Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Strategic Director for People on progress on establishing a Safeguarding Board for Adults for Cheshire East and related issues.

The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director for People which outlined the findings of the inspection carried out by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) of Cheshire County Council’s Community services.  The inspection focused in the main on services for older people in relation to three themes:

      That people have access to preventive services;

      People benefit from effective partnership working;

      People are safeguarded.

The inspection team found overall “Good” performance which meant that most people were effectively safeguarded against abuse, neglect or poor treatment.  However, a number of areas for development were identified including:

      Balancing risk in supported housing;

      Safeguarding training for partner agencies;

      Information sharing between agencies;

      Impact of the Adult Protection Committee.

The Appendix to the report listed specific recommendations arising from the inspection along with progress to date.  The Committee had been informed at its previous meeting of the establishment of an Adults Safeguarding Board and was advised that the position of Independent Chairman of the Board had been advertised and interviews were to be held shortly

Members were then given the opportunity to ask questions or raise issues as follows:

      The role of the Older People’s Network – the Committee was advised that this was a membership organisation whose role was representative and the organisation had an important role in articulating the needs and views of Older People.  The Network had been commended by the CSCI Inspection Team during its recent inspection;

      The role of the University of the Third Age (U3A) in providing services for Older People;

      The need to record those who are helped through signposting them to other services rather than just recording those who are directly helped;

      The importance of transport services including Dial A Ride, Taxi Vouchers and ensuring that the systems provided through the four constituent authorities were harmonised.

RESOLVED:  That:

(a)   the creation of the Adults Safeguarding Board for Cheshire East be noted;

(b)   the areas for development arising from the inspection carried out by the Commission for Social Care Inspection be noted;

(c)    the need for leadership from the Cheshire East Council and partners in promoting a “whole system response” to social care need be noted;

(d)   au update report be provided on issues identified in the report and at the meeting in approximately four months.