Welcome to our Independent Partnership Board website, where our main aim is to provide lots of information about 'What is safeguarding adults?', types of abuse, and the work that our Partnership Board is doing to effectively support those impacted by abuse and neglect.
A priority for our Partnership Board is to promote awareness and understanding of abuse and neglect among service users, carers, professionals, care providers and the wider community and generate community interest and engagement in safeguarding to ensure ‘Safeguarding is Everyone’s Business’.
Together, we agree objectives, set priorities and co-ordinate a plan of action to enable continued development of all services across the Borough.
The Board Membership consists of senior managers from a range of agencies, both statutory*, regulated and voluntary services all working together to oversee and coordinate the effectiveness of the safeguarding practices of one another when working with individuals or services who may be found at the centre of safeguarding concerns.
The overarching purpose of Sefton Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board is to help and safeguard adults with care and support needs.
Safeguarding Adults Partnership Boards have specific duties and responsibilities as set out in the Care Act 2014. These include three core duties.
Safeguarding Adult Partnership Board's must:
- Develop and publish a strategic plan setting out how they will meet their objectives
- Publish an annual report
- Commission Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) for cases which meet the criteria
*agencies such as Police, Local Authority and Integrated Care Board.
Our Partnership
SSAPB partner agencies include senior representatives from:
- Sefton Council
- Merseyside Police
- Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS)
- North West Ambulance Service (NWAS)
- Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board - Sefton Place
- Liverpool University Foundation Trust
- Mersey and West Lancs Teaching Hospital
- Sefton CVS
- Sefton Carers Centre
- Healthwatch Sefton
- North West Probation Services
- Public Health
- Mersey Care Foundation Trust
- One Vision Housing
SSAPB is a multi-agency strategic partnership and not part of Sefton Council however Sefton is one of the statutory funding partners and does host the Business Unit
The Partnership work together to:
- assuring itself that local safeguarding arrangements are in place as defined by the Care Act 2014 and relevant statutory guidance.
- assuring itself that safeguarding practice is person-centred and outcome focused.
- working collaboratively to prevent abuse and neglect where possible.
- ensuring individuals give timely and proportionate responses when abuse or neglect have occurred.
- assuring itself that safeguarding practice is continuously improving and enhancing the quality of life of adults in its area.
SSAPB Business Unit
The Partnership Board has an Independent Chair who is accountable to the Local Authority’s Executive Director (as lead statutory agency) but is appointed by statutory partners. The Chair ‘has a critical role to lead collaboratively, give advice, support and encouragement but also to offer constructive challenge and hold main partner agencies to account and ensure that interfaces with other strategic functions are effective whilst also acting as a spokesperson for the SAB.’’ (Care Act 2014, Care and Support Statutory Guidance 14.134).
Independent Chair and Partnership Board are supported by a Business Team which consists of:
- Board Business Manager
- Development Officer
- Communications Officer
The Board meets five times per year plus one development day. The actions from the Board’s strategic plan are undertaken by Task and Delivery groups aligned to Strategic Pillars.
Our Board Structure
Our Partnership Board has 5 Pillars which consist of the most appropriate representatives from each agency from our Board Membership to undertake the work of our Annual Business Plan situated within our Strategic Business Plan. Our Partnership Board, together with other Partnership Board's in Sefton are committed to a developed joined up approached to assess the effectiveness of services and identify shared areas for development.
You can view our Board Structure here.
Principles of Safeguarding
The Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board will oversee and seek assurance that relevant partners and commissioned services adhere to the six safeguarding principles throughout their safeguarding activity:
- Empowerment: people being supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and give informed consent - ‘I am asked what I want as the outcomes from the safeguarding process and these directly inform what happens.’
- Prevention: it is better to take action before harm occurs - ‘I receive clear and simple information about what abuse is, how to recognise the signs and what I can do to seek help.’
- Proportionality: the least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented - ‘I am sure that the professionals will work in my interest, as I see them and they will only get involved as much as needed.’
- Protection: support and representation for those in greatest need - ‘I get help and support to report abuse and neglect. I get help so that I am able to take part in the safeguarding process to the extent to which I want.’
- Partnership: local solutions through services working with their communities – communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse - 'I know that staff treat any personal and sensitive information in confidence, only sharing what is helpful and necessary. I am confident that professionals will work together and with me to get the best result for me.’
- Accountability and transparency in safeguarding practice - ‘I understand the role of everyone involved in my life and so do they.’
