Agenda item

The Panel received the Slough Safeguarding Adults Board (SSAB) Annual Report 2015/16 that detailed the activity undertaken by the partnership over the past year.  The report had been streamlined and focused on the key areas of work identified by the Board’s business plan that arose out of two Safeguarding Adult Review’s and other key priorities.  It was noted that the chair of the Board, Nick Georgiou, had also recently being appointed as chair of the Slough’s Local Safeguarding Children’s Board.

It was the second report since the introduction of the Care Act 2014 that had widened the definition of safeguarding, and it also updated on the impact of issues such as the changed definition of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards that had resulted in a very significant increase in the number of people requiring protection under the safeguards.  It was reported that good progress had been made in terms of making safeguarding personal, and a key measure of success was whether the outcome identified by the person at risk had been achieved.  However, it was recognised safeguarding risks could be reduced but not eliminated due to complicated circumstances of many people at risk.

The Panel noted the progress that had been made during the reporting period and particularly welcomed the section that set out the work of the wide range of partners contributing to the partnership.  Members discussed the overall effectiveness of the partnership arrangements and asked about the key learning points of the past year.  The Interim Director of Adult Social Services responded that the partnership arrangements were strong with a good level of engagement from partners and an effective Executive Board.  The key learning points included the findings of two Safeguarding Adult Reviews that had highlighted issues for some people known to social services but not directly engaged and issues around family neglect.  As part of a commitment to continue to improve services, the Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Adult Social Services would shortly be undertaking a peer review of Slough.

At the conclusion of the discussion, the Panel noted the report.

Resolved –  That the Annual Report be noted.