect

DSAPB have developed a three year strategic plan, which describes each year how it will deliver on these priorities. The plan will be reviewed annually, taking into account the progress to date and learning and information received from audit, quality assurance activity, data and case reviews.

Strategic Priority / Outcome / Actions / Responsible Subgroup / Timescale / Linked Sub group (Key below table)
  1. Empowerment
/ Adults at risk are being supported and encouraged to make their own decisions through access to advocacy where relevant and information being provided in such a way it helps inform their decisions and their consent. / To review stakeholder engagement and evaluate the feedback and to establish if MSP is embedded in practice. / Training, Communications and Voice of the User Subgroup / September 2017
To establish what information is available and identify gaps across the partnership to support and empower adults at risk. / Training, Communications and Voice of the User Subgroup / September 2017
To understand how adults at risk feel supported through multi-agency practice and if individuals desired outcomes were achieved where appropriate. / Quality and Performance Subgroup / December 2017
To undertake audits that will provide the Board with assurances that MSP is embedded in practice and well understood and to identify future development areas / Quality and Performance Subgroup / March 2018
  1. Prevention
/ There is a coordinated approach to understand why and how abuse and neglect has occurred and this information is used to prevent future incidents of abuse or neglect.
Adults at risk are provided with sufficient information through direct work and general awareness raising that enables them to understand risks to help themselves where appropriate to keep themselves safe. / To develop a forward plan of how the partnership will raise awareness of safeguarding including what is abuse and neglect / Training, Communications and Voice of the User Subgroup / May 2017
To evaluate the forward plan to understand the impact of the activity to raise awareness of safeguarding / Training, Communications and Voice of the User Subgroup / December 2017
To capture and consider the learning from local, regional and national case reviews to develop practice in Darlington / Adult Learning and Improvement Subgroup / September 2017 / All subgroups
To develop a forward plan to communicate learning across the partnership and to the wider public as appropriate from local, national and regional learning. / Training, Communications and Voice of the User Subgroup / September 2017 / Adult Learning and Improvement Subgroup
  1. Proportionality
/ Through coordinated and joined up multi-agency practice the safeguarding process including audits, lesson learnt reviews and safeguarding adult reviews are proportionate with the best possible outcome for the adult at risk. Including the learning that will inform safeguarding practice across the adult’s workforces.
  1. Protection
/ There is good multi-agency coordination of support and representation for adults at risk throughout the safeguarding process which appreciates and recognises their individual needs. / To develop a framework and undertake a self-assessment with statutory partners and other key stakeholders as appropriate / Quality and Performance Subgroup / September 2017
  1. Partnership
/ There are embedded multi-agency safeguarding policies and procedures to support and work with adults at risk.
There is clear information sharing arrangements in place to inform the overall safeguarding strategy through sharing of data, soft intelligence and learning through safeguarding enquiries and other audits and case reviews. / Independent Chair has links with all key strategic partnerships (DSCB/CSP/HWB) and to ensure the Board are able to describe the commonalities between the strategic partnerships including changes to partnerships structures as a result of the Children and Social Work Bill. / Ann Baxter / March 2018
There are members of SAPB who are are also members of DSCB and CSP who will contribute to sharing across boards. / Ann Baxter / March 2018
There is a clear induction pack for all members of Board and subgroups which clearly sets out their role and responsibility as a member. / Policy and Implementation Subgroup / May 2017 / DSCB _ Practice Development and Procedures Subgroup
  1. Accountability
/ There are terms of reference for DSAPB which sets out how agencies will work together and cooperate to deliver on its statutory responsibilities.
DSAPB publishes Safeguarding Adult Reviews where these meeting the criteria including an annual report as outlined within the Care Act.
DSAPB maintain bi-monthly ‘message bulletins’ to communicate the work of the Board publically to ensure it is being accountable and transparent in delivering safeguarding. / To update the ToRs for the Board and the subgroups to reflect the updated Board priorities and actions / Business Unit / May 2017 / All the subgroups including Board
DSAPB publishes SARs based on good practice quality markers. / Adult Learning and Improvement Subgroup / May 2017
DSAPB publishes an annual report as outlined within the Care Act. / Ann Baxter / May 2017 / All the subgroups
Message bulletins are developed after each Board meeting and the information is added to the website and disseminated across the partnership to use within their organisation e.g. team meetings / Ann Baxter / Bi-monthly / Training, Communications and Voice of the User Subgroup
Key of Linked Subgroups to the DSAPB Strategic Business Plan
Subgroups / Subgroup Chair / Subgroup Vice Chair
1.Adult Learning and Improvement Subgroup / Bev Walker, Safeguarding Adult Lead, CCG and DSAPB Member / James Stroyan, AD for Adults Services, DSAPB Member
2.Training, Communications and Voice of the User Subgroup (joint with DSCB) / Christine Shields, Assistant Director for Commissioning, Performance and Transformation / Joanna Conway, Education Safeguarding Officer, DBC and DSCB Member
3.Quality and Performance Subgroup / Kevin Kelly, Head of Service, DBC and DSAPB Member / To be identified
4.Policy and Implementation Subgroup / Mike Egan, Safeguarding Lead, CDDFT and DSAPB Member / To be identified

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[1]Care Act 2014 (para. 4.2 and 14.133)