Agenda item

The Head of Assurance presented and summarised this report. The following was discussed.

The current Risk Management Strategy runs from 2017-2022.  A refreshed Risk Management Strategy is currently being worked on with the key areas of improvements being: Increased currency to risk reporting information; more available information in more useable reporting; easier information management; a comprehensive overview of risk at the Council.

A revised Risk Management Strategy will come to the December Panel meeting.

Referencing the risk register in the appendix to the report, it was asked if there will be some mitigation plan in response to the risks 1B1 and 4A2 which increased from Amber to Red.

The Panel agreed to have these two risks brought to a future meeting (December) to be interrogated further, where the risk owners would issue a response.

The Safeguarding Board Manager presented the Adult Safeguarding Risk Review appendix. He discussed the following:

He highlighted the role of the Adult MASH- to provide a timely and consistent approach to the management of safeguarding concerns relating to vulnerable adults in Lewisham, and the decision to progress to a Section 42 Safeguarding Enquiry. It was created in June 2021 and was the biggest change to adult safeguarding procedures. They had also been a recent change in management, so it can be said that the MASH team are still settling in.

The report highlighted the several safeguarding enquiries linked to adult mental health in Lewisham and the Council received a higher number of safeguarding enquiries compared to other boroughs. The enquiries are delegated to different teams- Risk Assessment- the MASH will triage to determine whether to refer it for enquiries under the London ADASS safeguarding adult’s procedures; Section 42 Enquiry, Neighbourhood, AWLD, Safeguarding Quality assurance Services; and Case closure- the responsible team coordinating the safeguarding enquiries will complete the case closure and making safeguarding personal questionnaire which is completed with the adult at risk at the conclusion of the enquiries.

There is a series of audits delivered within each of the calendar years and a wider programme of audits enacted within a 2 to 3 year period. CQC will recommence inspections of Local Authority Adult Social Care departments which will take place annually.

The annual assessment of overall performance has just been completed. Some work improvements need to be done on the closure stage of safeguarding enquiry work. Training and the amendment of IT systems also needs to be strengthened. All services and workers at all levels are expected to participate in the planning and implementation of a series of thematic audits, aligned with the statutory functions of ASC, and ongoing quarterly audits alternating between practice standards and safeguarding, aimed at promoting a culture of openness and continuous self-assessment and improvement.

Members commented that there was not enough detail about preparation and mitigation work and the impact of when a safeguarding failure occurs in the report. The presenting officer responded that much of that work, including reviewing, is ongoing so they could not be detailed in the report. It was also asked if the audit looks at how the Council communicates with vulnerable adults. The officer responded that individual cases and needs must be taken into account. Equality duty and engagement are key components of adult safeguarding and are reviewed alongside advocacy.

It was asked what recommendations came forward from the internal peer review. As the information was not at hand for the meeting, it was agreed that there would be follow-up from the adult-safeguarding team

RESOLVED the report was noted.