Solihull Safeguarding Adults

newsletter
May 2014 Edition 7

Welcome

to the SEVENTH edition of the Solihull Safeguarding Adults Newsletter which will keep you up to date with local and national developments in relation to safeguarding adults on a quarterly basis. Some of the items in this edition: New Department of Health policies and consultations The Care Bill

Board & Sub Committee News

Solihull Safeguarding Adults Board
Following the Board Development event in January 2014, the Board has made the decision to adopt two priorities for 2014/15. The Board will prioritise service user engagement and involvement and will establish a Quality Assurance Framework to support learning, the identification of Board priorities and provide the Board with assurance that the constituent partner organisations have effective systems, structures, processes and practice in place to improve outcomes and experience in the context of safeguard adults at risk. The workplans for 2014/15 for all five sub committees have been signed off by the Board. The Board is making preparations for work required to implement the Care Bill. The Board has appointed Sue Nicholls, Chief Nurse, Solihull CCG as the Vice Chair, following the departure of Fiona Burton from HoEFT.

Operational Sub Committee

Following the departure of Sharon Bailey, Fiona McGill, Assistant Director, Adult Social Care, has taken up the role of Chair for this group. Two West Midlands Regional Safeguarding projects have been brought forward to this years workplan, as they have still not been finalised. Person in a Position of Trust, and Equality & Diversity.

Quality & Audit Sub Committee

The group are overseeing a Quality framework for Nursing Homes. If successful, this will be rolled out for Care Homes and other care settings. Also, should an SSAB Risk Register be approved, this group will monitor the actions and enforcement of this. Following the audit of Protection Plans last year, a revised Local Practice Guidance is being written.

SSAB/LSCB Learning & Development Sub Committee

This sub committee now has a new Chair. It is Rosie Luce, Designated Nurse - Safeguarding Children and Adults, Mental Capacity Act & Prevent lead for Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group. A small task and finish group has been tasked to develop a Quality Assurance programme in relation to Learning & Development. Each meeting will review training attendance data.

MCA/LISG Sub Committee

The Local Practice Guidance on MCA/DOLS has been signed off by the Board. You can view the new Guidance here. This financial year, the IMCA service will be provided by Solihull Action Through Advocacy. The group wishes to thank PoHWER for the IMCA services they have provided in the past and their valuable contribution to this sub committee.

Prevention Sub Committee

The results from the survey undertaken to gain an insight into what should be included in the Prevention Strategy have now been collated and incorporated into a final draft. Two Experts by Experience have been recruited to sit on this sub committee, which is very positive. The group are planning how to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2014.

Did you know?

The Solihull Safeguarding Adults Board is now on Twitter?? Follow us! Twitter.com/Solihullsab. We are also on Facebook find us under Solihull Safeguarding Adults Board.

LOCAL NEWS
JOINT COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK

and to identify any gaps in skills, knowledge and competencies so that these gaps can be addressed appropriately. This may include training, shadowing, peer group discussions etc. Agencies need their staff to be confident in recognising and responding to both children and adult abuse when it occurs. To support partner agencies in their safeguarding training delivery both SSAB and LSCB boards have approved a joint competency framework which provides useful guidance in supervision, appraisal and training provision. It aims to promote a think family discussion Please take note of the target audience for the different levels of training (from induction/foundation through to Level 4 strategic managers). This is designed to ensure staff attend training which is appropriate to their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. You can view Joint Competency Framework here or by emailing the Solihull Safeguarding Adults Board Business team at ssab@solihull.gov.uk

MAKING SAFEGUARDING PERSONAL

The Solihull Safeguarding Adults Board continues to work with University of Birmingham who have already produced an interim report on the progress of SMBC adult care teams are making in promoting an outcomes based approach in all stages of safeguarding adults investigations. The report highlights a positive response to this work by practitioners and includes a social workers quote: It has taken me right back to my social work values. We will continue to integrate this service user outcomes approach throughout this years training events and plan to share this learning with our partner agencies and produce guidance to support this work across Solihull.

SSAB TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR 2014/15

The Solihull Safeguarding Adults Training Programme is now available on the SSAB website or by emailing the SSAB business team on ssab@solihull.gov.uk . The training provision has been updated to reflect the key priorities of SSAB this year i.e. service user involvement and quality assurance. There is also a focus on the promotion of service user outcomes and mental capacity issues throughout all courses. The Level 2 courses are divided into core and topic based modules. There are five core modules and they will be run in a sequence for staff who work with adults at risk and who are actively involved in the safeguarding adults process. The topic based modules are for multi agency staff and reflect topical issues, local and national safeguarding subjects and legislative changes.

WE TRUST YOU TO CARE CONFERENCE 19th JUNE 2014 Who does what in Care Homes
Our next provider event is aimed at managers of Care homes and Nursing homes and will focus on the roles and responsibilities of key officers and agencies who visit care/nursing homes to inspect/regulate and offer guidance and support for best care practices. Speakers and workshops include CQC, care quality team, health and safety, fire service, tissue viability, medicines management and best interest assessors. For further information and to book places please email: ssab@solihull.gov.uk

LOCAL NEWS
MULTI-AGENCY FINANCIAL ABUSE CONFERENCE 14TH MARCH 2014
The Safeguarding Adults Board hosted a well attended multi-agency conference on March 14th. The aim of the conference was to raise awareness of the prevalence of financial abuse locally and nationally and to consider ways of working together to prevent the financial abuse of adults at risk in particular. Speakers included Gary Fitzgerald (CEO Action on Elder Abuse ) Sally Bourner (Chief Superintendent West Midlands Police, The Wilkes legal partnership, The Coventry Building Society and SMBC trading standards. Our local acting group presented delegates with an excellent financial abuse scenario which was really well received well done Advo-acts! We would like to thank speakers and Partner agencies who provided excellent workshops for delegates throughout the day.

L-R Sally Bourner, Sue Walton, Jeremy Patton, Joan McHugh, Gary Fitzgerald

L-R Sue Walton, Rachel Gee (Coventry Building Society), Joan McHugh

Advo-acts Drama Group

NATIONAL NEWS

THE CARE BILL

The Care Bill sets out the first ever statutory framework for adult safeguarding, which stipulates local authorities responsibilities, and those with whom they work, to protect adults at risk of abuse or neglect. It has successfully completed its passage through the House of Commons and will now return to the Lords, where Peers will agree any final amendments, before becoming law and being implemented from 2015. The statutory framework will require local authorities to ensure enquiries are made into allegations of abuse or neglect which includes cases where abuse or neglect has occurred in the past. Local authorities will also be required to establish a Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) in their area.

Safeguarding Adults Boards will be required to produce a strategic plan, on which it must report progress annually. SABs will, where they know or suspect that serious abuse or neglect has contributed to the death or serious harm of an individual, and there is reasonable cause for concern about how SAB members or other persons with relevant care and support functions acted, then be required to carry out a safeguarding adult review. The aim of the safeguarding adult review will be to learn lessons on how to prevent such occurrences in the future. SABs do have the power to undertake reviews in other circumstances if they so choose. The Care Bill will repeal the local authoritys power to remove a person from his or her home in certain circumstances and will not be including a right or power of entry.

DoH NEW POLICIES

In April 2014, The Department of Health issued three Policy documents, following consultation by the Royal College of Nursing around minimisation of and alternatives to restrictive practices in health and adult social care, and special schools. All three policies can be viewed on the DoH Website

DoH - CONSULTATIONS Introducing Fundamental Standards Consultation on proposals to change CQC registration regulations
In November 2013 when the Government published their full response to the Francis Inquiry Report, they wanted people to have confidence that they will be given the best and safest care. They stated that throughout the health and care sector people do receive safe, effective and compassionate care delivered by dedicated staff, but people also need the confidence that wherever they experience care, standards will not be allowed to fall below what we expect. The Francis Report recommended the introduction of new Fundamental Standards (below) which care should never fall short of, covering those basic things that everyone agrees are important. The Government agreed with this recommendation and in January 2014 the Department of Health began a consultation period on draft new regulations that will introduce the Fundamental Standards. These standards will be at the foundation of a system that promotes care that is safe, high quality, and puts patients first. They should be easy for all to understand, and give the Care Quality Commission the power to take swift action where they are not being met. In summary, they are: (a) care and treatment must reflect service users needs and preferences; (b) service users must be treated with dignity and respect; (c) care and treatment must only be provided with consent; (d) all care and treatment provided must be appropriate and safe; (e) service users must not be subject to abuse; (f) service users nutritional needs must be met; (g) all premises and equipment used must be safe, clean, secure, suitable for the purpose for which they are being used, and properly used and maintained; (h) complaints must be appropriately investigated and appropriate action taken in response; (i) systems and processes must be established to ensure compliance with these Fundamental Standards; (j) sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff must be deployed to meet these standards; (k) persons employed must be of good character, have the necessary qualifications, skills and experience, and be capable of performing the work for which they are employed. The consultation period ran for 10 weeks, closing on 4th April 2014 with the implementation date due to be 1st October 2014.

NATIONAL NEWS
DoH - CONSULTATIONS New offence of ill-treatment or willful neglect
Following the Inquiry into the events at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust chaired by Robert Francis QC the National Advisory Group on the Safety of Patients in England (the National Advisory Group) was established and they identified a small but significant gap in existing legislation. Currently there are specific criminal offences which address willful ill-treatment or neglect of children, and illtreatment or willful neglect of adults who lack capacity or those subject to the Mental Health Act 1983, at the hands of those entrusted with their care. However, there is no equivalent specific offence in relation to adults with full capacity. The National Advisory Group therefore recommended the creation of a new statutory offence for those found guilty of willful or reckless neglect or mistreatment of patients. Its view was that this new offence, corresponding to similar offences that already exist, would act as a deterrent and, more importantly, place the ill-treatment or willful neglect of all patients on an equal footing in terms of the sanctions available. The Government in November 2013 accepted the National Advisory Groups recommendation and in February this year they began a consultation process on a new general offence of willful or reckless neglect or mistreatment which: may be committed by both organisations and individuals; applies where the individual or organisation willfully neglects or ill-treats someone in a way that causes serious harm or death; and creates penalties for the offence which are equivalent to those under section 44 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Neglect is willful if it is intentional, reckless or reflects a couldnt care less attitude . The consultation was asking if: the new offence should apply in all formal adult health and social care settings, in both the public and private sectors? that only formal health and social care arrangements, as described above, should be within scope of this offence? that the new criminal offence should focus entirely on the conduct of the provider/practitioner, rather than any consideration of the harm caused to the victim of the offence? that an approach based on the way in which an organisation managed or organised its activities is the best, most effective way to establish the offence in respect of organisations? that penalties for individuals convicted of this offence should mirror those set out in section 44 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005? sanctions in relation to organisation might include: o removal of the organisations leaders and their disqualification from future leadership roles; o public reprimand of the organisation; and o in extremis, financial sanctions, but only where that will not compromise patient care. The consultation period ran for one month closing on 31 March 2014

DoH - CONSULTATIONS Introducing the Statutory Duty of Candour A consultation on proposals to introduce a new CQC registration regulation
The Department of Health When it published Hard Truths in November 2013, said that they wanted people to have confidence that they will be given the best and safest care. They stated there is now a real commitment to greater openness and candour, to developing a culture dedicated to learning and improvement that continually strives to reduce avoidable harm. So in March 2014 a consultation period began on a proposed addition to the requirements for registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in order to introduce a statutory Duty of Candour on all providers registered with the CQC. The introduction of a statutory Duty of Candour is a major step towards implementing a key recommendation from the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry (the Francis Inquiry). The Duty of Candour will place a requirement on providers of health and adult social care to be open with patients when things go wrong. Providers should establish the duty throughout their organisations, ensuring that honesty and transparency are the norm in every organisation registered by the CQC. The Duty of Candour will be part of the new set of registration requirements that together will set out the clear outcomes that providers must meet, which will be core to good service provision. The consultation period ran for 4 weeks, closing on 25th April 2014 with the implementation date due to be 1st October 2014. The Publications can be found on the DoH website.

Upcoming training and workshops:

Date Tuesday 22nd April 2014 Thursday 15th May 2014 Course Level 2 Core Module 1: Law in Relation to Safeguarding Adults Level 2 Core Module 2: Safeguarding Adults Policies and Procedures Time/s 9:30 - 4:30 9:30 - 4:30

Tuesday 24th June 2014

Level 2 Core Module 3: Supporting Effective Investigations Level 2 Core Module 4: Safeguarding Meetings and Case Conferences

9:30 - 4:30

Thursday 17th July 2014

9:30 - 4:30

Wednesday 3rd September 2014

Level 2 Core Module 5: Investigation Skills

9:30 - 4:30

More courses being commissioned as the programme evolves

Solihull Council employees can book on to these courses/events through Oracle Self Serve. For any other agency, please complete a training booking form found on the Safeguarding Adults Training Page of the website and send to ssab@solihull.gov.uk or fax to 0121 788 4414.

To report abuse please call 0121 704 8007 (Office Hours) Emergency Duty Team on 0121 605 6060 (Out of Hours) or Email ccadults@solihull.gov.uk or via our website www.solihull.gov.uk/adultabuse

Contacts:

Sue Walton SSAB Business Manager 0121 788 4392 susan.walton@solihull.gov.uk

Joan McHugh SSAB Development Manager 0121 788 4385 joan.mchugh@solihull.gov.uk

Lyn Skipp PA to SSAB/SSAB Business Manager 0121 788 4390 lyn.skipp@solihull.gov.uk

Ben Gorman SSAB Team Administrator 0121 788 4387 ben.gorman@solihull.gov.uk

Did you know?

Did you know? At least 1,000 hospital patients are dying needlessly each month from dehydration and poor care by doctors and nurses, according to an NHS study. Up to 40,000 patients die annually because hospital staff fail to diagnose a treatable kidney problem, a figure that dwarfs the death toll from superbugs like MRSA.