This podcast is on behalf of the West Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board and is about a Thematic Safeguarding Adults Review. The full SAR report can be accessed on the West Sussex Safeguarding Adult Board Website.
The three adults involved in this Safeguarding Adults Review had complex care needs including advance stage dementia, multiple sclerosis, physical disability, alcohol misuse and self-neglect.
Immediate actions were taken by agencies, prior to the review being undertaken. This included:
- A new centralised Adult Safeguarding Hub so that all new safeguarding referrals are triaged effectively and without delay.
- A new online safeguarding reporting system to make it easier to raise safeguarding concerns, focus on the outcomes of the adult and provide feedback to the person making the referral.
- New safeguarding thresholds guidance was produced for professionals to support them to identify when to raise a safeguarding concern.
- A new safeguarding telephone consultation telephone line is also now available to provide safeguarding advice and guidance to all professionals.
- And a self-neglect learning briefing with revised self-neglect procedures can all be found on the West Sussex Safeguarding Adult Board Website.
The thematic review identified a number of areas for learning which agencies are now providing assurance to the Safeguarding Adult Board that improvements have been made. In summary this includes:
The need to promote a more person-centred approach to safeguarding practice so that it is in line with Making Safeguarding Personal.
To support people effectively, agencies need to take more proactive measures, to improve health outcomes.
The Review identified the need to conduct robust risk assessments, especially when working with adults who may refuse the support being offered and how to use the escalation policy to access increased support and supervision, when managing complex cases.
And, finally it’s essential, that all agencies promote and follow the Safeguarding Adult Board self-neglect procedures to support people whose lack of self-care is to extent that it threatens their personal health and safety.
Please visit the West Sussex Safeguarding Adult Board website to view the accompanying learning briefing and full Thematic Review report.
On the website you’ll also find other useful links to all the safeguarding policies and procedures, information for professionals, and other reviews and podcasts. Thank you for listening.