Agenda item

The Committee received a report of the Durham Safeguarding Adults Partnership Independent Chair that presented the Annual Report for 2022/2023 of the Durham Safeguarding Adults Partnership (DSAP), which provided assurance of the safeguarding adults activity across County Durham (for copy see file of Minutes).

H Gibson, Durham Safeguarding Adults Partnership Business Manager advised members that the annual report had been published on the Durham Safeguarding Adults Partnership website that was also available in an easy to watch video.  She stated that it had been a statutory requirement to provide this service since 2014 and this was the 8^th annual report. 

The report included the Chair’s foreword and introduction, the local picture, the vision and partners, safeguarding adult reviews, the strategic plan and priorities, the governance review and audit, safeguarding issues, professional and community engagement, quality assurance and the safeguarding Adults collection return, looking ahead and Partners action reports. The refreshed plan for 2023-2026 had agreed three priorities:  Reflect upon the learning from Covid-19 and inform new ways of working; Seek assurance from agencies and use that information to strengthen safeguarding and; Share key messages with our community, our networks and work co-productively with adults.

Councillor K Earley queried if there were ways to identify issues before things became too serious to prevent reoccurrence of similar instances to Whorlton Hall.

The Durham Safeguarding Adults Partnership Business Manager explained that that type of expose could still occur, and that locally there was regular monitoring of provider reports into the local authority with proactive work by Adult and Health Services practice improvement when required. The partnership also received regular updates through its data reporting, and of any themes that emerged. The business manager shared that the partnership had also received reports on multi-agency reflective exercises related to provider concerns, and a proposed annual model of reflection by the Head of Adult of Care had been agreed. The business manager shared that whilst the partnership held the ring for the learning from the recent Whorlton Hall Safeguarding Adults Review, the findings required wider support of agencies due to the learning of a national footing.

Councillor V Andrews felt that these were great services that provided a safety net in relation to concerns where people had somewhere to call someone to get a level of help.

Councillor L Hovvels requested it be noted in the minutes that everyone had a responsibility for Safeguarding and a duty of care and it did not just sit with local authority.

Resolved

i)        That the report was noted

ii)       That future work of the Durham Safeguarding Adults Partnership

          was noted.