Voluntary Sector Update from the Norfolk Adult Safeguarding Board May 2019

Community Action Norfolk are sharing this on behalf of Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board, please contact them directly with any queries.

This update is provided by James Kearns, the Chief Executive of The BUILD Charity, who was appointed to the Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board to provide a perspective to the Board from a voluntary sector provider of services to vulnerable adults. If you have an issue that is particularly relevant to a Norfolk community or voluntary organisation, that you want the Board to consider, please contact james.kearns@buildcharity.co.uk  
These notes highlight the key points from a recent meeting of the Board, to share information to colleagues. It is not a policy statement from the Board. 

• Channel Panel – The Board agreed to appoint a representative of the Channel Panel to the Norfolk Adult Safeguarding Board to strengthen the link between Safeguarding and the Prevent Strategy. 
• New workstream added to business plan – To recognise the increasing concerns associated with the criminal exploitation of vulnerable adults particularly through the so called “County Lines” drug transaction activities. 
• Train the Trainer workshops – Positive feedback has been received from participants creating a demand for wider engagement for people working with vulnerable individuals. Details on the Norfolk Safeguarding website. 
• Luke and Ryan Hart seminars – These “sell out” seminars featured members of the Hart family who talked about the murder of their mother and sister, and subsequent suicide of their father who murdered them. Over 700 people attended them across Norfolk adding learning to the issue of being aware of, and responding to issues of coercive control and the impact it has on families. 
• Safeguarding Board Sub-committee restructure – Following two consultative seminars the planned re-modelling will be going ahead with multi-agency teams meeting in the same place, at the same time to manage a workload built around the three pillars model of safeguarding in Norfolk, being Prevention and engagement, managing and responding to issues of abuse and neglect, and Learning from & shaping future practice. 
• Self-Neglect – There is a seminar in Norfolk on 26th June. Further details will be published on the Norfolk Safeguarding website. 
• Merger of MIND in Norfolk – The Board heard of the planned merger of MIND in Norwich, Central and West Norfolk into one organisation on 1st July 2019. 
• UEA Suicides – having reported 4 cases of student suicide in 12 months, the University of East Anglia has established additional resource to support students and is accessing additional training for its staff via the Norfolk Safeguarding Adults team. 
• Safeguarding Branding – initial discussions were beginning within the Public Protection Forum about a single brand for Safeguarding in Norfolk to raise public awareness, whether it be for concerns affecting adults or young people.  
• Deputy Board Manager – Proposals are being developed to add some additional resource to the Adult Safeguarding team to support the work of the Board. Commitments have already been made from Norfolk County Council, the Clinical Commissioning Groups and Police and each District Council is being asked for a £5,000 pa contribution, and other organisations being asked for between £1,000 and £2,000 per annum to sustain the work of the Board. 
• Safeguarding impact of organisational change -  Board members, and wider partnership organisations are constantly reminded to include a safeguarding impact assessment when planning, and implementing major changes in organisational structure or operations. 

Stay in touch with Safeguarding in Norfolk https://www.norfolksafeguardingadultsboard.info/ or subscribe to the Safeguarding Board Manager’s regular updates by contacting Walter Lloyd-Smith at walter.lloyd-smith@norfolk.gov.uk