Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Annual Report 2022/23

Welcome to the Gateshead Safeguarding Adult Board Annual Report. Within the report you will find information on the board's strategic vision and priorities and an overview of the key outcomes from 2022/23.

The report outlines the internal governance structures for each statutory partner and an update on what they have achieved during the year.

There is an overview of the work of the two subgroups; the Quality, Learning and Practice group who work on learning and reviewing safeguarding practice and standards and the Safeguarding Adult Review and Complex Case group who are responsible for actioning safeguarding adult review (SAR) referrals. We have provided data on the number of safeguarding concerns received and Section 42 enquiries undertaken.

The Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) works to protect an adult's right to live safe, free from abuse and neglect. Ensuring people and organisations work together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect. At the same time, we need to make sure that the adult's wellbeing is promoted. This includes, where appropriate, having regard to their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs in deciding on any action, making safeguarding personal.

The board has three core duties:

• to publish a strategic plan for each financial year
• to publish an annual report detailing what the board has done during the year
• it must conduct any Safeguarding Adult Reviews

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, 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 how to raise a concern about the safety or wellbeing of an adult
• address what has caused the abuse or neglect

Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board

The Gateshead SAB became a statutory body in April 2015. The board's vision for adult safeguarding in Gateshead is:

"Everybody in Gateshead has the right to lead a fulfilling life and should be able to live safely, free from abuse and neglect - and to contribute to their own and other people's health and wellbeing."

The board is responsible for assuming the strategic lead and overseeing the work of Adult Safeguarding and Mental Capacity Act arrangements in Gateshead. Within Gateshead we have an independent Chair to enhance scrutiny and challenge.

The board has a comprehensive , which is updated annually, and provides a framework for identifying roles and responsibilities and demonstrating accountability. Our Safeguarding in Gateshead website provides a wealth of information about our SAB and our Gateshead Safeguarding Children's Partnership (GCSP).

In law, the statutory members of a SAB are defined as:

• the local authority
• the local police force
• the Integrated Care Board (ICB)

In Gateshead, we recognise the importance of the contribution made by all our partner agencies and this is reflected by the wider board membership (correct as of June 2023):

• Gateshead Council
• Northumbria Police
• Northeast and North Cumbria ICB, on behalf of NHS England, North East
• Ambulance Service and incorporating GP lead for Adult Safeguarding
• lay members
• Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust (GHFT)
• South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT)
• Cumbria, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW)
• Gateshead College
• Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS)
• Probation Service
• Oasis Community Housing
• Connected Voice Advocacy
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• Healthwatch Gateshead

Healthwatch Gateshead feel that this annual report demonstrates that Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board have focused delivery this year and this has led to some good outcomes for the people living in the borough. Healthwatch Gateshead welcome the continual collaboration with partners to ensure that resources are used effectively, and we support the continued aim to protect an adult's right to live safe, free from abuse and neglect.

Gateshead SAB structure

The Gateshead SAB sits within a clearly defined structure and has close links with other local multi-agency partnerships including the Health and Wellbeing Board, Community Safety Partnership and Gateshead Safeguarding Children's Partnership (GSCP).

Joint Strategic Partnership Executive Group

The Joint Safeguarding Partnership Executive (SPE) group provides strategic oversight of both the SAB and GSCP. The Safeguarding Partnership Executive includes the three statutory partners, the SAB Chair, the GSCP Independent Scrutineer and the GSCP and the Business Managers of the SAB and the GSCP. The SPE ensures that the statutory responsibilities of the SAB are being met, whilst delivering quality outcomes.

Gateshead SAB sub-group arrangements

Quality, Learning and Practice Group (chaired by a senior manager from Gateshead Council)

The Quality, Learning and Practice Group is responsible for monitoring and reviewing performance data and driving forward quality via the quality assurance framework, case file audits and monitoring inspection recommendations. The QLP collate and review recommendations from statutory Safeguarding Adult Reviews and discretionary reviews and has oversight of multi-agency safeguarding training. The QLP aims to ensure that the MultiAgency Safeguarding Adults policy and procedures and supporting practice guidance continue to be fit for purpose. The Group has responsibility for keeping up to date with national policy changes that may impact upon the work of the SAB. The Group also has responsibility for the development and implementation of the Communication and Engagement strategy.

Safeguarding Adult Review and Complex Case (SARCC) group (chaired by a senior manager from Northeast and North Cumbria ICB)

The Safeguarding Adults Review Group (SARCC) consider Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) referrals, commission reviews and subsequently monitor their progress. The SARCC may also oversee discretionary reviews into cases that do not meet the criteria for a SAR, where the group feel that there are multi-agency lessons to be learned. It will collate and review recommendations from SARs and other reviews, ensuring that achievable action plans are developed and that actions are delivered. The SARCC also provides a forum to discuss complex Safeguarding Adult cases that require additional scrutiny and support.

Joint Strategic Exploitation Group (chaired by a senior officer from Northumbria Police)

The Joint Strategic Exploitation Group is a sub-group of both the SAB and the GSCP. The group is responsible for overseeing all work with respect to all aspects of exploitation including modern slavery, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, trafficking, missing and female genital mutilation in Gateshead.

The board and the three sub-groups regularly commission time limited task and finish groups to undertake specific pieces of project work.

Partner governance arrangements and scrutiny 2022/23

Board members are responsible for ensuring that governance and scrutiny arrangements for Safeguarding Adults are incorporated within the structure of their own organisations, and that there are mechanisms for disseminating and sharing information from the SAB. The governance and scrutiny arrangements for the three statutory partners include:

Gateshead Council

The Care, Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee receive updates from the SAB and key pieces of work are submitted to Cabinet. The SAB performance dashboard and annual mandatory Safeguarding Adults Collection are scrutinised within the Adult Social Care performance clinic and strategic items are shared with the Children, Adult's, and Family Group Management Team. The Gateshead Council Internal Audit service provide assurance that the board and Gateshead Council are meeting their statutory duties.

Northeast and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENC ICB)

The ICB Chief Nurse holds the lead for the safeguarding portfolio. ICB internal assurance is provided via safeguarding reports to the Area Quality Sub Committee who report to the Quality Safety and Risk Committee (quarterly). Reports provide local updates on the work of the safeguarding partnerships and ensure that key safeguarding risks, issues and developments are reported within the ICB. Reports also outline activity relating to Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) and other non-statutory reviews such as Appreciative Enquiries. The ICB also has a Safeguarding Senior Leadership Group which coordinates and leads the development of Safeguarding arrangements across the ICB, reporting and escalating issues to the ICB where appropriate and has a key role in leading on assurance and development. Governance and scrutiny arrangements will continue to evolve under the new Integrated Care Board arrangements.

Northumbria Police

All learning from national and local serious case reviews are scrutinised through the Organisational Learning Board and the organisational learning log. The organisational learning log is focused on the importance of identifying learning opportunities and drivers, embedding the value of lessons learned, and helping the organisation to become focused on the importance of continuous learning. Each Area Command and Department has a responsibility to consider drivers for lessons learned and to encourage organisational learning within their areas of business. The organisational learning log is submitted to the Organisational Learning Board for discussion and agreement of new actions, and to ensure organisational wide learning has been considered. Agreed recommendations and actions from the relevant ODG or board will be managed by the assigned learning owner. Areas of learning and best practice that require force-wide communication or change are escalated through Strategic Management Board.

Strategic plan 2019 - 2024

The Gateshead Strategic Plan 2019/24 was approved by the SAB in April 2019. The five-year plan incorporates five strategic priorities:

• quality assurance
• prevention
• communication and engagement
• operational practice
• mental capacity

This is the final year of the Strategic Plan in its current format the board will develop and agree its strategic priorities for 2024 - 2027 during 2023.