Perth and Kinross Adult Protection Committee Biennial Report 2022-2024
Perth and Kinross Council · 4 December 2024
Back to Perth and Kinross Council — 4 December 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
Perth and Kinross Council 4 December 2024 PERTH AND KINROSS ADULT PROTECTION COMMITTEE BIENNIAL REPORT 2022 – 2024 Report by Arun Singh, Chief Social Work Officer (Report No. 24/349) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This biennial report for the period 2022 to 2024 provides an overview of the key activities and work of the Perth and Kinross Adult Protection Committee (APC) and its partners to safeguard the welfare and interests of adults who are at risk from harm. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: • Notes the wide range of work being carried out by Perth and Kinross APC and partner agencies throughout this reporting year to safeguard adults considered to be at risk of harm; and • Endorses the contents of the Perth and Kinross APC Biennial Report 2022 - 2024 (Appendix 1). 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background • Section 5: Performance • Section 6: Key Themes and Assurances • Section 7: Continuous Improvement • Section 8: Conclusion • Appendices 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 Perth and Kinross APC, in compliance with Scottish Government guidance, publishes biennial reports. It is this Biennial Report that is shared with the Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board (IJB). 4.2 As part of the APCs ongoing commitment to a cycle of quality assurance and improvement, annual reports, rather than biennial reports, are prepared. The APC Annual Report 2022 - 2023 (Report No. 24/68 refers) was shared with Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) Elected Members, the IJB and the Protecting People Chief Officers Group (COG) in 2023/24. It was also shared
Page 2
with different strategic Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and health governance groups. In order to provide the same levels of strategic oversight, this biennial report will also be shared with the same PKC and HSCP strategic groups. This report describes the APC’s achievements within this two-year reporting period. It highlights key strengths and areas for improvement. It confirms that the APC continues to place a strong emphasis on self-evaluation, audit and improvement, and has prepared a programme of evidence-based improvement work for 2024 and beyond. 5. PERFORMANCE 5.1 Page 10 of the APC Biennial Report (Appendix 1) (hereon in referred to as the ‘report’) highlights how the number of qualified council officers has increased by 35% between the years 2022 and 2024. This has been achieved through workforce planning, enhanced training and development opportunities, and securing additional funding for social worker posts. The number of trained and available council officers is sufficient to meet current Adult Support and Protection (ASP) demand. 5.2 Page 7 of the report provides a summary infographic of ASP activity throughout 2022 - 2024. It identifies the key changes in the volume and activity of key multi-agency adult protection processes. 5.3 The data shows an incremental growth in the number of Adult Protection Referrals (APRs). In the period 2022 to 2024, there were 6151 APR referrals received. This represents a 23% increase in this reporting year in comparison to 2020 to 2022, which is consistent with the national picture. Page 14 of the report notes that, despite this growth over a two-year period, the numbers of Police Scotland Vulnerable Person Reports (VPRs) for 2023 into 2024 did not increase at the same rate. The report gives some analysis as to why this might be. 5.4 APRs were received from a wide range of sources. The main three sources of referrals come from Police Scotland, Health, social work and social care. Our data shows that the Scottish Fire & Rescue, Scottish Ambulance Services, care homes, care at home providers and the general public have also referred. This indicates a growing awareness of adult protection and a confidence in the reporting of concerns. 5.5 The age profile of people referred due to adult protection concerns, shows that the older adults are most likely to give cause for concern. As with previous years, vulnerability factors include infirmity and frailty due to old age, mental health, physical disability, and learning disability. 5.6 There has also been an increase in ASP activity for younger adults, and in particular, younger adults affected by learning disability, mental ill-health, and substance use. This is an encouraging sign that partners have an increased awareness of vulnerability and risk. Younger adults are more likely to be the subject of repeat referrals, typically featuring diagnoses of personality disorder, alcohol/substance misuse, and self-harming behaviour.
Page 3
5.7 Harm is most likely to occur within a home setting, either the person’s own home or within a care home. Incidents of harm in care home settings are often found to relate to harm between care home residents, at the low end of severity. 5.8 The most prevalent types of harm remain relatively consistent, with physical harm, financial harm, neglect, self-harm, and psychological harm the most reported, with many investigations involving multiple types of harm. 5.9 Page 20 of the report refers to our use of Large-Scale Investigations (LSI) to mitigate harm in a regulated service (care home, care at home, hospital setting). A thematic review of LSIs in this reporting year has led to a more integrated, multiagency, and coordinated approach to how key partners support this work. 5.10 Our use of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007, from April to September 2024, remains relatively consistent with the data shared for 2023/24. It demonstrates how we are using the Act to safeguard adults at risk of harm and how we are strengthening our multi-agency approach to keeping adults safe, particularly where complexity exists. 6. KEY THEMES AND ASSURANCES 6.1 Page 19 of the report refers to how we continue to strengthen our support to the care home sector and where the interface between the APC, the Care Home Operational Group and the strategic leadership from the HSCP exists. 6.2 The report highlights the importance of data to inform service redesign, with page 20 referring to how the principles of early intervention and prevention has led to the implementation of a mental health triage pathway. This also embraces the principles of getting the right support from the right people at the right time (Getting it right for everyone (GIRFE)). GIRFE is about providing a more personalised way to access help and support when it is needed. 6.3 Page 24 of the report notes the inspection of our multi-agency ASP services during June and July 2022 by the Care Inspectorate, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. This is part of the Scottish Government’s improvement programme for ASP. The final report of the Joint inspection of adult support and protection in the Perth & Kinross partnership was published on Tuesday 23 August 2022. 6.4 In summary, the inspection findings are positive and recognise the hard work and determination of staff across the partnership to safeguard adults at risk of harm. The inspection report shows that we have strong multi-agency adult protection arrangements in place, keeping adults who are at risk of harm safe and protected. The inspection report concluded that: “The partnership demonstrated it was committed to achieving excellence in matters pertaining to adult support and protection practice and improvement.”
Page 4
6.5 Recent self-evaluation activity has highlighted that improvements have been made in each of the areas highlighted in the 2022 joint inspection findings which required to be strengthened. These are: • Our use of advocacy has improved significantly. • The ASP Coordinator has developed draft Tayside medical examination guidance with colleagues from NHS Tayside. • Our audit activity being much more multi-agency and coordinated. • Developing a new ASP assessment and protection plan that focuses on: o the need to consider medical examinations. o multi-agency chronologies. o the importance of advocacy for the adult and their unpaid carer. • ASP defendable and defensible recording training developed and delivered twice a year. • The ASP Coordinator has re-established a dedicated multi-agency financial harm and Scams prevention subgroup. 7. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 7.1 The APC and HSCP are fully committed to self-evaluation, audit, quality assurance, review and listening to the views of lived experience, to delivering confident and competent support to those adults considered to be at risk. The findings from this work informs the APC Improvement Plan for 2024/26 and beyond. Page 24 of the report refers to our commitment to qualitative and quantitative audits to inform our improvement work. In this reporting two-year period, the APC has conducted the following audits: • NHS Tayside AP Annual Report 2022/23. • NHS Tayside Quality Assurance Framework. • Multi-agency Audit 2022/23, and again in 2023/24. • Large Scale Investigation thematic review 2023. • Inter-agency Referral Discussion audit 2022/23, and again in 2023/24. • Vulnerable Police Report audit 2022/23 and 2023/24. 8. CONCLUSION 8.1 The report provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of ASP activity in the reporting years 2022 to 2024. It provides assurance that the protection and welfare of vulnerable and at-risk adults remains a strategic and operational priority. 8.2 The report shows the pressures arising from increasing and changing demand. It also demonstrates that this has been managed effectively by prioritising resources and ensuring that there are sufficient skilled social workers to respond timeously and effectively. This will continue to be monitored closely. 8.3 As we move forward, our cycle of audit work demonstrates that we continue to make key improvements and that our multi-agency arrangements continue to be effective in safeguarding adults considered to be at risk of harm.
Page 5
Authors Name Designation Contact Details Bill Atkinson Iain Wilkie Independent Chair, PKC APC Adult Protection Coordinator FBSCommittee@pkc.gov.uk 01738 475000 Approved Name Designation Date Arun Singh Chief Social Work Officer 22 November 2024
Page 6
ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes/None Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement Yes Corporate Plan Yes Resource Implications Financial N/A Workforce N/A Asset Management (land, property, IST) N/A Assessments Equality Impact Assessment N/A Strategic Environmental Assessment N/A Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) N/A Legal and Governance N/A Risk N/A Consultation Internal Yes External Yes Communication Communications Plan N/A 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement in terms of the following priorities: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (iv). Corporate Plan 1.2 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the achievement of the Council’s Corporate Plan Objectives: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations.
Page 7
This report relates to Objective No. (iv). 2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 There are no known financial resource implications at this time. Workforce 2.2 There are no known workforce resource implications at this time. Asset Management (land, property, IT) 2.3 There are no asset management resource implications at this time. 3. Assessments 3.1 Under the Equality Act 2010, the Council is required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between equality groups. Carrying out Equality Impact Assessments for plans and policies allows the Council to demonstrate that it is meeting these duties. 3.1.1 The proposals have been considered under the Corporate Equalities Impact Assessment process (EqIA) with the following outcome: (i) Assessed as not relevant for the purposes of EqIA. Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.2 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on the Council to identify and assess the environmental consequences of its proposals. 3.2.1 The proposals have been considered under the Act; however, no further action is required as it does not qualify as a PPS as defined by the Act and is therefore exempt. Sustainability 3.3 Under the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, the Council has to discharge its duties in a way which contributes to the achievement of sustainable development. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 the Council also has a duty relating to climate change and, in exercising its functions must act: • In the way best calculated to deliver the Act’s emissions reduction targets. • In the way best calculated to deliver any statutory adaption programmes. • In a way that it considers most sustainable.
Page 8
3.3.1 The proposals have been assessed as not applicable. Legal and Governance 3.4 There are no associated risks at this time. 3.5 Not Applicable. Risk 3.6 There are no associated risks at this time. 4. Consultation Internal 4.1 The Head of Legal and Governance Services; the Children, Young People and Families Partnership, Education and Learning Senior Management Team and the Perth and Kinross Child Protection Committee (CPC) and their partners have been consulted in the preparation of this report. External 4.2 The CPC and their partners have been consulted in the preparation of this report – including NHS Tayside, Police Scotland – Tayside Division and the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA). 5. Communication 5.1 There are no communication issues at this time. 2. BACKGROUND PAPERS 2.1 No background papers, as defined by Section 50D of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (and not containing confidential or exempt information) were relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. 3. APPENDICES Appendix 1 - Perth and Kinross APC Biennial Report 2022 - 2024