Issue - meetings

The Board received the Halton Safeguarding Adults Board (HSAB) Annual Report for 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017, which was attached at Appendix A.  The report was presented by Audrey Williamson, Chair of the HSAB.

It was noted that the Annual Report fulfilled one of the Safeguarding Adults Board’s three core statutory duties which were to:

1.     Develop and publish a strategic plan setting out how they would meet their objectives and how their member and partner agencies would contribute;

2.     Publish an Annual Report detailing how effective their work had been; and

3.     Commission safeguarding adults reviews (SARs) for any cases which met the criteria for these.

It was reported that all members of HSAB, HSAB sub-group chairs and the Safeguarding Adults Partnership Forum members were invited to submit an annual summary of their work activity.  The focus of work activity addressed HSAB’s priorities as identified from the 2015-16 Annual Report, Performance Framework and Strategic Plan (2016-2018), in addition to acknowledging local and national safeguarding adults emerging issues / trends / policies throughout the year.

The report provided a summary analysis of the data gathered from both NHS Halton Clinical Commissioning Group and Halton Borough Council’s Safeguarding Adults Collection and highlighted what this information meant, for informing the work priorities for 2017-18.  The work priorities for 2017-18 were agreed as follows:

1.     Creating a safer place to live for all adults living in Halton (Safeguarding Prevention);

2.     Providing the skills and knowledge to enable genuine care and understanding for adults at risk of harm (Awareness Raising and Training); and

3.     Gaining a greater understanding of how mental health can impact adults at risk being protected and cared for in the best way possible (Mental Health).

Members raised concerns over the growing numbers of homeless people who may have mental health issues and substance abuse issues and how they would be represented by the HSAB.  In response it was agreed that this was a growing problem and would be highlighted to the Board.  The Board was advised that multi agency risk assessments were being carried out with regards to mental health services and the importance of partnership working was stressed.  It was noted that recognising problems at an early stage was important to prevent an illness from developing.  Members noted that Halton’s Citizen Advice Bureau had trained staff in suicide awareness.   

RESOLVED:  That the Board receives the Halton Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report for 2016-17.