Agenda item

The Committee considered the latest Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board (TSAB) Annual Report for 2023-2024 (full report and Strategic Business Plan for 2022-2025 was provided in advance).  Presented by the current TSAB Independent Chair (who had taken over from the previous incumbent in mid-2024), the following key features were highlighted:

·       Structure: Covering the collective footprint of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees, TSAB comprised six statutory Board partners (the four respective Local Authorities plus Cleveland Police and the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board), and was supported by 24 non-statutory organisations across Teesside and beyond.  The Board worked collaboratively with partners to set the strategic direction for adult safeguarding in Tees, and sought assurance from partners that they had appropriate and robust safeguarding arrangements in place.

·       Priorities: An overview of activity in relation to each of the Board’s four priority areas demonstrated a number of notable achievements throughout the 2023-2024 reporting period, including:

1)    Joint Working (developing a whole system approach): Team Around the Individual (TATI) process fully reviewed and the new and re-branded High Risk Adults Panel (HRAP) launched; Policy, Procedure and Practice (PPP) Sub-Group reinstated to review the necessary TSAB policies and procedures; Joint Working Protocol outlining the relationship and working arrangements between TSAB, Hartlepool and Stockton Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSSCP), and South Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership (STSCP) developed; Trauma-Informed Practice training / workbook made available.

2)    People (ensuring the workforce is well trained, supported and equipped): Spotlight campaign on Modern Slavery and Sexual Exploitation (featuring a presenter with lived experience); new Adult Sexual Exploitation Toolkit launched; Quality Assurance Framework Self-Audit Tool reviewed; Thirteen Housing Group winning a National SAB Excellence Award for their excellent Self-Neglect and Domestic Abuse training was promoted.

3)    Communication (provide accessible and clear information, advice and support): Annual Consultation Survey reviewed and launched, providing opportunities for professionals and the public to inform the future direction and priorities of the Board (28% increase in responses compared to 2022-2023); Safeguarding Champions Event hosted, featuring a range of guest speaker presentations; continued use of engagement opportunities with professionals to recruit Safeguarding Champions.

4)    Services (commissioned and provided to meet individual need for those most at risk): Continued oversight of the governance arrangements for the Teeswide Safe Place Scheme (involving 89 locations); several multi-agency audits undertaken (themes included TATI, sexual abuse, modern slavery, incidents between residents, hospital discharge, and s.117 aftercare); new system (Power BI) implemented to produce high-quality performance reports; TSAB stall at the Annual Catalyst Conference & Awards Event and Stockton’s Interfaith Forum to promote safeguarding materials and resources.

·       Safeguarding Data: 2023-2024 saw 7,759 safeguarding concerns raised across the TSAB footprint, an increase of 11% compared to 2022-2023 (3,021 of which related to Stockton-on-Tees, a 79% increase compared to the previous reporting year).  This equated to a Tees average of 149 concerns per week, with the highest number being received from care homes (26%), NHS secondary care (12%), and social care (12%).

TSAB reported an 11% decrease in Section 42 enquiries being commenced during 2023-2024 compared with 2022-2023 (note: the measurement of conversion rates for the number of safeguarding concerns that led to a Section 42 enquiry was not a national metric and was not a performance indicator measured by the Board).  Regarding Section 42 enquiries, the most common locations of risk across Teesside remained a person’s own home (42%) and care homes (39%), with the top areas of risk being neglect and acts of omission (27%), physical (21%), financial and material abuse (12%), and domestic abuse (12%).  Whilst there had been decreases across all categories of abuse from 2022-2023, organisational abuse and discriminatory abuse had increased in 2023-2024.

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) data (Appendix 2) continued to show Stockton-on-Tees as the Local Authority area receiving the most DoLS applications (3,230 during 2023-2024) – nearly 1,000 more than the next highest (Redcar & Cleveland).

·       Performance Indicators: All four of the Board’s 2023-2024 performance indicators (PIs) had been achieved (two of these required over 90% of individuals subject to a Section 42 enquiry to be satisfied with their outcome, and over 90% of individuals subject to a Section 42 enquiry having risk reduced or removed).

·       Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs): Three SAR notifications were considered during 2023-2024 (a low number for the Tees area – this had already increased during the current 2024-2025 period), two of which progressed to a SAR, with one deferred pending LeDeR (Learning from Life and Death Review of people with a learning disability and autistic people).  Four SARs were published in 2023-2024 – a summary of each was included within the report.

Concluding the presentation, the ongoing focus around transitioning into adult services and the emerging requirement to take an active interest in rough sleeping (including holding services to account) were both highlighted – issues which would likely be reflected in next year’s Annual Report.  It was also acknowledged that there was work to do on self-neglect (particularly in relation to multi-agency collaboration), information-sharing, and strengthening the culture around professional curiosity.

Commending the TSAB Independent Chair for his overview, the Committee began its response by requesting clarity over the reported 11% reduction in Section 42 enquiries being commenced during 2023-2024 – this appeared inconsistent with the stated data which showed 3,235 enquiries in 2023-2024, an increase from the 3,041 undertaken in 2022-2023.  Further detail would be provided post-meeting.

Mindful that joint working arrangements between children’s and adult services had been raised by the Committee as an area of concern in previous years, Members welcomed the development of a new protocol by the relevant Boards / partnerships charged with overseeing these two directorates.  The Committee also emphasised the need for appropriate safeguarding training for all Council officers (not just those on the front-line) and for all Members – TSABs ‘safeguarding is everyone’s business’ ethos supported this approach, not least since potential concerns could be captured by all the Council’s different services, and its workforce needed to know what abuse looked like and how to report it.  Assurance was given that all those who received a direct payment were offered safeguarding training as this was often a hidden market for abusive behaviour.

Reflecting on the amount of safeguarding concerns compared to the previous year, Members drew attention to the increasing awareness of neighbours noticing vulnerable adults not getting out of their home and / or not looking after themselves.  It was TSABs view that a rise in numbers could be seen as reassuring in that more people knew how to, and subsequently did, report their concerns.  It was then crucial that processes around escalating to Section 42 enquiries were right.

With reference to the ‘Partner Activity’ section of the report, the Committee welcomed Thirteen Housing Group’s renewed focus on Safeguarding Champions and the new Alcohol Care Team (ACT) introduced by South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.  Members also noted Hartlepool Borough Council’s ‘Clean Sweep’ initiative (work undertaken with voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) partners to create a new deep clean, de-clutter and post-intervention psychological support service), but was unaware of anything similar locally.  SBC officers advised that people in the Borough were supported in relation to the issue of hoarding, but that arrangements were not as established as those in Hartlepool – this was something the Council would be looking to strengthen in the future.  The Committee reiterated past concerns around relevant professionals no longer going into homes and therefore not picking up on potential signs of abuse (e.g. maternity-related home visits).

Returning to the data quoted within the report, Members pointed to the level of safeguarding concerns being received from care homes (26%), a figure which was more than double of any other type of organisational setting.  TSAB gave assurance that whilst this may raise valid concerns around that particular sector, reported incidents did not always merit a subsequent Section 42 enquiry and may instead be addressed via a different route.  SBC officers added that there was an ongoing effort to ensure people (professionals and the public) raised issues through the right channels, and stated that the Council recorded all contact it received even if a case was not subsequently progressed through the safeguarding route.  The SBC Powering Our Future initiative was also focusing on the ‘front door’ of Council services and simplifying reporting mechanisms.

Lastly, the Committee noted the implementation of Power BI (a system which helped to produce high quality performance reports) under TSABs fourth priority area (services).  Members were advised that it was TSABs intention to have a prepared pre-read in advance of its Board meetings, highlighting key themes and analysis – this would ensure partners, such as the VCSE sector, had a narrative to digest ahead of Board business.

AGREED that the Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board (TSAB) – Annual Report 2023-2024 be noted and further information be provided as identified.