Eastern
Locality Adult Safeguarding
Comittee Annual report
Inter-agency working
The Adult Safeguarding
Manager is like the other two managers co-located with the police
at each of the three victim care centres.The main focus of the work
is to ensure clarity regarding the implementation of the Suffolk
Adult Safeguarding policy and procedures. Offering specialist
advice during criminal investigations has proved a great benefit to
staff within the Victim Care Centres and those professionals
working alongside the police during evidence gathering and
investigations.
Relationships continue to develop with partner
agencies such as Community Mental Health Teams and the Primary Care
Trust’s, with regular contact with establishments such as Walker
Close, Ipswich, where I have been involved in staff training and
advising on, and updating their training provision. Working
relationships have continued to develop with colleagues within
Suffolk County Council, such as the Emergency Duty Service and
Professional Advisors Group where knowledge and expertise are
shared and Adult Safeguarding has been brought to the forefront of
agendas.
Training
Following the
implementation of the domestic violence courts and the MARAC,
training sessions were successfully delivered jointly with Children
and Young Peoples Services.
There were Investigators Training courses of 2 week
duration, delivered by Adult Safeguarding and Suffolk Police which
were successfully completed by all social work attendees and was
extremely well evaluated. There are plans to facilitate further
courses during 2008. Additional ‘contextualised’ training was
delivered to teams such as Ipswich Info Bar, Children with
Disabilities Teams and the newly appointed Independent Mental
Capacity Advocates.
During 2008 there are plans to deliver further
contextualised training in Adult Safeguarding to services such as
probation and the Youth Offending Service. The full training plan
for 2008/9 can be viewed along with the annual report at
www.suffolkas.org
Locality Committee
In February 2007, the
first locality committee was held, which saw a good attendance from
ACS as well as partner agencies. Initial focus was on the committee
itself, and the future role it would play in information sharing
and awareness raising, with topics such as the Mental Capacity Act
2005. The second committee saw a strong focus on ACS changes in
service, and the consensus that safeguarding adults in Suffolk must
remain a priority during the changes. The October committee saw a
broader range of agencies in attendance demonstrating the impact
adult safeguarding has, not only on ACS, but also those agencies
who work in partnership to protect vulnerable people.
Paula Youell,ASM
Ipswich