Agenda item

To consider a report by the Independent Chairman of the Dorset Safeguarding Adults Board.

The Committee considered the Adult Safeguarding Board's Annual Report for 2019-20 and its Joint Business Plan for 2020 onwards.

Annual Report for 2019-20

The Independent Chairman presented the Annual Report highlighting points of particular interest; the independent report into how well the Dorset and Bournemouth and Poole Boards were working together; the need for adult social care staff to know safeguarding adult procedures; shared objectives with other partnerships particularly around domestic abuse and the need for a more integrated approach; the need for more integrated work between adult safeguarding and domestic abuse structures; better integration so that people did not fall between the gaps; the successful event for providers; the need to make sure that any lessons learned from reviews were implemented in practice; and work with service users on domestic abuse to make them aware of self-protection;

An explanation of a Section 42 inquiry was given. The Annual Report would be sent to members by email following the meeting as some text was missing from the agenda papers.

One member highlighted the fact that domestic abuse affected everyone and she praised the Board for its work in trying to reduce the number of people who did not understand domestic abuse.  The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health added her thanks for the report and the important work the Board undertook.

In response to why there had been an increase in referrals in the over 75s, it was explained that a high proportion related to women who lived longer than men.  This was being kept under review.

Joint Business Plan for 2020 onwards

Attention was drawn to the four main priorities within the business plan: safeguarding in the care sector; domestic abuse; neglect and self-neglect; and Safeguarding Adults Board Governance Review.  A two-year rolling plan had been adopted because it was not known how far current resources would stretch and some flexibility in targets set may be needed.  Assurance was sought from partners and the work they were undertaking to mitigate risks in adult safeguarding.

Members asked questions about abuse of parents by children, whether records of safeguarding issues were kept which would show those who needed help and those who were unable to access this, and whether there was support available to intervene to help those with no family support and who might suffer neglect as a consequence.

It was explained that abuse of parents was primarily an issue for the community safety partnership to address; that Covid-19  related data was kept, that there had been no significant increase for Quarter 1 and the current increase was being tracked; and multi-agency risk meetings were held to look at self-neglect cases in order to provide support and retain their dignity.

The Chairman welcomed the report and thanked officers for attending the meeting.

Decisions

1.   That the Dorset Safeguarding Adults Board Annual report be noted.

2.   That the Board be thanked for the work it has done.

3.   That the Business Plan for 2020 onwards be noted and the priorities within it supported.