SSAB Newsletter - May 2014

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.

• New Department of Health policies and consultations

• The Care Bill

WelcomeSome of the items in this edition:

Board & Sub Committee News

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.

Solihull Safeguarding Adults BoardFollowing 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.

Quality & Audit Sub CommitteeThe 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.

Operational Sub CommitteeFollowing 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

year’s workplan, as they have still not been finalised.

Person in a Position of Trust, and Equality & Diversity.

MCA/LISG Sub CommitteeThe 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 CommitteeThe 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.

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.

Solihull Safeguarding Adults

newsletterMay 2014 Edition 7

SA newsletter - May 2014:Layout 1 1/5/14 10:45 Page 1

http://www.solihull.gov.uk/adultabuse/training

https://twitter.com/solihullsab

LOCAL NEWS

JOINT COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK

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

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.

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

[email protected]

The Solihull Safeguarding Adults Training Programme is now available on the SSAB website or by emailing the SSAB

business team on [email protected] . 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.

Who does what in Care HomesOur 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: [email protected]

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 worker’s quote: “It has taken me right back to my

social work values”. We will continue to integrate this service user outcomes approach

throughout this year’s training events and plan to share this learning with our partner

agencies and produce guidance to support this work across Solihull.

MAKING SAFEGUARDING PERSONAL

SSAB TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR 2014/15

WE TRUST YOU TO CARE CONFERENCE 19th JUNE 2014



mailto:[email protected]




LOCAL NEWS

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.

MULTI-AGENCY FINANCIAL ABUSE CONFERENCE – 14TH MARCH 2014

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

Advo-acts Drama Group

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


NATIONAL NEWS

THE CARE BILLThe 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 authority’s 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 StandardsConsultation 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.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-and-proactive-care-reducing-restrictive-interventions

NATIONAL NEWS

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 ill-

treatment 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 Group’s 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

‘couldn’t 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 organisation’s 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

New offence of ill-treatment or willful neglect

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

DoH - CONSULTATIONS

Introducing the Statutory Duty of Candour A consultation on proposals to introduce a new CQC registration regulation

(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.


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

[email protected] or fax to 0121 788 4414.

Contacts:

Sue Walton

SSAB Business Manager

0121 788 4392

[email protected]

Joan McHugh

SSAB Development Manager

0121 788 4385

[email protected]

Lyn Skipp

PA to SSAB/SSAB Business Manager

0121 788 4390

[email protected]

Ben Gorman

SSAB Team Administrator

0121 788 4387

[email protected]

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.

Upcoming training and workshops:

Date Course Time/s

Level 2 Core Module 1:

Law in Relation to Safeguarding AdultsTuesday 22nd April 2014 9:30 - 4:30


Safeguarding Adults Policies and ProceduresThursday 15th May 2014 9:30 - 4:30


Supporting Effective InvestigationsTuesday 24th June 2014 9:30 - 4:30


Safeguarding Meetings and Case ConferencesThursday 17th July 2014 9:30 - 4:30


Investigation SkillsWednesday 3rd September 2014 9:30 - 4:30

More courses being commissioned as the programme evolves

To report abuse

please call 0121 704 8007 (Office Hours)

Emergency Duty Team on 0121 605 6060 (Out of Hours) or

Email [email protected] or via our website www.solihull.gov.uk/adultabuse


http://www.solihull.gov.uk/adultsocialcare/26814.htm



http://www.solihull.gov.uk/adultabuse





SSAB Newsletter - May 2014

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