ADULT PROTECTION

Welcome to the Adult Protection and Safeguarding page, this will contain information, links to websites and forthcoming events. In order to continue to  raise awareness of the issues connected to Adult Protection we will provide current information and promote good practice.

Telford and Wrekin now have a new Access Number for when you need to make an Adult Protection Referral. This number covers Older People’s services ( except Learning Disabilities, Substance Misuse, Hospital Team and Mental Health) and the Duty Officer will direct you to the right team. The new ‘phone no. is 01952- 381280 and is open 9am to 5pm, after this time call the Emergency Duty Team as usual.

Good Practice Resource Bank
This year we will be launching a good practice resource bank as a forum for sharing good practice across our sector. The resource bank will be available on the Shropshire Care Forum website and it will be an opportunity for you to share good practice with colleagues and peers.

Good practice examples might include specific projects that you have undertaken, design features you have implemented in the workplace to support service users, some joint working, changes to work practice etc.

If you want to share examples of good practice you can submit them now ready for the launch. Who knows how much difference we may be able to make to the lives of service users when we can share good practice!

The protocol for submitting a piece of work will be to send it in to either Karen Littleford or Stephanie Holden with details outlined on the form below. The submission will then go to a panel for approval before being adding it to the resource bank. The panel will be made up of staff from Shropshire Care Forum and other partner agencies who have relevant knowledge of the sector. 

Please telephone or e-mail Karen or Stephanie with your ideas or questions, we really look forward to hearing from you.

You can download a copy of the submission form here Good Practice Resource Bank Submission Form.pdf

Telephone either of us at Shropshire Care Forum 01743 860011 or email:

Karen Littleford – Adult Protection Trainer and Development Worker for Shropshire  klittleford@spic.co.uk

Stephanie Holden – Adult Protection Trainer and Development Worker for Telford and Wrekin sholden@spic.co.uk

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) – Latest 

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards – two new guides

AEA has joined up with the National Autistic Society and the British Institute for Learning Disabilities to produce two guidance documents. To download this guidance go to www.elderabuse.org.uk guidance for families and carers and guidance for you can be found on the right side of the home page under headlines. 

To subscribe to the MCA DOLS enewsletter or to contribute ideas or suggestions for the next MCA DOLS News, please contact Kate Hardy at kate.hardy@dh.gsi.gov.uk
Introduction of the scheme - The plan is that phased implementation would begin at the ‘go live’ of the MCA DOLS in April 2009 with full commencement in early May 2009.
As from April 2009, care homes and hospitals would be required to apply for authorisations. Transitional arrangements would be in place for one month that allow for an extension of the timescale for standard authorisation assessments from 21 to 42 days; or from 7 to 21 days where a urgent authorisation has been given.

The Codes of practice can be found on the dedicated DOLS web pages at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications
/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_085476

The DOLS briefing sheet containing a summary of the MCA DOLS has recently been updated. The new version replaces the earlier version at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications
/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_080718 
 

Protection of Vulnerable Adults List (POVA List)

Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) Latest Information (January 2009)
 

Important note:
From 20th January 2009 there will be changes to the POVA scheme as part of the transition to the new Vetting and Barring Scheme. The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) will make decisions on all referrals to POVA made after 20th January 2009. From this time, employers and others will have new duties to respond to the ISA’s requests for further information. Employers duties to check against the POVA list before a person starts work remains unchanged. More information can be found via the following links www.isa-gov.org.uk and www.scie.org.uk

  • Increased safeguards will be introduced, such as a wider definition of “Regulated activities”, further enhancing protection of children and vulnerable adults.
  • The three current barring lists (POCA, POVA and List 99) will be replaced by the creation of two new barred lists administered by the ISA rather than several government departments. Checks of these new lists can be made as part of an Enhanced CRB check.
  • Employers, social services and professional regulators have a duty to refer to the ISA any information about individuals who may pose a risk ensuring potential threats to vulnerable groups can be identified and dealt with.
  • There will be criminal penalties for barred individuals who seek or undertake work with vulnerable groups and for employers who knowingly take them on.
  • The eligibility criteria for Enhanced CRB checks will be extended to include anyone working in a regulated position.

 From July 2010

  • From July 2010 those who currently work with children or vulnerable adults and are changing jobs will have to become ISA registered. Those who currently work with vulnerable groups but are staying in their current role will not have to become registered until later in the five year phasing period.
  • Employers and voluntary organisations working with children and vulnerable adults cannot recruit workers who are not ISA-registered.
  • From July 2010, individuals can apply for ISA-registration and a CRB check (including an ISA check) on one new application form.
  • When a person becomes ISA-registered they will be continuously monitored and their status reassessed against any new information which may come to light.

 From November 2010

  • So as not to disrupt normal recruitment over the traditionally busy summer period, the legal requirement for employees to register with the VBS and employers to check their status will come into force in November 2010.

 From 2011

  • Existing employees and volunteers with no CRB check must apply for ISA registration.
  • Existing employees and volunteers with CRB checks will also need to apply for ISA registration, starting with staff whose CRB checks are the oldest.

 
The POVA guidance (PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE ADULTS SCHEME in England and Wales for adult placement schemes, domiciliary care agencies and care homes - A PRACTICAL GUIDE) continues to apply from 20th January. It remains unchanged other than an amendment on page 17 about suspensions.

To download a copy of the latest guidance (16/1/09) please go to the Department of Health website www.dh.gov.uk and enter POVA List in the search box, item 5 should be the 2009 guidance.  Please note section 53a page 17 has been deleted from the 2009 guidance.

The guidance from Social Care Institute for Excellence has also been updated in January 2009 - SCIE Guide 12: Making referrals to the POVA list. Go to www.scie.org.uk  and enter POVA List into the search engine.
Those with a duty to refer under the List 99, PoCA and PoVA schemes should send new referrals made on or after Tuesday 20 January 2009 to a new referral address. This is:  Independent Safeguarding Authority, PO Box 181, DARLINGTON DL1 9FA.
Download the latest version of the POVA List/Independent safeguarding Authority Referral Form here .pdf


The following changes are now operational:

  • automatic barring of those newly convicted or cautioned for specified more serious offences (which now only happens under List 99) will be extended to include all the workforces from which persons are barred by current schemes;
  • provisional listing in relation to new PoCA and PoVA cases will stop.  Therefore it is even more important to take up references and look into career history, to ensure that you understand why a job applicant left previous employment
  • Employers, regulatory bodies, supervisory bodies and local authorities will have a duty to respond to requests from the ISA for further information, where that information is already held 

Access the Multi-Agency Adult Protection Policy and Procedure Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin Council.

Please go to www.shropshire.gov.uk or www.telford.gov.uk and type adult protection into the search engine. Please ensure that your staff team have access to this Policy and Procedure at all times.
 

Non Statutory Sector Disciplinary Policy

The Policy is available on the Shropshire Council website and Telford and Wrekin Council website as a PDF version only. Enter adult protection in the search section at www.shropshire.gov.uk or
www.telford.gov.uk


You will need the word version if you need a copy that you can amend to insert your company’s logo - See instructions below.
We would like as many providers as possible to adopt this Policy so we can have a consistent approach to conducting disciplinary investigations and recruiting appropriate staff.

A two day training course is available. Please contact Joint Training on 01743 254734 for details.

If adopting this Policy, please be sure to contact your insurers or any other relevant human resources advisors.

Instructions for downloading the policy

Non Statutory Sector Disciplinary Policy .doc 

New Guidance for Use of Multi - Agency Adult Protection Policy

A new document has been approved by the Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Board (Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin) in 2009 for use by the Independent Sector. The document signposts staff into the main Multi - Agency Adult Protection Policy and Procedure Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin Council. The document can be used with your logos in your own organisations policy and procedures file.  Guidance for Use of Multi-Agency Adult Protection Policy downloadable document

Independent Safeguarding Authority Road Shows 2009

The Home Office has announced dates for the Vetting & Barring Scheme Information Roadshow Series, presented in association with the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health.

The series will demonstrate how the Criminal Records Bureau and the Independent Safeguarding Authority will deliver the new scheme as laid down by the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.  The events will explain the scope of the scheme and impact on employers, voluntary organisations and service users, and provide an opportunity for delegates to have their questions answered. The events are free to attend and open to all interested parties,
however, places are limited and must be booked in advance see the website for dates www.isa-gov.org.uk

Action on Elder Abuse Annual Conference ‘Safeguarding – Widening the Agenda’. 

Karen Littleford and Stephanie Holden (Adult Protection Training and Development Workers) recently represented Shropshire Partners in Care at the annual Action on Elder Abuse Conference ‘Safeguarding – Widening the Agenda’. This took place on 23rd and 24th March 2009 at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham University. Sarah Hollinshead – Bland, Peter Clarke, Judith McGillivray and Shelia Turner also represented Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin Council at the event.

Speakers at the conference included Phil Hope, Minister of State for Care Services, Baroness Young (QCQ), Veronica Monks (Department of Health), Neil Hunt (Alzheimer’s Society) Penny Furness – Smith (ADASS), Caroline Ellis (RADAR) Lynne Phair and Dr Hazel Heath (West Sussex PCT), Bill Nicol (Suffolk County Council) David Hunt (WASH) Chris Tansley (Chair, UNISON). Subjects included forming effective partnerships with the police, the personalisation agenda, how to make safeguarding a reality within the NHS, Independent Safeguarding Authority, implications for safeguarding as the CQC comes into being. 

Karen and Sarah delivered two workshops on the Non Statutory Sector Disciplinary Policy developed in Shropshire with Debs Fritzl from Adelphi Care Services Ltd. There will be a follow on article to the workshop in the next Action Points (Action on Elder Abuse Members magazine). 

It was highlighted that initial results from the No Secrets consultation (which Shropshire Partners in Care were involved with via the Adult Protection Team, Shropshire Council and the Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding Board, Shropshire Council and Telford and Wrekin Council) will be released by the Department of Health (DoH) at the end of April 2009. Up to 500 responses were received by the DoH on this guidance with the majority of respondents calling for specific Adult Protection legislation. Any changes to the guidance or the introduction of legislation will impact on the Adult Protection procedures in Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.

To view the conference PowerPoint presentations click the following link

http://www.elderabuse.org.uk/Conferences/National%202009/Nat%20Conf%202009.htm

Other information including other forthcoming events is also available on the Action on Elder Abuse please visit www.elderabuse.org.uk