The latest edition of the Lambeth Safeguarding Adults Board newsletter has been published. September's edition includes updates on the Multi-Agency Policy and Procedures, recently published Safeguarding Adults Reviews and details about some exciting events happening this month.

To read the full update, please see below.

If you'd like to be first to hear these updates, email LSABAdmin@Lambeth.gov.uk to find out how you can be added to our mailing list!

Lambeth SAB's annual report for 2018/19 has now been published on the LSAB website.

The report showcases the work undertaken in the borough on adult safeguarding including:

• The creation of a new Mental Capacity Act Guidance and Charter document  
• Developing new awareness raising materials, including a new poster pinpointing where to go for help if you are worried someone is being abused or neglected
• Launching a new quarterly e-bulletin to highlight key news and updates relating to adult safeguarding
• Delivering training and awareness sessions focusing on domestic abuse, for both professionals and the public
• Hosting an event which focused on Best Interests Decision 
• Delivery of a successful  Safeguarding Adults Masterclass series for professionals working in Lambeth and neighbouring boroughs

 All of these achivements, and more, are outlined in our report.

The Board and its partners will continue to work hard to build on this work as we move forward.

There are many exciting initiatives planned for the year head including themed engagement events and new tools to guide referrers through the process of raising safeguarding concerns. To keep up to date with latest news and updates, contact LSABAdmin@lambeth.gov.uk to sign up to our e-bulletin!  

In Sept 2018, Newham, Islington, City and Hackney & Lambeth’s Safeguarding Adults Boards undertook a combined review to understand the barriers that prevented partner agencies protecting ‘Yi’, an adult at risk of chronic homelessness, from serious harm. Chronic homelessness is typified by prolonged periods of homelessness, including rough sleeping, together with physical, mental ill health and/or substance misuse.

The review, led by independent reviewer Fiona Bateman, identified learning and recommendations for both local SABs and wider learning for the London Safeguarding Adults Board. This included:

• improving knowledge within the workforce of the legislative framework for health, housing and social care
• creating greater understanding of the role of the voluntary and community sectors
• ensuring Policy/guidance directly addresses common barriers to effective interventions and provides mechanisms for overcoming these

The full report, including a statement from the SAB Chairs, can be found on the LSAB website.

Martin was a 51 year old man who at the time of his death had been living in squalid conditions and was physically frail. The Lambeth Safeguarding Adults Board commissioned an independent Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) to explore the learning from the circumstances of Martin’s death.

This SAR raised important issues around the link with mental capacity and self-neglect. This included key learning around the need for mental capacity assessments to explore more than what a person says they can do; “a mental capacity assessment must also explore whether the person can put these verbal claims into some sort of meaningful action, and if they cannot whether they are able to use and weigh this information to make decisions about other options” (7.1 Learning Point 1). Furthermore, there is a need for better understanding of the interaction between self-neglecting behaviour and risk to the person’s vital interest, and the need for a deeper level of professional curiosity. (7.3 Learning Point 6).

The review also highlighted issues with multi-agency communication and escalation processes. This included learning around referral mechanisms and the processes in place to respond to imminent risk (7.2 Learning Point 5).

The Lambeth Safeguarding Adults Board has agreed all recommendations from this review, and this will now be built in to a targeted action plan. This will include the development of multi-agency self-neglect policies and procedures, and communication pathways which allow for frontline practitioners to initiate urgency multi-agency conversations with all agencies involved.

The full report by independent reviewer Kate Spreadbury can be found on the LSAB website.