Venue: Ground Floor Committee Room - Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG. View directions
Contact: Adrian Mann Email: adrian.mann@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
No. | Item |
---|---|
Apologies for Absence Minutes: Councillor Kirsty Jones - unwell
Sarah Collis - Chair, Healthwatch Nottingham and Nottinghamshire |
|
Declarations of Interests Minutes: None |
|
Minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2024, for confirmation Minutes: The Committee confirmed the Minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2024 as a correct record and they were signed by the Chair. |
|
Nottingham City Safeguarding Adults Board Report of the Statutory Scrutiny Officer Additional documents:
Minutes: Lesley Hutchinson, Independent Chair of the Nottingham City Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB), and Emma Coleman, Adult Safeguarding Board Manager; Lucy Griffiths, Head of Safeguarding at the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHT); and Vicky Murphy, Corporate Director for Adult Social Care and Health, Lauren Rochat, Director of Adult Social Care, and Julie Sanderson, Head of Adult Safeguarding and Quality Assurance at Nottingham City Council, presented a report on the SAB’s activity during 2023/24. The following points were raised:
a) The latest Annual Report sets out the work undertaken by the SAB through 2023/24 and includes an update on the activity against the priorities set out in the 2022-25 Strategic Plan. As the Strategic Plan is now in its final year, the SAB will be glad to share its development of the next version with the Committee in due course for its input.
b) The way that SABs operate varies widely across the country. Locally, the statutory funding partners are the Council, the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, Nottinghamshire Police and the Probation Service. However, as it is a non-statutory partner, the Probation Service will no longer be making contributions to the SAB from 2025/26. Most of the SAB’s relatively small budget is spent on meeting required staffing costs, but it is also responsible for commissioning formal Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs), where required (which cost in the region of £5,000 to £8,000 each). Within the limited budget, it has also been possible to start the development of an independent website for the SAB to enhance its communication and engagement with partners, stakeholder and the wider public.
c) There is no specific funding for the SAB to develop or directly deliver multi-agency training, but partners have been able to work together so that there has been an increase in collaborative and shared training, as well as in growing reach and accessibility. The newly-established SAB website will also signpost free, nationally available resources so that voluntary and community groups are able to access training around adult safeguarding. There is engagement underway to collaborate with the Nottinghamshire County SAB around training and raising awareness, particularly through the context of the annual Safeguarding Adults Week.
d) There have been seven SAR referrals during the period covered by the Annual Report, which is higher than previous years – representing a trend reflected nationally. Four of the referrals met the criteria for a SAR to be carried out and all of these have been commissioned from an independent reviewer. Although the cases have different themes and features, there is a national trend showing an increase in safeguarding issues around cuckooing, self-neglect and non-engagement. Following on from the SARs from previous years, a Memorandum of Understanding has been developed between the SAB and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to enable working more closely in an adult safeguarding context, and this has since been adopted nationally. In the case of Valdo Calocane, in order to prevent the duplication of work, the SAB will be seeking assurance that recommendations are implemented to prevent such a tragedy from happening again once the separate reviews by NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, the Police and Crime Commissioner and NHT have all been completed.
The Committee raised the following points in discussion:
e) The Committee asked if the SAB had a clear idea of the main lessons that need to be learned following the Valdo Calocane incident. It was reported that other organisations and agencies had already started full reviews, so duplicating that work would not represent good value for money. Partners are liaising with the SAB and progress is being tracked. Work is being done to implement the initial learning from the current review progress and the recommendations made ahead of the reviews being completed formally.
f) The Committee asked how the SAB communicated with the wider public and how its work impacts on Nottingham communities. It was set out that the SAB has developed a Communications and Engagement Plan that is working to deliver messages more widely. Work has taken place to communicate how the DWP can support adults, including how and where to access support around utility bills, and other themes that impact on a wide range of adults. There is a clearer sense of partners working together and more coherently to push messages where necessary. The SAB has also linked into the local Finance Resilience Group and is using their front-facing elements to help communicate further. There is still work to be done and improvements to be made, but there is now a strong base to work from.
g) The Committee asked what action the SAB was taking to engage with those communities and individuals who have been generally harder to reach. It was explained that SAB is improving the co-production of its resources and this is being addressed in the Communications and Engagement Plan. The newly-developed SAB website is aimed to support professionals in the first instance, ensuring easy access to policies, learning and resources. Where public-facing messages need to be distributed, the SAB uses existing social media channels and partner organisations, and is currently liaising with the University of Nottingham around developing animated messages about safeguarding for all.
h) The Committee asked what lessons the SAB had learned from across the country, and how Nottingham compared to other areas. It was set out that the themes of referrals are in line with national trends, including increased instances of self-neglect. Loneliness and isolation are emerging themes both in Nottingham and nationally, and it is important that prevention work is delivered at the community level so that these issues do not escalate – particularly in the context of people who do not want to engage with formal intervention services. Similarly, there are increasing issues around homelessness and housing, with 5% of SARs nationally being around homelessness. The SAB is starting to look at homelessness locally as a specific piece of ongoing work and how it impacts other factors that can contribute to SAR referrals.
i) The Committee asked what the demographic breakdown was in relation to Section 42 safeguarding enquires and queried whether this was representative of the demographics of the city. It was explained that the ethnicity data shows that 84% of Section 42 enquiries relate to people identifying as white. Although this is not representative of the city’s population as a whole, where around 45% of people have a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background, it is more representative of the city’s older population – who are more likely to be the subject of a Section 42 enquiry. The data available is not very detailed and its reliant on the person making the referral – with a significant proportion recording ethnicity as ‘not known’. More work is being done around data collection and reaching into different communities through faith and other local groups to ensure that safeguarding services can reach everyone.
j) The Committee asked how the SAB worked with the local Safeguarding Children Partnership (SCP) around the transitioning from children’s to adults’ services. It was reported that the SAB is working with the SCP in Nottingham and also jointly with both the SAB and SCP operating in Nottinghamshire to ensure that there is a joined-up and consistent approach. The Department for Education is leading on work developing and supporting a maturity matrix looking at the transition from children’s to adult’s services, and there are plans to hold a joint workshop to further explore how best to support the transition process.
The Chair thanked the representatives from the Nottingham City Safeguarding Adults Board, the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Nottingham City Council for attending the meeting to present the report and answer the Committee’s questions.
Resolved:
1) To recommend that the Nottingham City Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) works closely with its partner organisations to ensure that all multi-agency training opportunities are communicated effectively and are easily accessible.
2) To recommend that, through the development of its Communications and Engagement Plan and an independent website, the SAB and its partner organisations work jointly to ensure the delivery of effective messaging to Nottingham residents on what the SAB does to support vulnerable people, to further grow community engagement with safeguarding and prevention.
3) To recommend that the SAB gives close consideration to how co-production can be used effectively so that partner organisations are able to meet Nottingham peoples’ needs in the ways that they would want them to be met.
4) To recommend that the SAB ensures that the four key safeguarding recommendations in relation to homelessness and rough sleeping as set out in the published Ministerial Letter of 20 May 2024 are implemented effectively.
5) To recommend that the SAB assures itself that safeguarding adult concerns and enquiries are conducted effectively for citizens of all ethnic backgrounds so that no Nottingham communities are left unsupported. |
|
Adult Social Care Housing Delivery Report of the Statutory Scrutiny Officer Additional documents:
Minutes: Councillor Jay Hayes, Executive Member for Housing and Planning; Vicky Murphy, Corporate Director for Adult Social Care and Health; Geoff Wharton, Consultant Strategic Director for Housing; and Ana De-Almeida, Voids Business Manager, presented a report on the work being done within Housing services to support adults with social care needs. They highlighted the following points:
a) Following the outcomes of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Care Act pilot inspection findings, a range of work has been undertaken to help improve the links between Adult Social Care and Housing. The Committee considered this with Adult Social Care colleagues at its previous meeting on 24 October. From the Housing Services perspective, joint work is now underway on the General Housing, Landlord and Homelessness Strategies, and a Link Worker has been appointed to facilitate liaison between the two departments.
b) Housing Services requires a specific referral from Adult Social Care colleagues to start the process of housing a person with specific care needs. Housing Services has a duty of care to existing residents and appropriate housing is not always immediately available for people with additional care needs, particularly if they are complex. Whilst the Housing function can provide accommodation in terms of physical buildings and the associated landlord services, it is Adult Social Care colleagues that deploy the wrap-around care and support services that some tenants need in order to maintain a tenancy. Work is underway to establish ways of collaboration with other housing providers in the city around external grant funding that they could access that would help to provide additional suitable accommodation for people with care needs.
The Committee raised the following points in discussion:
c) The Committee noted that both the CQC and the Nottingham City Safeguarding Adults Board had highlighted concerns around access to housing in terms of meeting care needs, particularly in the case of people who are homeless or awaiting discharge from hospital, so considered that urgent action was required in this area as vulnerable people could be put at risk. It was reported that social landlords nationally are struggling with a range of additional pressures. The Council is still supporting a high number of families in ‘bed and breakfast’ and other temporary accommodation, which is not suitable for their long-term needs. Housing Services gives full consideration to every referral made by Adult Social Care and, where appropriate, prioritise them within the social housing waiting lists. However, Housing Services is only able to offer landlord services, with additional support and care services delivered by via Adult Social Care and commissioned providers.
d) The Committee asked what work was being done to help maximise the overall availability of social housing stock. It was set out that Housing Services is developing a longer-term view to delivery and a full Stock Condition Survey is underway, which should be completed by the end of the year. This will allow the service to have a better and more comprehensive understanding of the stock and so carry out effective strategic investment planning to ensure that the use of the available stock is maximised. Work is taking place so that those people who could or want to downsize are offered support and incentives to do so. Housing Services is also investing more time investigating tenancy fraud and illegal sub-letting to ensure that the right people are living in Council properties.
e) The Committee asked how best use was being made of the available social housing stock designed to support care needs. It was reported that there is a high number of units vacant within Independent Living schemes across the city as take-up is low, so work is being done to understand how best to use these homes, including as a way to alleviate the pressure on temporary accommodation. A review on Independent Living schemes has been completed and resident feedback was taken into account so that some schemes are being upgraded, modernised and re-structured to be more appealing. Other information gathering has indicated a diverse range of needs from residents but, unfortunately, there is limited room within the city for developments so, where possible, Housing Services is looking at extending existing properties if needed.
f) The Committee noted the importance for a collective, strategic ambition to be in place and asked how the individual strategies being developed were aligned with the Council’s overall strategic context and existing pathways and policies. It was explained that the Executive Housing Oversight Board (EHOB) has been developed and launched to provide a more overarching view of the strategic work that should be undertaken around Housing needs. The EHOB is relatively new and has held some initial meetings, with a membership from across the Council, including Adult Social Care colleagues. A forward plan of workstreams is under development and a Link Worker to liaise between Adults’, Children’s and Housing services is now in place.
g) The Committee asked how Housing received feedback from people on their experience of accessing the Housing Solutions service, raising concerns that the areas within Loxley House where people engage with the service in person are not private spaces, and that vulnerable people may feel unable to properly communicate their needs in this context. It was set out that Housing Services staff work with compassion and are sensitive to the very personal situation of each person presenting to the service, within the context of the required legal framework. The engagement mechanism on service user experience is a satisfaction survey available at the end of the process for people to give feedback and comments, though the levels of response are currently low.
h) The Committee asked how Housing Services and Adult Social Care plan to integrate ways of working in the future to ensure more streamlined pathways and ease of access for accommodation needs. It was set out that the first step has been to appoint a Link Worker to act as the first point of liaison. Consideration is being given to where Housing Services staff could be embedded within Adult Social Care teams and where Adult Social Care staff could be embedded within Housing Services teams. New ways of working and information sharing are being considered and can be better developed now that Housing Services has returned to being a direct part of the Council. Housing Services and Adult Social Care teams can work together to consider housing strategies for individuals and put together a plan to cover both landlord services and care services to support each person referred.
The Chair thanked the Executive Member for Housing and Planning, the Corporate Director for Adult Social Care and Health, the Consultant Strategic Director for Housing and the Voids Business Manager for attending the meeting to present the report and answer the Committee’s questions, and the Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health, the Interim Corporate Director for Adult Social Care and Health and the Interim Director of Housing for attending the Committee’s previous meeting in October on this topic.
Resolved:
1) To request that further information is provided on the Equality Impact Assessment produced in response to the potential proposals of the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board to reduce its contributions to the Better Care Fund in the context of funding related prevention activity.
2) To request that further information is provided on how the outcomes of the Council housing stock condition survey inform the future investment requirements for meeting the overall adult social care housing need effectively.
3) To request that further information is provided on the development of the Executive Housing Oversight Board’s forward plan for addressing the current and future adult social care housing needs.
4) To recommend that engagement with supported accommodation providers and Registered Providers of Social Housing is maximised to ensure the development of a sustainable accommodation base for people with care requirements that is sensitive to their needs and where the appropriate wrap-around care can be delivered.
5) To recommend that engagement with partners and the wider market is maximised in seeking to grow the provision of supported accommodation equitably across the city for people with more complex care needs, as part of developing early intervention in the context of increasing demand.
6) To recommend that close consideration is given to how the Housing Service can engage proactively with people with social care housing needs on their individual experiences of accessing their services and the outcomes for them, to explore how future delivery could be developed through making greater use of co-production.
7) To recommend that a strategic way forward is taken with partners to streamline pathways and reduce waiting lists for access to suitable supported accommodation, as part of a person-centred approach to developing an effective All-Age Accommodation Strategy.
8) To recommend that all possible engagement and communications are carried out to ensure that residents and families are aware of how they can escalate any issues that they are experiencing with a supported accommodation provider to the appropriate contact within the Adult Social Care Service, so that supportive action can be taken in a timely way.
9) To recommend that joined-up, partnership work is developed across the Council to ensure the delivery of a coordinated, strategic approach for meeting joint housing and social care needs, making proactive use of co-production with communities and services users. |
|
Report of the Statutory Scrutiny Officer Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair presented the Committee’s current Work Programme for the 2024/25 municipal year.
The Committee noted the Work Programme. |