Due to the continuation of the pandemic, full Plymouth Safeguarding Adult Partnership (PSAP) and Executive Group meetings continued to be held online. Summary information below was drawn from PSAP meetings and the subsequent Executive Group meetings, where the main business of the PSAP is managed.
The April PSAP meeting was themed under the strategic priority of Partnership, with related group discussion. Updates received regarding:
- development of the Devon & Cornwall Police Safeguarding Improvement Hub
- sub group activity including development of a Quality Assurance Framework, commissioning of an Engagement Project with oversight from a dedicated sub group, work on a published SAR and a and Regulation 28 report from HMCO
- conclusion of the 2019-21 Business Plan and development of that for 2021-24
- interim reporting regarding the commissioned audit of self neglect cases
- progress in links to other partnership boards in the city
The partnership meeting in July PSAP meeting was themed under the strategic priority of Engagement, with a presentation from Living Options Devon on their work for the commissioned engagement project. In addition information was received and discussed regarding:
- multi-agency, multi-disciplinary work ongoing for the transitions agenda
- work by Sovereign Housing Association to deliver safeguarding awareness training to their trades people
- Information from the ADASS/LGA COVID-19 Adult Safeguarding Insight Project with local benchmarking
- the new Integrated Care System for Devon (ICSD)
- sub group activity including publication of the 2020-21 Annual Report, strengthened links to other partnership boards, final concluding actions for a published SAR, review of the SAR sub group policy, local response to the SCIE guidance on Resident on Resident Harm in Residential Settings, plans for a partners’ annual self-assessment, and the final report from the commissioned audit on self neglect cases and proposals for an action plan
October’s PSAP meeting was themed under the strategic priority of Learning, with a presentation from the Homeless Prevention Partnership and a presentation and discussion on the subject of self-neglect, hoarding and working with people who are ‘hard to reach’. Other areas of focus included:
- publication of the national SAC data, local benchmarking and national work to regularise interpretation and recording
- adult safeguarding presentations at the Homelessness Prevention Partnership and Health and Wellbeing Board meetings
- the proposed model is for the annual partner self-assessment
- nominations for the National SAB Awards
- planning for support for the National Safeguarding Adults Week in November
- sub group updates including data monitoring and ideas for utilising partners’ data, reporting from a multi-agency learning event, local implications for the impact of care crisis, development of and contribution to the national SAR Library, and development of the PSAP Risk Register.
The January 22 PSAP meeting was held under the strategic priority of Assurance, and the themed discussion highlighted the mechanisms which provide assurance and those used by partners. Other areas of focus included:
- updates on local publicity for National Safeguarding Adults Week
- planning for involvement in the CSP Safer Plymouth week in February
- reports from sub groups, including outcomes of the annual Partner Self-assessment
- acknowledgement of a PSAP member winning the Lifetime Champion award in the National Safeguarding Adults Boards’ awards
- safeguarding implications for Ukrainian refugees
- plans for a public information video linked to the Engagement Project
- context and planning for a new SAR referral
- review of the PSAP Constitution and MOU in light of new members
- information on the proposed Govt. review into abuse in people’s homes
- considerations for a future annual case audit
- national and regional planning for CQC inspections of ASC in April 23 with a potential focus on safeguarding
The Plymouth Safeguarding Adult Partnership (PSAP) Business Plan 2021 to 2024 continues to be used as an organic, developmental document, able to react to issues highlighted by partners or identified by data monitoring. It forms the work plan of the Development sub group and informs the agenda of the Executive Group meetings and recommendations to PSAP. In relation to the future plans from the 2020 to 2021 annual report, the headlines include:
Plan: To continue to meet statutory duties, and progress SAR recommendations via the Development sub group.
Achievement: The PSAP has continued to meet its statutory duties. Thorough monitoring of SAR recommendations has been undertaken and action plans completed, with ongoing assurance sought from partners.
Plan: To ensure that safeguarding practice is robust across the system and learning is embedded into practice.
Achievement: Assurance has been gained from the partner self-assessment process and learning continues to be a focus as one of the four strategic priorities and related work streams.
Plan: To ensure that safeguarding data monitoring informs the safeguarding system and practice
Achievement: Quarterly monitoring and reporting of local performance data continues, and the dashboard now includes neighbourhood and care provider information to afford further perspective.
Plan: To develop the PSAP annual partner self-assessment process.
Achievement: The partner self-assessment format is established and feedback from partners on its utility will inform future models.
Plan: To ensure PSAP has financial stability and sufficient resources to support the safeguarding system.
Achievement: Budgets and contributions are now agreed earlier in the financial year and provide for planned and unplanned costs.
Plan: To ensure robust safeguarding of, and links to City-wide work with those with care and support needs who:
- move from adolescence to adulthood
- lead complex lives and/or are homeless
- experience or are at risk of domestic abuse
Achievement: Effective links to other partnership boards leading on these areas are established and operational links to support shared agendas and ongoing work streams are in place.
Plan: People and communities in Plymouth are engaged in the best way with the safeguarding system.
Achievement: Work continues through the commissioned Engagement Project, including a ‘road map’ for effective engagement and evaluation of current communication and public facing information, with regular reporting to the Engagement sub group and PSAP meetings.
Plan: To ensure that learning from both positive and negative service user experiences that occur locally, regionally and nationally inform practice, systems and service design.
Achievement: Local people who have had experience of the safeguarding process are supported to feed into the Engagement Project. Regional and national learning is shared through the relevant Business Managers’ and Independent Chairs’ networks.
Plan: To ensure that information on adult safeguarding is accessible to the public and professionals.
Achievement: Information and communication mechanisms are under ongoing review, and adaptations continue.
Plan: To ensure that frontline staff across agencies have the confidence and competence to meet the safeguarding needs of the people of Plymouth.
Achievement: Information on partner agency staff training is requested in the annual self-assessment. Various levels of multi-agency training are being delivered again following a pause due to the pandemic.
Plan: To understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults with care and support needs and related services.
Achievement: Local benchmarking was undertaken in relation to all three reports resulting from the LGA Covid-19 Adult Safeguarding Insight Project. In addition regular reviews of related safeguarding data and feedback from partners were reported throughout the pandemic period.
Plymouth Safeguarding Adults Partnerships (PSAP) have a unique set of risks to monitor and manage which would likely include, but go well beyond, gaining assurance that partner agencies are managing their own risk in relation to adult safeguarding.
This risk register is linked to the Business Plan 2021 to 2024 in order to manage the risks that may prevent the delivery of the plan. The register is a dynamic document and will be reviewed regularly by the Development Group and adjusted as required.
The risk matrix and ratings are shown in Appendix A; should any area become rated as red, information will be raised to the PSAP Executive Group and an extraordinary meeting may be called.
The PSAP has a strategic plan based on 4 adult safeguarding themes - Partnership, Engagement, Learning and Assurance. During the year each one of the four partnership meeting looks in depth at one of the themes, culminating in January of each year with the Assurance theme. Following that meeting the PSAP publishes an Assurance Audit Statement to outline the steps it has taken to assure itself that the adult safeguarding system is working effectively.
A variety of interventions are used, collectively known as the “assurance toolbox”, to get as wide a view as possible of how the safeguarding system is working. Actions and recommendations from individual interventions are fed back to relevant partners and the monitored by the partnership.
Throughout the year the full partnership, its Executive Group, Engagement sub group, SAR sub group and Development Group work together to ensure work on assurance is current and achievable.
Annual system audit
Each year PSAP identifies a specific part of the safeguarding system that will be audited. Data and feedback from partners informs the partnership about the scope of the audit. The 2021/22 audit was a review of cases where self neglect was the primary presenting issue. An independent researcher undertook the audit and a PSAP hosted task and finish group asked partners to develop an action plan based on the conclusions of the audit. 7 system service improvements were identified - 4 have been completed and 3 are ongoing.
Partners self-assessment
PSAP partners were involved in developing and then individually completing a self-assessment, partly based on their safeguarding performance and partly based on their engagement and involvement in the PSAP business plan. The results of the self-assessment were analysed by Plymouth City Council and then used to provide the thematic discussion at the January partnership meeting. Specific feedback has been built into the PSAP business plan to ensure it is monitored in the coming year.
PSAP Business Plan
The business plan has been developed with the input of all partners, and is designed to be an organic document, capable of responding to issues raised by partners or identified by data monitoring. It groups issues of note under each of the strategic themes, and provides a real-time check on progress, monitored on a monthly basis by the Development Group. It has 15 aims with action required, expected impact, known achievements, current updates and lead partner or sub group clearly identified.
PSAP risk register
Developed this year and formally adopted in April, this document links known risks to the Business Plan and is monitored monthly by the Development Group
Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs)
SARs provide valuable assurance to the Partnership based on in depth research into an individual safeguarding case. PSAP uses both independently researched and authored investigations and multi-agency learning events to understand the critical issues and pinch points in the system. See Learning From SARs section
Partner feedback
This year partners were asked to give feedback about any challenges experienced by their agencies that may impact on their safeguarding performance. This information has been fed into the Business Plan, which gives it a wider and richer view of the safeguarding world beyond the legal Care Act definition. The partnership also requested specific information about the impact of the Covid pandemic to be able to understand its impact on the system.
Individual interviews
As part of the PSAP Engagement Project, Living Options Devon have been contracted to undertake a regular and ongoing series of interviews with people who have been through the safeguarding process. This has provided some feedback which is actionable but also powerfully tells the stories of people where safeguarding has been part of their lives. Living Options Devon were asked to present the findings to the Engagement themed partnership meeting, which gave the opportunity to consider assurance from our citizens’ perspectives.
Accessible information audit
Living Options Devon also undertook an audit of PSAP’s website and information. Their recommendations are being progressed by the Engagement sub group.
Budget summary report 2021 to 2022.