Memorandum of Understanding Audit Report 2015

Transcription

1 Memorandum of Understanding Audit Report

2 Background The Safeguarding Partnership Board (SPB) provided a second opportunity for MOU signatory agencies to complete the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This audit provides agencies with an opportunity to consider how they are meeting the eight Safeguarding standards. An adapted version of the audit was also completed by GPS (appendix one). There has been a positive response from agencies to the developmental opportunity that the audit process offers. The report on Safeguarding from the Education department states Several head teachers reported to their Professional Partner that the very process of completing the audit tools with their teams (many for a second or subsequent time) has been very useful in raising awareness of good practice and triggering discussion that has led to specific action planning. Agencies have adapted use of the audit to fulfil their particular needs for example Andium Homes (housing) and the Social Security Department detail that they are not direct providers of Safeguarding services and filled in the tool accordingly. Responses in 2014 and 2015 have been compared; however, one overall audit was submitted by H&SS in 2014, so that direct comparison with the 2015 response is not possible. In 2014, agencies reported good practice in relation to information sharing/data protection and senior management responsibilities. The focus of the 2015 audit is the implementation of learning from Serious Case Reviews and the sharing of best practice. Methodology and comments The same excel tool was distributed as in The audit tool was released on the 28 th April 2015 with a July deadline and made available on gov.je. Health and Social Services were asked to submit an audit from distinct elements of the service, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service completed a separate audit. The Independent Safeguarding Standards Service completed an audit for Children s Services. Not all the 2015 audits referenced the actions detailed in There was limited use of the action tracker tab, which provides an opportunity for agencies to ensure any aspirations are converted into Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound actions. The action tracker was used by five agencies; some 2

3 others named individual leads, but did not detail timescales or progress. There was some evidence of drift between 2014 and 2015 with some commitments repeated without reference to the previous commitment. There were late submissions of seven audits, one audit was not returned. Please note that one returned audit did not provide scores. Findings 1 Senior management leadership 1.1 Statistics Area Not Met Partly Met Fully Met N/A 1. Senior management are committed to the importance of safeguarding and promoting welfare (Q1.1 to 1.4) The majority of agencies of agencies reported full or partly met. The interaction with wide policy in relation to job matching and a move to generic job description mean that Safeguarding is not detailed as a specific responsibility within the job descriptions of some agencies. Again, interaction with wider organisational statements mean that there is a developing awareness of additional work to be completed, for example the States of Jersey Police are working to implement the recommendation from the HMIC report on Child Sexual Abuse Where a standard was partly met, most agencies stated the action to be taken. Many agencies give their involvement with Safeguarding Board multi agency meetings (board and sub groups) as evidence of commitment. 1.2 Best practice Education publish a guide to Safeguarding policies which is reviewed annually. Safeguarding is a standard item at Senior Management, school and departmental meetings. 3

4 2 Organisational responsibilities 2.1 Statistics Area Not Met Partly Met Fully N/A 2. Senior Management have a clear statement of the organisation s responsibilities for safeguarding children and adults and this is available for all staff (Q2.1 to 2.5) Most agencies report that staff are aware of Safeguarding Policies and Procedures. It is apparent that many organisations are in flux and that new quality assurance processes are being introduced. There was evidence of a commitment made to processes that will evidence impacts. There appears to be development of feedback processes, for example complaints policy, but it was not always clear exactly what work was being done to facilitate this. One agency simply stated that the work had not been done. There is limited evidence of positive impact of policy and direct interventions on children and young people. Audit responses also evidenced engagement with the Safeguarding policies of contracted agencies. There was some evidence of actions committed to in 2014 that were not followed up in the 2015 audit. 2.2 Best Practice The Youth Service has a Compliments, Complaints and Comments (CCC) process in place using a traffic light model with cards and CCC boxes available and accessible in all youth projects. Posters are also on display promoting the CCC process The Emergency Department holds monthly Governance meetings to discuss safeguarding incidents, any complaints or incidents to improve safety. This meeting has a Safeguarding slot and the Designated Nurse attends to provide support, advice, receive feedback and cascade any learning. 4

5 3 Accountability 3.1 Statistics Area Not Met Partly Met Fully Met N/A 3. There exists a clear line of accountability within the organisation for work on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults (Q3.1 to 3.8) The sense of flux in some agencies continues under this standard, with a commitment to review of all policies and procedures before the end of Elements of compliance are tied into States-wide modernisation programmes, for example workforce modernisation in relation to job descriptions. There is a distinction between agencies for whom participation of the service user is embedded in their whole approach and others for whom it is an adjunct. Few agencies refer to participative approaches for ethnic minority communities, for example translated materials or outreach. Several organisations express the need to establish mechanisms for gathering feedback from service users and use these in the delivery of services. It is not confirmed in the 2015 audit whether the 2014 commitment to sharing of good practice within and between agencies has been achieved. In some instances policies have been developed, but still need to be communicated and training completed; for example, whistle blowing. 3.2 Best Practice Voice of the Child; Residential Children s Services are developing a Children in Care Council. Andium Homes is pro-active with client engagement. There is a tenant on the Andium Homes Board and a second Tenant representative is currently being recruited. Andium Homes also works closely with its Tenants Forum, High-Rise Panel and 14 residents groups/associations. Social media is also well used and Andium Homes has its own website and is on Twitter and Facebook. Andium Homes commitment to client engagement is clearly stated in its Strategic Business Plan. In Health, the Governance Team is working on a patient experience strategy which is designed to provide evidence of outcomes is relation to patient care. Within this, the Health department have introduced an initiative aimed specifically at children What matters to me. Health are planning a supervision framework to ensure that all staff have an appropriate level of Safeguarding supervision available to them 5

6 CAMHS are joint working with MIND Jersey to develop the area of young person participation 4 Service development 4.1 Statistics Area Not Met Partly Met Fully Met N/A 4. Service development takes account of the need to safeguard and promote welfare and is informed, where appropriate, by the views of children, adults, families and carers (Q4.1 to 4.6) Audit statements were sometimes aspirational rather than a commitment to action. One agency stated that it has made a business case for investment in an attempt to respond to unmet need; another stated that it had developed a system to increase responsiveness and was currently compiling outcome data. In relation to equal opportunities, there was some displacement to wider organisational development and SPB proposals. It was not always clear whether there is a process for ensuring issues of diversity are embedded in each policy. Some agencies were harsh in their self-assessment, whilst their actions, for example pro-active surveying, suggested that the standard was partly or fully met. 4.2 Best Practice States of Jersey Police; development of a Diversity steering group to develop Diversity engagement strategy. Andium Homes: introduction of face to face surveys on quarterly visits to tenants. Prison; council considers equality and diversity issues. 6

7 5 Learning and Development 5.1 Statistics Area Not Met Partly Met Fully Met N/A 5. Staff training on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults is appropriate and in line with the Board's training strategy Q5.1 to Training processes and delivery are in development, including awareness of the needs of temporary and agency or locum staff in some agencies. Some agencies have recognised the need to co-ordinate and monitor training provision and are developing databases to facilitate this. Training is used in some agencies when deficiencies in practice become apparent; other agencies commit to long term evaluation of the outcome of staff training. One agency referenced the Safeguarding training audit as providing a baseline. One agency detailed progression between 2014 and 2015 and the need to focus on the training needs of senior staff, having introduced processes for the training of front line staff. Another agency expressed an intention to introduce an outcome measurement tool as part of an analysis of training need, but did not reference that this was also a commitment in the 2014 audit. There was evidence of slippage in delivery deadlines. 6 Safe recruitment procedures 6.1 Statistics Area Not met Partly met Fully met N/A 6. Safer recruitment procedures are in place Q6.1 to Several agencies are bound by external governing bodies and many report that the standard is fully met. An Allegations against Staff policy remains in development for most agencies and remains to be communicated once it is signed off. Recruitment policy is under review in several agencies. There needs to be clarification of use of the Disclosure and Barring Service. 7

8 6.2 Best practice Adult Social Services; the standard is fully met and a review of posts with States of Jersey Police has indicated the need for further checks that will be completed Prison: the standard is fully met with detailing of the lead and relevant policy Youth Service: the process has been streamlined, allowing for quick turn around 7 Inter-agency working 7.1 Statistics Area Not met Partly met Fully met N/A 7. There is effective inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults Q7.1 to Audit responses detail a variety of assessment tools that are used to facilitate appropriate interventions and communication with other relevant agencies. There is reference to quality assessment and development work currently taking place. Evaluation of Early help and the role of agencies within it, is cited as potential future evidence for effective inter agency working. Agencies detail some development that is to take place, including the development of a performance framework, an annual survey to cover the perceived efficacy of multi-agency working and joint development of a risk assessment tool with a partner agency. One agency detailed new interaction with UK based equivalents which will support the routine implementation of outcome measurement through the standard application of assessment and screening tools for all cases. 8

9 8 Information sharing 8.1 Statistics Area Not met Partly met Fully met N/A 8. Effective Information Sharing protocols exist and are implemented Three agencies report full compliance facilitated by accessible directors and a Governance Officer. Another uses multiple should statements however, it is not clear what action is being taken. Other agencies are compliant as a result of compliance in their umbrella organisations. There is wide spread commitment to ongoing training, audit and improvement however, action planning details were missing. The audit was used in one instance to express concern at the lack of clarity and joined up approach to information sharing agreements. The lead agency for a number of multi-agency fora has committed to the drafting of bespoke information sharing agreements by the end of Best Practice Customs and Immigration; multiple information sharing agreements that are approved by the law officers department and Data Protection. Evidence on data sharing is auditable. 9 Serious Case Review (SCR) Focus The relevant standard is embedded within the Learning Development standard: Learning from case Audits / Reviews e.g. child Serious Case Reviews is disseminated to appropriate staff such as front-line workers and managers The majority of the fourteen returned audits report that the standard is fully met; there are processes in place to monitor the action plans following case Audits and Reviews, and to ensure that the required actions are implemented. The organisation has systems in place to ensure that lessons learnt from case Audits and Case Reviews are integrated into practice, and that front-line staff are familiar with this learning. 9

10 Three audit responses returned a self-evaluation of partly met; there are processes in place to disseminate this learning, but action plans are not monitored. These audit responses included extensive detail on the cascading of relevant reports, including those from the UK, but stated that further work on cascading remained to be done and did not mention monitoring. Another plan outlined an aspiration of best practice Ensure there is a programmed and proactive approach to auditing implementation or recommendations. There were two blanks in audit responses, but a written indication of partly met in one audit. The Education, Sport and Culture department have formalised the dissemination of learning through the creation of an Education Safeguarding sub group. This was an action committed to in the 2014 audit and now completed. Probation ensure that SCR recommendations are reviewed under a weekly management meeting standard agenda item. 10 Evidence and Best Practice The Prison Service used the audit as an opportunity to proactively assess staff knowledge of policies and of their Safeguarding leads and provided screen shot evidence of the outcomes. Screen shots were also provided of relevant policies, meeting attendance and interventions Details of risk assessments, internal and multi-agency were shared and the forms used for food refusal monitoring and equality impact assessment. Consent to sharing of example documents has been given. Please e mail the Safeguarding office. Andium Homes provided a copy of their Safeguarding Policy, strategic plan, annual account, Safeguarding clause for contracts with outside contractors and their complaints policy. The NSPCC provide outcome assessment tools and narrative in relation to children: 11 Audit 2016 recommendations to agencies reference previous audit for example, using different coloured text to provide an update use the action planning tool to tie down commitments, to allow successful completion or slippage to be tracked provide a glossary of acronyms or provide the full details within the text please share the details of any best practice for dissemination 10

11 Appendix one: General Practice Safeguarding Audit 2015 (voluntary) 1 Summary In 2015, eleven general practices became signatories to the Jersey Safeguarding Partnership Board Memorandum of Understanding (available on this link): These practices were invited to review their Safeguarding processes using a General Practice specific tool developed in the UK instead of the standard audit filled in by statutory agencies. This was a voluntary pilot process and six practices submitted a completed audit to the Safeguarding Office. A brief summary of the results and the answers to questions posed are provided below. 2 Out of the 35 criteria in the audit how many did the practice evaluate as complete or in progress? General Practice 1 General Practice 2 General Practice 3 General Practice 4 General Practice 5 General Practice 6 There were 35 criteria, one practice reported 100% compliance. 11

12 3 Questions from audit responses and Answers 3.1 Question: There were queries about the level of training different staff are required to have. Answer: Comprehensive information is published by Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health The Framework identifies five levels of competence, and gives examples of groups that fall within each of these. The levels are as follows: Level 1: All staff including non-clinical managers and staff working in health care settings Level 2: Minimum level required for non-clinical and clinical staff who have some degree of contact with children and young people and/or parents/carers Level 3: Clinical staff working with children, young people and/or their parents/carers and who could potentially contribute to assessing, planning, intervening and evaluating the needs of a child or young person and parenting capacity where there are safeguarding/child protection concerns Level 4: Named professionals Level 5: Designated professional This is a single agency requirement that will not be met by the SPB Multi-agency training. However the SPB training is available to medical practice staff and provides an opportunity to network with staff from other agencies and learn about processes that are specific to Jersey. The details of training offered by the Safeguarding Partnership Board can be found here: Training options for Jersey staff identified by the General Practice SPB representative Dr Wilson were detailed, including details of Friday lunchtime sessions coming up in Question: What does it mean to provide equality of access in relation to services for children and young people? Answer: In the UK, this point would be evidenced by demonstrating that that services are accessible to children and families especially the most vulnerable i. The charging structure of the private business model for GP service delivery in Jersey means that there can be a cost barrier. Beyond this structural 1 data/assets/pdf_file/0008/474587/safeguarding_children_-_roles_and_competences_for_healthcare_staff_02_0...pdf 12

13 consideration there are practical issues for example language skills, disabled access, and the communication of statements in relation to equality of treatment regardless of ethnicity, gender and sexuality. The Safeguarding office is interested in any best practice that can be shared. 3.3 Question: What internal audits of safeguarding practice are required? Answer: It is recommended that the Safeguarding Lead GP and deputy use audit to review responses to any Safeguarding issues in order to identify any barriers to best practice. Issues to be considered are: Clinicians and senior administrative staff working with children and families attend and keep records of internal review meetings such as critical incident reviews relating to safeguarding or child protection, vulnerable child and family meetings, attendance at external meetings such as with the Named Safeguarding GP, education and training record, evidence of good safeguarding coding and record keeping, evidence of timely response to child protection enquiries, record of reports to Case Conferences and attendance at Strategy Meetings and Case Conferences (extract from audit tool). 3.4 Question: Where can the SPB policies and procedures be accessed? Answer: The SPB is developing its own website which will have resources for General Practice. It currently has a presence on gov.je: The SPB Multi Agency Child Protection Procedures are web enabled and available here: The SPB Multi Agency Adult at Risk Procedures are web enabled and available here: 4 Other areas being developed or blank in some responses Training of all staff including raising awareness of Safeguarding policies at induction Safe recruitment The development of Safeguarding Children and Adults at risk Policies and Procedures and their communication to all staff Whistle blowing policy Supervision and support for staff working with children, families and adults at risk that is always available Taking into account the wishes and feelings of patients of all ages when practice services are designed and delivered 13

14 5 Conclusion The results of the audit demonstrated that practices are engaged with the issues and are accessing Safeguarding training resources. There are areas to develop for example many practices are in the process of accessing training for staff. The office wish to thank all the practices who completed the audit and reassure all practitioners that we are working closely with Public Health to avoid duplication of function and refinement of the audit tool for any future use. Your feedback has been essential to this process. Please do not hesitate to contact our policy officers if you require additional information: Marion Walton: i 14