Agenda item

1. Mr A Rabey explained that the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board (KMSAB) were due to publish their annual report in the next few weeks, and an overview of this report would be provided to Partnership Members. He highlighted the similarities in the work of the KCSP and KMSAB, as both worked to safeguard vulnerable people and therefore needed to ensure connected working so no repeat work was carried out. This would also help partner agencies work with the KCSP and KMSAB to streamline the implementation of actions resulting from SARs and DHRs.
   
   
2. The KMSAB strategic plan has three main themes: promoting person-centred safeguarding; strengthening system assurance; and embedding improvement and shaping future practice. Mr Rabey thanked partners for completing the Self Assessment Framework.

3. Mr Rabey outlined the need for a focus on the individual rather than the outcome through the multiagency risk management (MARM) approach and that the KMSAB are engaging with over 50 partner and charity organisations as well as vulnerable adults.

4. The KMSAB organised the annual Safeguarding Adults Awareness Week taking place next week and includes a number of webinars, for example a trauma information practice webinar was being held on 23^rd November as well as the joint DHR/SAR Learning webinar mentioned previously and attendance by Partnership Members was encouraged.

5. Hospital discharges remained an issue being considered by KMSAB as people were often released from hospital without proper support in their homes and become vulnerable adults. This had been challenged by the KMSAB at a recent Integrated Care Board (ICB) meeting, and a discussion had been held regarding the Right Care, Right Person initiative.
   
   
6. The Chair questioned how the Right Care, Right Person initiative was being implemented, and how successful it had been in London. Supt Steenhuis explained that the police’s core responsibility was to protect life, investigate crime, and keep the Kings’ Peace, but officers were currently undertaking much more than this remit, for example carrying out welfare checks. The police force were now working with partners to identify where there were gaps in care, and help these partners fill the gaps rather than transferring issues to the police or ambulance service. Mr Rabey explained that a challenge to the Right Care, Right Person initiative was how partners were able to fill these gaps, as lots of preparation was needed, and it was difficult to judge when the police needed to be called out. The policy had only begun in London on 1^st November, so it was currently too early to tell how successful it would be. Supt Steenhuis added that police dispatchers were being trained to spot when the police were needed rather than Right Care, Right Person, and the police were working closely with A&E to ensure they understood their detaining powers.
   
   

7.    A Partnership Member highlighted that KCC were now employing a Modern-Day Slavery and Human Trafficking Co-Ordinator, who supported the MARM guidance and the Channel process. Mr Rabey explained that the KMSAB were currently in the process of agreeing the MARM approach in Kent before it would be decided who would monitor and progress.