Following a staff survey Cumbria Safeguarding Adults Board (CSAB), have published a “You Said, We Did” briefing to highlight the actions taken by us and our partners, in response to practitioner feedback from the 2023 CSAB staff survey.

The survey gathered feedback from frontline practitioners across the system in respect of mechanisms CSAB use to communicate and share information and learning. You can view the summary of actions we have taken by following the link here.

We are pleased to confirm and offer this new learning opportunity. Prevent is a national programme that aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It works to ensure that people who are susceptible to radicalisation are offered appropriate interventions, and communities are protected against radicalising influences. You can access the Government guidance about the Prevent Strategy here.

This session will raise awareness of issues pertinent to the Cumbria area in relation to key risk issues for children and vulnerable adults.

When: Friday 16th May 2025, 12noon - 12:30pm

Where: via Microsoft Teams.

Please click here to book your free place via EventBrite.

To be exploited is to be used for someone else's personal gain. Modern slavery is an umbrella term that encompasses the criminal offences of human trafficking, exploitation and slavery.

Modern Slavery is often hidden and may take place alongside a wide range of abuses and other criminal offences. Modern slavery happens across the world and the UK - it is happening in Cumbria. For more information, please click here. 

When: Monday 7th April 2025, 12noon - 1pm

Where: via Microsoft Teams.

Learning from the Donna SAR highlighted that some forms of exploitation are often not seen as Modern Day Slavery and there is a lack of awareness of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) including who are first responders.  The lunch & learn session on 7th April 2025 (above) will cover types of exploitation under the umbrella term Modern Day Slavery (MDS) and information of how to use and refer through the NRM process.

You can read the Donna SAR learning report which summarises the key themes and lessons identified in the review.  Cumbria's Community Safety Partnership's have produced a 7-minute briefing regarding Modern Day Slavery in response to a recommendation in the Donna SAR, you can read the 7 minute briefing here.

Cumberland Council alongside colleagues in the Cumberland Community Safety Partnership (CCSP), is drafting an important document that sets out their approach to tackling domestic abuse.

CSCP want to hear your views. Is their approach effective and have they prioritised the right aims? 

Please click here to see a summary of the strategy and to give your feedback. The survey will remain open until the 31st March 2025. 

Domestic abuse is one of the partnership’s main four priorities, CSCP are keen to get this right and do all they can, collectively, to keep people in Cumberland safe from domestic abuse. You can find out more here.

From 1st of April 2025, Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership will be replaced by new multi-agency Safeguarding Arrangements:

• Cumberland Safeguarding Children Partnership will cover the footprint of Cumberland Council.
• Westmorland and Furness Safeguarding Children Partnership will cover the footprint of Westmorland and Furness Council.

These local multi-agency safeguarding arrangements are being implemented in line with the requirements outlined in the statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children.  Both partnerships will publish their multi-agency safeguarding arrangements on Tuesday 1st of April 2025 on the current CSCP website, comms will be published on this date.

To read the full bulletin from CSCP please click here.

Healthwatch in Cumbria are working with Westmorland and Furness Council, Cumberland Council and Cumbria Safeguarding Adults Board on a project to review the involvement of people within the safeguarding process. The aim is to increase understanding, choice, and control so that the quality of life, wellbeing, and safety of the individual is improved.

Are you a practitioner or officer working for the Police, Adult Social Care, Care Providers, Probation Service, Housing Providers, Fire Service, Paramedic, NHS staff (front line practitioners), other Local Authority staff member, Independent Advocate, Support Worker or employed in a safeguarding role? *not an exhaustive list.

Findings will be presented through a report which will detail analysis of intelligence gathered, highlight good practice and provide recommendations to Cumbria Safeguarding Adults Board and wider health and social care system.

If yes, Healthwatch would welcome your participation through their online multi-agency survey to identify what’s working well, what could be improved and any barriers to genuine inclusion.  You can also access the survey by scanning the QR code to the right. The survey takes 5 minutes to complete.

For more information on Healthwatch visit:

Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness or Healthwatch Cumberland

Professional curiosity is a recurring learning theme identified across all statutory reviews. CSAB in collaboration with other strategic partnerships have a range of resources intended to support practitioners for be more professionally curious.  

The national network of Safeguarding Adult Board Manager's and Chair's have also recently developed and published a toolkit intended to prompt professional curiosity and can be used as required and to complement local resources, you can access it here.

You can access all Professional Curiosity resources in the 'learning zone' on our website.

A lasting power of attorney, or LPA, is helpful for everyone over the age of 18. A partner or close family member cannot make many decisions on your behalf without legal authority.

To learn more about what the role is and how to arrange, please click here to watch a short video. 

The lasting power of attorney - 'Where to Start' animation is also available with British Sign Language (BSL). The BSL, English and Welsh versions of the animation are all available to watch on YouTube. 

A pilot project is underway within the Reablement service, which sees Ethel Care kits being used by people in their home to promote and maximise independence. Ethel Care blends technology with person-centred care by providing remote support by video call via 16-inch touch screen tablets, provided to service-users within their home and can provide assistance with a range of tasks.

Everyone who has used the equipment so far has found it beneficial and stated they would be happy to continue to use it long term. 

If you would like more information please click here or you can contact Adult Social Care Care Services via Amanda or Louise. 

Cumbria Police have put together a range of advice, tips and reference points on all on the types of fraud you may encounter. It covers threats such as attempts to get your personal information, your cash - and what may happen if you are contacted by phone, online or on the doorstep. For more information, please click here. 

You can visit their one-stop advice toolkit for straightforward tips on minimising your risk of falling victim to fraud here.

What to do if you have been the victim of fraud

The first thing you should do if you’ve been a victim of fraud is to contact Action Fraud. You can report a fraud via their online fraud reporting tool, or by calling them on 0300 123 2040. If there is a crime being committed right now or if you are in danger, you should call the police on 999.  If debit or credit cards, online banking or cheques are involved, your first step should be to contact your bank or credit card company.

Suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 49, yet many men struggle to ask for help. The NHS in Lancashire and South Cumbria has launched the Let’s Keep Talking campaign to challenge the stigma around male mental health and suicide prevention.  

If you or someone you know is struggling, resources such as the Staying Alive app and the Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB male suicide webpage are available. Together, we can all create a culture where no man feels he has to suffer in silence. 

Community Care Inform have published advice and a guide on using trauma-informed approaches when working with adults, including tips on asking about traumatic events

When asked, practitioners say that they are afraid of asking about traumatic experiences for two main reasons: that they are paying attention to the person’s immediate needs, or that they are concerned that asking about the person’s experiences might cause them distress. These are understandable concerns, and it can be difficult to get the balance right. Not asking about traumatic events can give a message that the worker isn’t interested, or that it is too shameful to talk about, but asking in an insensitive way or at the wrong time can cause distress. For more information, please click here. 

Community Care Inform’s in-depth guide on using trauma-informed approaches to work with adults covers the different types of trauma and the physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural effects they can have. It also looks at the key principles behind a trauma-informed approach and how to put them into practice. For more information, please click here. 

Practitioners need space for reflection and testing out ideas in supervision. Practice supervisors can make a real difference. 

The aim of the hub is to build a positive culture of supervision throughout an organisation. It contains practical ideas and tips, learning from research and ideas about how to put learning into practice in supervision, and replaces the Practice Supervisor Development Programme (PSDP) website with many of the materials updated or improved.

For more information and to check out a short video by Alison Domakin, outlining why building a culture of reflective supervision is crucial for all organisations please click here.