TSAB Newsletter – November 2024

Welcome to Novembers online edition of the TSAB Newsletter.

Please circulate the information in this newsletter across your networks to help us to continue to raise awareness of safeguarding adults in Tees.

What’s New from TSAB

Since our last newsletter, TSAB has met virtually on 11th September 24 and 9th October 24 for scheduled Board meetings.

Agenda highlights included:

  • Discussion and sign off of the TSAB Annual Report 2023-24
  • Overview from the Board’s Performance and Quality Sub-Group on the End of Year TSAB Data Dashboard 2023/24 & Q1 2024/25 Data Dashboard.
  • Overview on the Mid Year progress against the TSAB Strategic Plan
  • Sign off and presentation from the Independent Author of the Susan Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) Report highlighting the learning across Tees as well as best practice.

Introducing the Report TSAB Independent Chair, Adrian Green said:

“The Board continues to make great efforts to engage with the public, carers and practitioners to raise awareness and ensure people can recognise abuse and know how to prevent and report it. Our training offer and the raising of awareness during ‘National Safeguarding Adults Week’ are some of the great examples of engagement and awareness raising for our professionals and communities that we can be proud of“

Please share the Annual Report across your networks

Learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SAR)

Susan had a stroke when she was 37 years old leaving her with physical disabilities and communication difficulties. Susan was a wheelchair user who was supported by her mother and other family members including her son. Susan’s son had a diagnosed illness that was well managed when he took his medication. Susan’s mother was also a huge support to Susan’s son, ensuring he took his medication and attended appointments. Susan’s son became mentally unwell, following the death of his grandmother. He seriously assaulted Susan causing significant facial injuries. Susan died 18 days later in hospital from unrelated physical health causes at the age of 58.

This Safeguarding Adult Review looks at how services worked together to support Susan and highlighted the following themes:

  • Effective good practice
  • Professional Curiosity
  • Triage of Assessments
  • Flagging of previous Safeguarding

Organisations are encouraged to review the SAR Report and Learning Briefing to consider and apply the learning to their own practice.

Please circulate this report appropriately amongst your networks.

In the May 2024 Newsletter we shared Jack’s SAR.

Jack was a 20 year old White British male who died alone in a hotel room in January 2023. He was found knelt on the floor at the side of the bed with drugs paraphernalia present. No third party involvement was suspected. He had been placed in the hotel under the severe weather protocol having been no fixed abode. He was known to both Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough Council’s Safeguarding Teams. There were concerns regarding self-neglect due to mismanagement of his diabetes, substance use disorders and homelessness. He died from diabetic ketoacidosis.

Below we have included some useful resources when supporting adults who are experiencing homelessness or substance misuse:

Tools to support the screening of substances:

These screening tools can be used by professionals (as relevant to their role)

  • Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) – The AUDIT is a simple and effective method of screening for unhealthy alcohol use. The AUDIT can help identify alcohol dependence and specific consequences of harmful drinking.
  • Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) – The DUDIT is an 11-item self-administered screening instrument for drug-related problems, giving information on the level of drug intake and selected criteria for substance abuse/harmful use and dependence.

Policies, Procedures and Guidance

TSAB are in the process of moving all documents online to meet the Governments Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Our newly refreshed:

have now moved to an online version and are available to view now.

Professional challenge can be a positive activity and a sign of good professional practice, a healthy organisation and effective multiagency working. 

TSAB have recently refreshed the below documents. Please read and share within your organisation:

Recent Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) have highlighted a need for professional curiosity in safeguarding adults with care and support needs. TSAB have recently redeveloped the Professional Curiosity briefing to support practitioners with being more curious in their work.

The briefing officially launches today as part of National Safeguarding Adults Week!

Professional Curiosity Briefing

National Safeguarding Adults Week 2024

This week TSAB will be taking part in National Safeguarding Adults Week to raise awareness of adult abuse and neglect and how to report concerns.

What can you do to help raise awareness of adult safeguarding in your communities?

During this week, we will be launching and sharing resources (see below). Please keep an eye on our webpage for for more information and resources. Let us know how you get involved in the campaign by emailing [email protected].

The Ann Craft Trust also have free resources for you to access as well as online sessions that you can attend.

Professional curiosity is where a practitioner proactively recognises and asks questions to try to understand what is happening within a particular institution, family or for an individual, rather than making assumptions or taking a single source of information and accepting it at face value.  

To achieve safer cultures and communities, practitioners and members of the community should be professionally curious. This involves looking, listening, asking direct questions and reflecting on ALL of the information received. We need to be recognising signs that harm could be occurring, asking questions to learn more about what is happening and talking to others within and outside of our organisational context, where necessary, to follow-up concerns. 

Today you can:

‘Making Safeguarding Personal’. ‘Person-centred practice’. ‘Co-production’. Each of these approaches focuses on working in partnership with people who use services.

On this day, we will explore how we can embed these approaches successfully in our service design and everyday practices. We are encouraging organisations to share challenges and successes about how to effectively partner with the people they support.

Today you can:

Developing good quality relationships are important across all organisations and communities. Professional boundaries help us to understand what good quality relationships look like both within and outside of work. Thinking about professional boundaries encourages us to establish clear foundations about the nature of working relationships from the outset.  

On this day, we are encouraging people to think about what appropriate professional boundaries look like in your sector, organisation or community. What power imbalances exist that could impact professional working relationships? What could be the signs that professional boundaries are being blurred and how should you respond if you are concerned? 

Professional boundaries can also go beyond our relationships with colleagues or service users and include boundaries between our work and home life. We will also be exploring what good practice looks like in transitioning from work to home life.  

Today you can:

Criminal exploitation is the deliberate abuse of power and control over another person. It is taking advantage of another person or situation for criminal purposes or personal gain. Criminal exploitation could also include other forms of harm and abuse such as modern slavery, sexual exploitation or cuckooing. 

On this day, we want to encourage people to think about how they would work together to recognise the signs of criminal exploitation and how to respond.  Specifically, we will be focusing on how practitioners can spot the signs and respond to people with learning disabilities who are subjected to criminal exploitation.  

Today you can:

Find our more about TSAB’s Adult Sexual Exploitation Toolkit:

Complete some E-Learning:

All e-learning can be accessed for free via our website. Courses linked to exploitation include:

  • Adult Sexual Exploitation
  • Criminal Exploitation and Country Lines
  • Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery

Watch and share TSAB’s animations:

Further Resources:

Carers Rights Day

Every day, 12,000 people become unpaid carers for a partner, family member or a friend – many of whom don’t see themselves as carers, often unaware of their legal rights and what they’re entitled to in terms of support and benefits. As a carer, knowing your rights empowers you with information about what you’re entitled to.

Today you can:

To effectively safeguard adults and establish safer cultures, it is important for organisations and individuals to be engaged in a process of continual learning and development.  

On this day, we want to encourage organisations and individuals to reflect on their practice. What have been the successes and the challenges in safeguarding adults? What work do we still have to do and how can we continue to extend our learning? 

There are a variety of free resources available on the TSAB website to support with Professional and Organisational Learning.

Today you can:

*NEW LAUNCH* Today TSAB also relaunch their Self-Neglect Policy and Guidance, you can;

Have Your Say on Adult Safeguarding in Tees!

The Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board works in partnership with a wide range of organisations to safeguard and promote the wellbeing and independence of adults at risk of abuse and neglect (Safeguarding means “protect from harm”). Your views are important to us to help shape our work and protect communities. Please take a few minutes to fill in the survey.

Our survey is available for professionals and members of the public. Please share widely amongst your networks and where possible include in any internal/external publications, and encourage colleagues, service users and carers to complete.

Complete our Survey
Colourful text saying thank you with white background

Service Spotlight: NERCCU

“We’re an Engagement Team made up of Police Officers and Police Staff in a regional team covering Northumbria, Durham & Cleveland police force areas. We are part of the National Fraud Protect Network. Our job is to develop and deliver ways to empower individuals and organisations into being more resilient against Fraud and Economic Crime.

We can offer various options of free police partnership; regular communication via being on a circulation list; contribution to magazines/publications/newsletters; access to leaflets/flyers/posters; attendance at events; interactive stalls; information sessions; staff training/CPD delivery and presentation/workshops.

A link to our website is below.”

www.nerccu.police.uk    

To work with NERCCU in your organisation or to receive up to date information on fraud, email [email protected].

a table with a white tablecloth and a white banner

A Spotlight on… Accessibility Tools

Accessible Information Standards

All Health and Social Care Services must follow the Accessible Information Standards by Law. It aims to make sure people with a disability or sensory loss/ impairment are given information they can understand, and the communication support they need. To improve service engagement and to prevent barriers to accessing services, it is important that all services ASK every client how their service can meet their needs.

Information in different formats

Information should be available in formats people can read and understand. This may include large print, easy read, braille, audio or via the support of interpreters such as British Sign Language. As a minimum, any text should be at least 12pt.

Lincolnshire Learning Disability Partnerships Board have developed a tool to help you to create Easy Read letters.

Communication cards/ health passports

There are a number of free resources online that you can adapt/ use, to support a person to communicate their needs with other professionals. You should also flag your own system to reflect any reasonable adjustments required.

Stroke Association

National Autistic Society: My Health Passport

The dos and don’ts of accessible design

The Government have a number of guides to support with best practice material designs for those with low vision, D/deaf and hard of hearing, dyslexia, motor disabilities, users on the autistic spectrum and users of screen readers.

Are you aware of any tools that can support with accessibility? Please let us know by emailing [email protected] and we can share these with the next bulletin.

Dates for the Diary

Listed below are details of recent and upcoming awareness campaigns. Follow us on Social Media @TeeswideSAB to keep up to date with resources and information we share as part of key campaigns. Email us at [email protected] to let us know how you get involved.

Did you know that one in three accidental home fire deaths are caused by smoking?

This October, join the 2.5 million people who’ve been inspired by Stoptober.

Many people try to quit smoking with will power alone, but it’s much easier to go smoke-free with the right help. There are lots of support options available to help people on quitting their journey.

Are you aware of the local services available in your area to support you or the people you are working with to stop smoking?

  • Hartlepool Stop Smoking Service – 01429 272905
  • Stockton Specialist Stop Smoking Service – 01642 383819
  • South Tees Stop Smoking Service – 01642 727590

For more information on Fire Risks and how to support those you work with to reduce fire risks, view TSAB’s Learning Briefing.

Arch Fest – 23rd November

ARCH are pleased to announce an event to launch the UN and Global campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence. (https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite/16-days-of-activism)

Arch Fest, taking place on 23rd November, will start with a walk of solidarity followed by an event to share music, stories, poems and ways to help challenge gender based violence against women and girls and the role everyone can play.

They invite survivors, friends, allies and professionals to join us as we walk from the entrance to the Middlesbrough Town Hall, at 3pm walking along to the Teesside Crown Court and passing by the library and fountains and finishing at the Courtyard Entrance for the Old Fire Station.

From there, they will bring together music, speakers and help shine a light on the power of survivorship, uniting in the campaign against violence against women and girls and demonstrate the strength in recovery.

Stand Up Against Harassment Training Offer

Following a growing national conversation around what the public can do to increase women’s safety, people and organisations want to take steps to be able to address the prevalence of unwanted and aggressive behaviours such as harassment that underlies the broader cycle of violence against women and girls.

To accommodate public demand, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and L’Oréal Paris have formed a partnership to bring the expert approved international “Stand Up Against Street Harassment” training programme to UK audiences. The programme is 30 minutes long, free of charge as it is sponsored by L’Oréal Paris, driving awareness of harassment, as well as upskilling and empowering bystanders across various settings such as public transport, educational institutions, festivals, public spaces, and workplaces, to help defuse situations, discourage harassers, and support victims. This is a global programme, and over 1.3M people have been trained worldwide to date. 

Anti-Harassment training (suzylamplugh.org)

There are also a couple of short videos that you can share:

https://youtu.be/yhNXNay-txk

https://youtu.be/M6eTUO09A5Y

For details about accessing/arranging this FREE training please contact Helen Burrows [email protected] directly.

Training, Workbooks and Further Resources

Training Courses

 To view and request a place on any of our upcoming training courses please visit
our Training Courses and Events page.

Upcoming courses include:

  • Complex Cases
  • Section 42 Enquiry Training
  • Trauma Informed Practice
  • Safeguarding Adults Training for Managers of Services – Refresher Course
  • Safeguarding & Self-Neglect

*NEW* E-Learning

TSAB are pleased to be hosting two new courses for professionals

Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) (For all Professionals)

This course is aimed at professionals who come into contact with victims and survivors, including children experiencing domestic abuse and perpetrators of domestic abuse.

Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference – Single Point of Contact (for MARAC representatives)

This course is aimed at professionals who undertake the role of MARAC and come into contact with victims and survivors, including children experiencing domestic abuse and perpetrators of domestic abuse. At the end of course you will have learnt more about the role of a MARAC Representative, what is expected and how your involvement will ensure MARAC operates effectively.

Safeguarding All (Adults and Children) E-Learning

The Adults & Children Safeguarding Partner Organisations across Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees actively support the ‘Think Family’ approach and are committed to the continuous learning and development of all staff and volunteers working with vulnerable people: adults, children, young people and families.

Through our E-Leaning site you will be able to view, select and be given immediate access to a range of e-learning opportunities.

Workbooks

Workbooks provide a free, paper-based option for professionals to engage in learning. This is important, especially for those who may not have access to a computer.

The Workbooks modules are accessible via TSAB website.

Managers are responsible for signing off the workbook for their staff member, using the online Managers Guidance. To access the Managers Guidance, managers should contact the TSAB Business Unit for the password.

External Training – Suicide Prevention

PAPYRUS has been awarded funding by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Suicide Prevention Grant Fund, which has enabled them to provide fully funded Suicide Prevention trainings until March 2025 in the North East.

They have four courses available, please visit the PAPYRUS website to find out more details and how to book.

Further Information

Cleveland Fire Brigade and Council partners’ Stay Safe and Warm scheme is completely FREE and open to anyone living in Cleveland, no age restrictions apply.

It offers access to heaters and other equipment as required (following a free home assessment). So whether it’s a short-term issue such as a boiler breakdown or an ongoing heating issue they can help.

Speak to a member of the team by calling 01429 874063

For more information on the scheme and advice on how you can help keep people safe and warm this winter, visit Cleveland Fire Brigade’s website.

Don’t forget that TSAB has a dedicated webpage hosting details of local and national services.

Can’t see your service/ another service on there and think it should be added? Please send the details to [email protected].

Do you have concerns that an adult is experiencing or is at risk of abuse or neglect?

Visit https://www.tsab.org.uk/report-abuse/ to find out how to report your concerns. The page hosts the TSAB Concern Form which should be completed and submitted to the relevant local adult social care service or alternatively you can contact them by using the contact numbers listed on the page.

As a reminder you should report abuse when:

  • The adult has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs)
  • And is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect

Hartlepool & Stockton-On-Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership Newsletter

South Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership Website

If you have any suggestions for future Newsletters, or any comments on the new format, get in touch with us using one of the communication methods below.

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01642 528237

Or visit our Website Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board (tsab.org.uk)