Over the last two years, discussions have taken place within the department regarding the Adult at Risk process. It was acknowledged that one POVA coordinator having Designated Lead Manager responsibility of over a hundred Adults at Risk cases at any given time was not sustainable. A number of options were looked at around the POVA coordinator’s post, but given the national and regional direction, the decision was made to redesign the job description of the POVA Coordinator and place more emphasis on the role of the Section /Team Managers within the Adults at Risk process.

From May 2015, the Section / Team Managers took lead responsibility in relation to the Adult at Risk Process. The POVA Coordinator’s role was redesigned to become the Adult Safeguarding Coordinator, with the following key tasks:

• To quality monitor, audit and evaluate the work of Section / Team Mangers in Adult and Community Services
• Produce performance indicators in the format required to support this both to the service and to the Welsh Government
• Provide quarterly reports about performance, themes and trends relating to the activities in respect of safeguarding and protection
• To work with internal members of staff including Section Managers and partner agencies and provide advice and consultation on Adult Safeguarding issues

To support Section / Team Managers in their role, the department have commissioned specialist training around Chairing Adult at Risk Meetings. This training was delivered in February and March this year. As part of the Quality Assurance Work undertaken by the Safeguarding Unit, an audit of Adult at Risk referrals were audited where the decision had been No Further Action.

The audit focused on the following process and practice areas:

• Initial Evaluation
• Rationale for Decision Making
• Case Recording

In total, 344 cases were audited, where the POVA decision was NFA. The period audited was between 1^st January 2015 to the 31^st December 2015.

Overall Summary of Findings

• In only one of the 344 cases audited, did the auditor disagree with the decision not to follow the POVA process and arrange a Strategy Meeting.

• A number of the POVA referrals made were inappropriate. It was identified that a number of the referrals were made by Care Providers were in relation to Quality of Care issues.

• A significant number of referrals did not include information around capacity, category of abuse and if the Service User was aware of the referral. This had an impact on the DLM’s role, which often led to the manager having to gather information.

• Good practice examples around follow up work was evident in a number of cases in particular the number of home visits undertaken and updated risk assessments.

• Overall since the changes in the POVA process (May 4^th 2015), audit feedback noticed no deterioration in practice, in fact that improvements have been made in particular over the last three months (Oct – Dec).

Further work is still to be undertaken in 2016/17, with a focus on improving the quality of referrals, and developing more specialist training for Designated Lead Managers around the Adult at Risk Process.

In response to poor performance in this practice area in 2014/15, it was agreed to develop an internal action plan.  The Child Protection Coordinator had lead responsibility for improving the timeliness on case conferences. A number of actions were completed including:

• Attending team meetings to remind staff of the timescales within the All Wales Child Protection Procedures
• Delivering workshops to multi agencies around the conference process
• Quality assuring all requests for an initial case conference to ensure that issues around timeliness were addressed.

This year’s total of 289 out of 289 reviews of Children on the Child Protection Register took place within the statutory timescales. The outturn of 100% is above the locally agreed target (98.0%)

Over the last twelve months, the Safeguarding Unit have continued to take a lead role in the implementation of the Corporate Safeguarding Policy. The Safeguarding Unit have delivered the Basic Safeguarding Awareness training to staff across the Council, including all Members. In addition the Safeguarding Unit will be delivering further Basic Safeguarding Awareness training over the next twelve months.

In Conwy, all Designated Leads for Safeguarding in each council department will have also attended Safeguarding training on the SSWB act. This training will support the Designated Leads in understanding the requirements around duty to report.

The Safeguarding Unit have also assisted with CCBC licensing department in delivering mandatory Child Sexual Exploitation training to taxi drivers across Conwy.

The Unit have also assisted colleagues in Education around the implementation of the Keeping Learners Safe Guidance requirements.

As part of the Quality Assurance Framework in the Safeguarding Unit, after each Child Protection Conference and Looked after Child Review meeting, the Chairperson completes an online audit tool.

For the Child Protection Conference, the audit tool focuses on the following practice areas:

• Engagement with the Child and Family prior to conference
• Quality of Reports presented
• Overall Quality of Child Protection Work

For the LAC Review Meeting, the online audit tool focuses on the following practice areas:

• Engagement with the Child and Family prior to the review meeting
• Quality of Reports presented at the Review meeting
• Attendance at the Review meeting
• Was the Care Plan being progressed and meeting the child’s needs

A highlight report is completed by the Safeguarding Unit, the report is presented to the Head of Service, Service Managers meeting and at the Section/ Team Managers meeting.

The highlight report identified areas of good practice and areas for improvement.

In relation to Child Protection, the department has been able to identify the following good practice areas

• The general quality of social worker reports for conference was good.
• The quality of the reports from Health Authority for conference are consistently of a good quality with detailed content.
• Engagement with Children and Young People at case conference was improving

The timeliness of conference reports being shared with the Safeguarding Unit was identified as an area for improvement.

In relation to the LAC review process, the audits have identified the following good practice areas:

• There continues to be evidence of good levels of engagement with the Child/ Young Person at the Review Meeting. Views are recorded at the meeting.
• Improvement in relation to timeliness around permanency planning

The audit reports have identified areas of improvement to be made in relation to attendance of partner agencies at LAC reviews. The Safeguarding Unit have met with the respective Senior Managers in these agencies to look at ways of improving attendance.

The highlight reports also provided quantitative data and the number of cases where the Escalation Policy has had to be followed.