Agenda item

Report of the Independent Scrutineer – Darlington Safeguarding Partnership

The Independent Scrutineer – Darlington Safeguarding Partnership attended the meeting to present the report.  Members were informed that Local Safeguarding Partnerships are required to produce an Annual Report to account for the Partnerships achievements over the previous year and make an assessment of the effectiveness of multi-agency safeguarding arrangements within the local area. The report summarises and reflects on the work of the Partnership over the 2022/23 period and aims to provide the Health and Wellbeing Board with an understanding of the Partnership’s work.

Points of interest included post-COVID implications and NHS organisational changes in the report-period and that the OFSTED Council inspection reflected well on Children’s Services.  Further points of note were the report’s focus on self-neglect and implications of exploitation, the nearly 25% rise in Safeguarding and that key areas of future-focus will be development of prevention and early intervention.

Questions were raised that included as to whether the current 25% increase is a result of issues arising during the COVID period with officers responding that although mechanisms are in place to identify post-COVID issues, the full relative impact is yet to be established.  A further question involved individuals who may not be aware that they are self-neglecting and what measures are in place regarding this with officers stating that visiting officers possess an assessment criterion for households in order to judge when an environment may be deemed as becoming a danger to an individual.

Discussions were held regarding current recruitment efforts, that current thresholds are reasonable to return children to families as soon as possible and that the current work being undertaken around the Health and Wellbeing Strategy will be a good opportunity to link priorities moving forward.

RESOLVED - that the Health and Wellbeing Board note the Darlington Safeguarding Partnership Annual Report for 2022/23.

REASON – To ensure awareness of the content of the annual report and current areas of note within Safeguarding.