Agenda item

Report of the Director of Community & Children’s Services.

Members had provided Officers with several questions prior to the meeting. The summary of these are presented in italics below:

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services concerning the Adult Safeguarding Review. The review had highlighted the key principles that would form the centre of Adult Social Care practice.

Could it be considered that some of the areas of improvement identified are basic and have been under developed?

Officers explained that the areas identified had been based on an independent audit of the service. It had focused on potential operational improvements and had hoped to define clear work flows.

 In response to a query by Members, officers explained that there Adult Social Care was not subject to the same type of external regulation from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as Children Services are from Ofsted. However, Adult Social Care did have a reablement service which would be inspected by CQC as well as being subject to Peer Reviews. 

Officers also highlighted that the London wide Safeguarding Policies and Procedures would be launched by the end of November 2015; a communications plan would be developed to ensure all partners were aware of the new guidance. Further to this the service would be undertaking a self-assessment and was due to take part in a Challenge Session looking at the self-assessment in February 2016.

How far did the review consider children in households of adult service users?

Officers confirmed that the service would take an holistic view to all cases and would not be constrained by departmental divides. All social workers knew about the requirement to consider the extended family of the service user in all cases.

In response to an enquiry by Members, officers detailed that the relationship with the City of London Police on safeguarding matters was strong, and that they attended Safeguarding strategy meetings and the Safeguarding Operational Sub-Committee. There were good examples of joint working on domestic abuse and protection plans. Officers explained that this could be seen as a result of the Care Act having broadened the remit of the police in regards to Safeguarding matters.

RESOLVED – That officers undertake to share the London Safeguarding Adults policy and procedure guide, and that the report be noted.