Agenda item

The Committee endorsed the following responses to the consultation exercises as outlined:

Northern Ireland Adult Safeguarding Partnership

– Strategic Plan – Council Response

1.1.1.  Currently, the Council is looking at how the issue of vulnerable adults is managed. In particular, we are considering the longer term resource requirements (using child protection processes as a benchmark) to be effective in minimising the risk to vulnerable adults and how best to support them.

1.1.2.  We support most of the objectives and actions within the plan but feel there is further scope to link into other agencies, particularly the Council. Our specific suggestions are shown in the following sections.

1.2.     Specific Questions.

1. 1.    The Strategic Plan sets out 7 themes for the actions necessary to improve services to safeguard adults at risk in Northern Ireland. Do you consider the themes to be appropriate and relevant? - Yes

2   .     Are you content with the wording and scope of the themes?

1.2.2.  Yes, though see 4. Below.

3.        Are you content with the actions included within the themes?

1.2.3.  Yes, though see 4. Below.

4   .     Are there other actions that should be included?

1.2.4.  For the Leadership Theme, the first action may be expanded to include encouraging appropriate non-partner agencies to also have an Alerting Manager. For example, the Council recognises the need for a Senior Manager as an Alerting Manager to have responsibility within the Council for Adult Safeguarding and would be keen to see guidance, job descriptions, etc.

1.2.5.  For the Leadership Theme, the third action may be enhanced by referencing the opportunities that exist by asking Councils to help facilitate work with the Police and Community Safety Partnerships.

1.2.6.  For the Public Awareness and Prevention theme, the Council may be able to support the first three actions either by linking into any of our similar schemes (via Community Safety, Good Relations and Community Services) or by using our Community Centres. These are based in the heart of many of the city’s most at risk areas and could be used as information outlets or to host programmes and events.

1.2.7   For the Access to Adult Safeguarding Services first action, the Council welcomes the development of a more streamlined referral system. In a small number of cases the referral process has not been as clear as required or in comparison to the child protection system. Recording, maintaining and sharing information is a requirement that the Council recognise needs to be improved and that staff need to be trained accordingly.

5.        Are you content with the timescales identified in the Implementation Plan?

1.2.8.  We recognise the need to set realistic timescales and appreciate the volume of work that is involved in delivering the action plan. If any part could be moved forward we feel the appointment of Alerting Managers could be prioritised and delivered in year 1.”

Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland –

Strategic Plan – Council Response

           We support most of the objectives and actions within the plan. Our specific responses to your consultation question are shown in the following section. Firstly though, we would like to make some observations on the strategy itself.

1.1.1.  The proposed safeguarding panels (page 13-14) seem relevant for the mandatory duties outlined however; the proposed discretionary sub groups may overlap with the CYPSP sub groups that have already emerged. If there has not been a review of what already exists, this should be done before any development of new structures.

1.1.2.  The Council would appreciate more detail about the powers to request information and how this will look in practice. There is also a general lack of clarity in terms of what arrangements a council needs to make to exercise their functions.

1.1.3.  Reference is made on page 19 to the significance of cumulative adversity cases yet these are not flagged as a priority area for action. We suggest that the panel is best equipped to focus on where abuse is hard to spot and this should be a higher priority for them.

1.1.4.  Overall we have some concerns over how the strategy will be delivered in terms of the level of resources, communicating responsibility and potential duplication of CYPSP structures and work.