Knowsley Safeguarding Adults Board

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What is the Knowsley Safeguarding Adults Board?

  • What is the Knowsley Safeguarding Adults Board & what does it do?
    Knowsley Safeguarding Adults Board, (KSAB), is made up of members that represent agencies from Knowsley.

    KSAB has responsibility for ensuring the safety of adults with care and support needs in Knowsley who may be at risk. They do this by making sure that all organisations in Knowsley that have a responsibility for safeguarding do this in the right way, so adults live safely & free from abuse in their homes & community.

    Safeguarding adults is everyone’s business and organisations across Knowsley must work together to make sure that the best possible services are provided to adults, their carers, and their families.
  • The SAB has three core duties:
    – It must publish a strategic plan for each financial year that sets out how it will meet its main objective and what the members will do to achieve this.

    – It must publish an annual report detailing what the SAB has done during the year to achieve its main objective and implement its strategic plan, and what each member has done to implement the strategy as well as detailing the findings of any Safeguarding Adults Reviews and subsequent action.

    -It must conduct any Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) in line with Section 44 of the Care Act. A SAR is an in-depth review carried out where someone dies or is seriously injured as a result of neglect and abuse. If you believe a case should be referred for a SAR, you should discuss this with you manager.  Click here for more information and the referral form.
  • The Knowsley Safeguarding Adults Board has an independent chair, their role includes:
    – To provide leadership to the Board
    – Chair and lead Board meetings, approve the agenda and notes from the meetings, and follow up decisions and actions agreed by the Board
    – Ensure the development on the Boards strategic plan and annual report
    – Participate in a culture of partnership, learning, professional challenge, and support across the Board
    – Support a culture where the prevention of abuse and neglect is a priority
    – Where the criteria is met, instigate safeguarding adults reviews, (SARs), ensuring learning from SARs is shared across partner organisations
    – Listen to the voices of people who need care and support, their families, and carers, making sure they are heard and contribute to the work of the Board

Guidance, Legislation & Briefings

Aims of Safeguarding Adults

Aims of Safeguarding

  • 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 what to do to raise a concern about the safety or well-being of an adult
    ·        Address what caused the abuse and neglect
  • To achieve these aims, it is necessary to:
    ·        ensure that everyone, both individuals and organisations, are clear about their roles and responsibilities
    ·        create strong multi-agency partnerships that provide timely and effective prevention of and responses to abuse or neglect
    ·        support the development of a positive learning environment across these partnerships and at all levels within them to help break down cultures that are risk-averse and seek to scapegoat or blame practitioners
    ·        enable access to mainstream community resources such as accessible leisure facilities, safe town centres and community groups that can reduce the social and physical isolation which in itself may increase the risk of abuse or neglect
    ·        clarify how responses to safeguarding concerns deriving from the poor quality and inadequacy of service provision, including patient safety in the health sector, should be responded to
  • Safeguarding is about people and organisations working
    together to prevent or stop abuse and neglect.
    Anyone can witness or become aware of information suggesting that abuse and neglect is occurring. The matter may, for example, be raised by a worried neighbour, a concerned bank cashier, a GP, a welfare benefits officer, a housing support worker, or a nurse on a ward.

    Primary care staff may be particularly well-placed to spot abuse and neglect, as in many cases they may be the only professionals with whom the adult has contact.

    The adult may say or do things that hint that all is not well.

    Regardless of how the safeguarding concern is identified, everyone should understand what to do, and where to go locally to get help and advice.

    This will include:
    – knowing about different types of abuse and neglect and their signs
    – supporting adults to keep safe
    – knowing who to tell about suspected abuse or neglect
    – supporting adults to think and weigh up the risks and benefits of different options when exercising choice and control

Safeguarding Adults:

  • Safeguarding Adults:
    Safeguarding adults is everyone’s business and organisations across Knowsley must work together to make sure that the best possible services are provided to adults, their carers, and their families.

    Safeguarding means protecting people’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, so people can live free from harm abuse and neglect.

    As defined by the Care Act 2014, Safeguarding adults applies to people who are:
    ·        18 years old or over
    ·        Has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs),
    ·        Is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and
    ·        As a result of those needs, is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.

    Safeguarding is for people who live in the community, have a care and support service in their home, or live in a residential or nursing home, or supported living.
  • What are care & support needs?
    A person may have care & support needs due to:
    ·        Injury
    ·        Physical disability
    ·        Learning disability
    ·        Sensory impairment
    ·        Mental health needs personality disorder
    ·        Dementia
    ·        Long-term or chronic health conditions
    ·        Substance or alcohol dependency to the extent that it affects their day ability manage day to day living
    ·        Homelessness
    ·        immigration status (asylum seeker/refugee)
  • Who can raise a safeguarding concern?
    Anybody can raise a safeguarding concern for themselves or another person.

    Often abuse and neglect can be prevented from occurring in the first place if issues are identified and raised as soon as they arise so that they can be addressed at the earliest point.

    Those working with adults (paid or unpaid) have specific professional, organisational and legal responsibilities to ensure that they report any safeguarding concerns as a matter of urgency.

    Care Act 2014 Statutory Guidance: Care Act 2014 Care and Support Statutory Guidance- Safeguarding

    It is good practice for the referrer to seek consent from the person to report the concern. However, consent is not required in safeguarding – if the person does not consent, the concern should be reported anyway, and the Knowsley Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub, (MASH) will decide how to proceed.

    If the referrer does not have access to the Safeguarding ‘Report a Concern’ Form, or would have difficulty completing it, the concern can be reported by telephoning the MASH on 0151 443 2600.
  • Types of Abuse and Neglect
    Physical abuse including:
    Assault, hitting, slapping, pushing, misuse of medication, restraint, inappropriate physical sanctions

    Domestic Abuse, including:
    Psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse, coercive control so called ‘honour’ based violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation

    Sexual abuse including:
    Rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or witnessing sexual acts, sexual assault, sexual acts to which the adult has not consented or was pressured into consenting

    Psychological abuse including:
    Emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse, cyber bullying, isolation, unreasonable and unjustified withdrawal of services or supportive networks

    Financial or material abuse including:
    Theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property, inheritance or financial transactions, the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions, or benefits

    Modern slavery encompasses:
    Slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude, traffickers and slave masters using whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce, deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment

    Read Modern slavery: Modern slavery- how the UK is leading the fight  for further information

    Discriminatory abuse including forms of: Harassment, slurs, or similar treatment, because of, race, gender and gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion

    Read Discrimination- your rights  for further information.

    Organisational abuse
    Including neglect and poor care practice within an institution or specific care setting such as a hospital or care home, for example, or in relation to care provided in one’s own home. This may range from one off incidents to on-going ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.

    Neglect and acts of omission including:
    Ignoring medical needs, emotional or physical care needs, failure to provide access to appropriate health, care and support or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition, and heating

    Self-neglect
    This covers a wide range of behaviour neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding. It should be noted that self-neglect may not prompt a safeguarding enquiry. An assessment should be made on a case-by-case basis. A decision on whether a response is required under safeguarding will depend on the adult’s ability to protect themselves by controlling their own behaviour. There may come a point when they are no longer able to do this, without external support.

    Exploitation to engage in acts of terror – terrorism can involve the exploitation of children, young people and adults to engage them in activity to support terrorism. The Channel programme is part of the Government’s Prevent Strategy. It aims to safeguard children and adults from being drawn into extremist activity

Local Authority duties under the Care Act 2014

Local authorities must promote wellbeing when carrying out any of their care and support functions in respect of a person. This may sometimes be referred to as ‘the wellbeing principle’ because it is a guiding principle that puts wellbeing at the heart of care and support.

The wellbeing principle applies in all cases where a local authority is carrying out a care and support function, or making a decision, in relation to a person.

It applies equally to adults with care and support needs and their carers.

  • Definition of wellbeing
    ‘Wellbeing’ is a broad concept, and it is described as relating to the following areas in particular:
    ·        personal dignity (including treatment of the individual with respect)
    ·        physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
    ·        protection from abuse and neglect
    ·        control by the individual over day-to-day life (including over care and support provided and the way it is provided)
    ·        participation in work, education, training, or recreation
    ·        social and economic wellbeing
    ·        domestic, family and personal
    ·        suitability of living accommodation
    ·        the individual’s contribution to society

Organisations should always promote the adult’s wellbeing in their safeguarding arrangements. People have complex lives and being safe is only one of the things they want for themselves. Professionals should work with the adult to establish what being safe means to them and how that can be best achieved. Professionals and other staff should not be advocating ‘safety’ measures that do not take account of individual well-being, as defined in Section 1 of the Care Act.

  • Local Authority statutory safeguarding duties:
    Local authority statutory adult safeguarding duties apply equally to those adults with care and support needs regardless of whether those needs are being met, regardless of whether the adult lacks mental capacity or not, and regardless of setting, other than prisons and approved premises where prison governors and National Offender Management Service (NOMS) respectively have responsibility.
  • The Care Act requires that each local authority must:
    ·        make enquiries, or cause others to do so, if it believes an adult is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect. An enquiry should establish whether any action needs to be taken to prevent or stop abuse or neglect and if so, by who.
    ·        set up a Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB)
    ·        arrange, where appropriate, for an independent advocate to represent and support an adult who is the subject of a safeguarding enquiry or Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) where the adult has ‘substantial difficulty’ in being involved in the process and where there is no other suitable person to represent and support them
    ·        co-operate with each of its relevant partners to protect the adult. In their turn each relevant partner must also co-operate with the local authority.

    Local authorities may choose to undertake safeguarding enquiries for people where there is not a section 42 enquiry duty, if the local authority believes it is proportionate to do so and will enable the local authority to promote the person’s wellbeing and support a preventative agenda.

    To respond appropriately where abuse or neglect may be taking place, anyone in contact with the adult, whether in a volunteer or paid role, must understand their own role and responsibility and have access to practical and legal guidance, advice and support. This will include understanding local inter-agency policies and procedures.

    In any organisation, there should be adult safeguarding policies and procedures.

    Such policies and procedures should assist those working with adults how to develop swift and personalised safeguarding responses and how to involve adults in this decision making.

Links to resources:

AS PER PUBLIC, ORIGINAL SET OF LINKS AND COPY KEPT BEFORE SO NOT DELETED:

Guidance and Legislation

Policies and Procedures

Referrals

Resources in the Knowsley Area

Links for Professionals

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