Aims

2. Aims • To introduce the role of the Safeguarding Practice Officers • Case study

3. The team consists of 2 social workers, 2 nurses and 1 occupational therapist It was set up in 2008 and is joint funded by the PCT and Local Authority An occupational therapist was appointed after receiving Transforming Community Services Innovation Award (April 2009) The team covers all adult care homes in County Durham (approximately 200) Who are the team?

4. Working Together • Proactive work • Targeting specific homes • Running managers forums • Promoting multi agency training • Raising the profile of the team with providers and other agencies • Promoting dignity in care • Developing health care information pack for care homes

5. Working Together • Reactive • Responding when safeguarding issues have been reported in care homes • Working with the providers following executive strategy • Bespoke training for care homes at executive strategy • Ongoing monitoring

6. Safeguarding referrals • Team managers act as lead officers when a safeguarding referral is received via social care direct • The team manager can raise concern to Executive Strategy level • All relevant agencies are invited to attend strategy meetings

7. Role of the team • The team may have already been involved with the home • Team members attend executive strategy meeting • They will identify issues within the home • Develop action plan with commissioning team, involving provider in this process • Work with relevant people to support change

8. Case Study • Telephone call comes in to Social Care Direct to make a Safeguarding referral about a resident who has hit another resident. • During the initial strategy the manager reports that this behaviour is common place between residents • Lead officer discusses with senior manager and executive strategy convened

9. Findings by Safeguarding Team • Care Plans highlighted unreported incidents • Communication between the care home and relevant professionals was limited • Staff have been observed saying to residents that they can’t go to the toilet because it’s not toileting time • CQC not received any Regulation 37’s • Staff did not understand their responsibilities for reporting safeguarding issues

10. Findings (cont.) • Some residents clearly need reassessing as home is not able to manage their needs. • No support plan or risk management plan for any resident who has ‘challenging’ behaviour • Lack of environmental stimulation for residents • Staff had been observed carrying out contra-indicated techniques re moving and handling

11. Actions by Safeguarding Team Action Plan produced

12. Actions • Management • Management to develop and demonstrate improved communication; both internal and external • Management to ensure timely reporting of regulation 37 and safeguarding incidents • Management to ensure they report staff to regulatory authorities when necessary

13. Actions • Care Plans / Assessments • Safeguarding team identified those who required re assessment of need • Advice and guidance given on person centred care plans and risk assessments • Policies • The home to develop a policy for dealing with ‘challenging behaviour’ including restraint

14. Actions • Staff Issues • Team carried out safeguarding and dignity training for staff within the home • Ensured that managers and senior staff were able to access the interagency level 2 training • Home management to ensure that all staff had up to date manual handling training • Environment • Home need to improve activities and make environment more dementia friendly

15. Results • Care plan and more robust risk management plans in place • Some residents moved to more appropriate placements • Incident reporting process more robust – new documentation, guidance and procedures introduced, not just in this care home but throughout care home group nationally. • Following safeguarding training a carer made a referral concerning practice of night staff.

16. Results • Changes made to environment, better lighting, brighter wall colours, more interactive areas, new activity board • Enhanced activity planning for residents • Follow up executive strategy meetings continued until all actions completed to the satisfaction of the chair • The safeguarding team continue to monitor to ensure the progress made and higher standards are maintained and continue to improve