Agenda item

To consider and note the annual reports for the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Board and North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Independent Scrutineers Annual Reports 2021-2022.

The Committee received the report of the Partnerships Manager which asked Members to note the content of the Annual Report for the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Board (NYSAB), and the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (NYSCP) Independent Scrutineers Annual Report 2021-2022.

The Committee were reminded that the strategic priorities highlighted in the NYSAB Annual Report in 2020-2021 had been re-connecting communities, best practice, working together and adapting and responding.  Looking forward to 2021-23, the NYSAB had agreed to reinforce the message that keeping people safe in our communities during a pandemic was everyone’s business, with a particular look at some of the impacts felt from Covid-19.

Members noted that other priorities for the NYSAB included homelessness, preparing for the introduction of the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS), changes in the Integrated Care Systems (ICS), the Local Government Re-organisation (LGR); and creating a culture of shared learning in an open manner to enable partner agencies to continue to work together to keep adults in North Yorkshire safe from harm, abuse and neglect.

In respect of the NYSCP Annual Report, the Committee heard that in 2021 the Partnership had launched the NYSCP “Being Young in North Yorkshire” (BYINY) Strategy 2021-2024. The strategy set out the vision which had been shaped by the feedback from children and young people living in North Yorkshire, and had four key themes; a safe life, a happy family life, a healthy life: and achieving in life.

The Committee were informed that the priorities moving forward were focussed on the development of the NYSCP website to support the broader focus on the BYINY priorities, access to the information, and seeking to develop the way feedback from frontline practice shaped the work of the group.

Members noted that Selby District Council were a member of the Selby Local Safeguarding Partnership (LSP), a review of the priorities across the multi-agency partnership had taken place and it had been agreed that the local priorities for further development would be domestic abuse and both child and adult exploitation, predominantly around online safety. 

It was highlighted that work was ongoing through the LSP around what issues should be reported, and how and to whom safeguarding concerns should be reported; and also, on communications and information sharing, getting messages out into the communities and being as visible as possible.

Members asked a number of questions in relation to the signposting and cascading of safeguarding information, people’s ability to know where to go for assistance, the role of the General Practitioner (GP) in safeguarding, and whether Council officers took referrals from GP practices. 

The Officer confirmed that GP’s and other practitioners reported safeguarding issues directly to North Yorkshire County Council in the same way as the Council, however Council officers did work closely with local GP’s to have an awareness of community issues.  It was further confirmed that this was part of the work currently being investigated by the LSP as to how partner organisations could support the individual and consider their wellbeing, to ensure that people felt included within the community.

A Member commented on the actual format of the paper copy of the Annual Reports as the colours and font size used within the report made some excerpts difficult to read.  The Director of Public Health thanked the Member for her feedback on the report, it was explained that the intent behind the document was to make it visually pleasing, however the comments were appreciated and would be taken into consideration for the future.

RESOLVED:

To note the content of the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Board and North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Independent Scrutineers Annual Reports 2020-2021.