Issue 22 | February 2023
Welcome to the February edition of Pass It On News.
A bi-monthly newsletter bringing you the headlines and new policies, procedures and guidance from your West Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board.
 PUBLISHED: Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) in respect of MT
We have recently published a Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) in respect of MT.
MT was an 83-year-old woman who is described by her daughter as a mother who stayed strong in the face of challenges. MT’s neighbours also held her in high regard and described her as a very proud and independent person, and as a kind and lovely lady.
In June 2021 MT’s GP raised a safeguarding concern due to hoarding and infestation of mice in her home. In the following months MT experienced increased dizziness and failing eyesight. Following intervention there was improvement in the removal of belongings at a slow pace as led by MT. However, the infestation remained. A further safeguarding concern was raised by a friend in December 2021, due to a marked deterioration in her health and her home circumstances. Sadly, in January 2022, MT was found deceased in her home having collapsed or fallen.
The SAR recognises that all involved with MT attempted to provide a proportionate, personalised response to her complex and intertwined physical health and environmental needs and risks. There was evidence of respect and sensitivity towards MT and measured interventions. However, learning and improvements needed by agencies was identified and it is crucial that this is understood and taken forward to minimise future safeguarding risk.
So, to enable MT’s SAR to make a real difference to practice, please ensure that you and others read this SAR, along with the accompanying Learning Briefing and Podcast. The main areas for learning and improvement are:
- Safeguarding Adults practice including training that incorporates professional curiosity, thresholds, self-neglect, and hoarding response routes.
- Multi-agency needs assessment and risk management including use of self-neglect procedures, risk management plans, joint assessments, and closure of cases.
- Mental Capacity Act and making sure the adult’s and their family’s voice is heard including giving the opportunity to consider timely, resourced and coordinated plans, and considering ways to engage with existing friends, family, and other networks.
WE'RE HIRING: Board Administrator
The Board Administrator post is a newly created, exciting opportunity, to join our team which supports our Board to ensure our vulnerable adults in West Sussex are protected and safeguarded from abuse and neglect.
You will join our small, friendly, productive and efficient Board Support Team, providing the administrative services needed to take forward Board actions and incoming enquiries. This opportunity will allow you to make a difference to some of the most vulnerable in our community, on a daily basis.
To find out more about this role, and to apply, visit the West Sussex County Council Jobs page. Please share this advert widely within your networks.
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NEW: Multi-Agency Working and Communication resources
In November 2022 we published the Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) in respect of Robert. This SAR highlighted the significance of multi-agency working across partner agencies.
It is important that you, and staff you work with, understand what constitutes effective multi-agency working.
To support your learning and understanding of this, we would like to draw your attention to the new Multi-Agency Working and Communication resources we have published:
In order to provide assurance following a recommendation from this SAR, we will soon be reaching out to ask for some feedback on the effectiveness of these learning resources in promoting multi-agency working and therefore would appreciate your comments.
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UPDATED: Multi-Agency Risk Management (MARM) subgroup referral form
Please note that the referral form for referring cases into the MARM subgroup has been updated. Please ensure that you are using this form for any new referrals into the MARM subgroup.
To find out more about the MARM subgroup, and how they may be able to assist you with high-risk, complex cases, please do visit our website. As with all of our documentation, please always access documents from their source on our website. This will ensure that you are always using the most up-to-date version of our documents.
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LAUNCHED: Fire Safety Development Group
A new multi-agency meeting to look at fire risk case studies and learning from fire events has launched in West Sussex. The Fire Safety Development Group has membership from across the Health and Social Care sector, and reports their findings and learning to the Safeguarding Adults Board.
Meetings include case discussions, including any background information, vulnerabilities, what happened on the day of the fire, and any learning or agreed actions to support preventative work in the future.
If you are a professional and you are interested in finding out more about the Fire Safety Development Group, please email safeguardingadultsboard@westsussex.gov.uk and we will pass on your query.
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and safeguarding
Thank you to the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (WSFRS) for contributing this article for our newsletter.
As the Fire Service are a service that the public are keen to see and welcome into their homes at the time of incidents, and through our Safe & Well Visit (SWV) programme, we often find that we are the first service past the front door. This is a privilege and challenge, helping those who may be having their worst day ever due to the trauma of a fire or other emergency. As part of our conversations with the person/family following the incident or SWV, we always consider the needs of the individual, and whether a safeguarding approach may be required.
Due to the importance we place on safeguarding we have introduced a Quality Assurance programme to identify any gaps in Firefighters' understanding, and to review the training programme in line with this.
The highlight this year was in establishing the Fire Safety Development Group (FSDG), which has membership from the Multi-Agency Risk Management (MARM) subgroup that reports into the Safeguarding Adults Board. The FSDG has come out of a review of fire fatalities in the timeframe 2011-2021. The findings were significant to safeguarding; 84% had care and support needs, 68% were known to local authorities, but only 16% were known to WSFRS. This new multi-agency group seeks to learn, contribute, review practice, and raise awareness of fire safety across services.
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REMINDER: Now publishing newsletters
Since October 2022 we have been publishing our newsletters on the Safeguarding Adults Board website. Signposting your colleagues and people within your networks to our website is the ideal way to share the key information contained within our newsletters.
Access this newsletter, and previous newsletters, in the 'News' section of our website.
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