Safeguarding Adults Week
2023
In November 2023, the West of Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board supported the Ann Craft Trust Safeguarding Adults Week. Each day of the week our partners hosted a wide variety of free webinars to cover the themes on: Safeguarding Yourself and Others, these were are open to all health and social care practitioners and volunteers within the West of Berkshire.
The partnership will also provided learning resources to support awareness on these key themes. This page provides links to the learning resources and recording of the webinars where available.
Rebecca Berry, Adult Safeguarding Quality & Development Manager, Wokingham Borough Council.
Delivered a webinar on Monday 20th November which explored the word ‘safeguarding’ and how it can be interpreted in different ways and this can create some confusion for professionals, when deciding what course of action to take when they have encountered a person who needs support. ‘Safeguarding’ can mean two things; a formal safeguarding response under s42 of the Care Act, or a general response to keep someone safe and to ensure their needs are met.
Professor Keith Brown, Independent Chair, West Berkshire SAB delivered a webinar to show a new animated podcast which is a free to download learning tool for those working with or caring for people who executive function is deteriorating or fluctuating, a huge issue for those in the early stages of dementia .
On Tuesday 21st and Thursday 23rd November, Mike from Lads Like Us delivered a webinar.
Being Trauma informed isn’t a tick box exercise, it’s a way of being. Used with professional curiosity, you will save lives. It saved ours” #AskWhy
The partnership created the following practice notes:
Jane Hitching, Principal Social Worker, Reading Borough Council, on Friday 24th November 23 summerised learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews: Safeguarding Adults Reviews | West of Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Board (sabberkshirewest.co.uk)
With a focus on: Mental Capacity Act, Professional Curiosity, Multi-Agency working, Risk Assessments, Powers of Section 11 of the care act and how this overrides consent, emerging themes.
Rebecca Berry, Adult Safeguarding Quality & Development Manager, Wokingham Borough Council, on Friday 24th November delivered a webinar on Domestic Abuse and Adult Safeguarding. Which Examined links between the Care Act 2014 statutory duties and Domestic Abuse; both within intimate partner and family relationships. Challenging unconscious bias about the characteristics of survivors of Domestic Abuse. Exploring how “Care and Support needs” impact upon survivors’ experience of Domestic Abuse. How to recognise, record and respond to domestic abuse when working with adults at risk. This session includes examples of domestic abuse in case study form, discussion of Domestic Homicide Reviews and voices of survivors.
During the week a presentation was delivered to the Learning Disabilities Partnership Board on Keeping ourselves safe and how safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Click here for a copy of that presentation.
2022
In November 2022, the West of Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board supported the Ann Craft Trust Safeguarding Adults Week. Each day of the week our partners hosted a wide variety of free webinars to cover the themes on: Responding to Contemporary Safeguarding Challenges, these were open to all health and social care practitioners and volunteers within the West of Berkshire. The partnership will also provided learning resources to support awareness on these key themes. This page provides links to the learning resources and recording of the webinars where available.
Research indicates that lockdown has increased the number of people at risk of exploitation. This is largely due to economic concerns and increased isolation. We are raising awareness about how adults at risk could be exploited through county lines activity. To promote learning on how to spot the signs that someone is at risk of exploitation, and how to respond effectively.
The term Self-Neglect covers a wide range of behaviour neglecting to care for one’s personal hygiene, health or surroundings. There has been rise in self-neglect cases over the last two years, particularly for older people. On this day you can explore how you can spot the signs someone is at risk of self-neglect.
The Self-Neglect Learning Brief.
Click here for a recording of the webinar Self-Neglect – Why do people self-neglect?, presented by Suzy Braye. The webinar provides information and guidance regarding the psychology of self-neglect and how to work with this.
Click here for a recording of the webinar on Hoarding, presented by Jo Cooke from Hoarding Disorders UK. The webinar provides guidance in order to work effectively with individuals who exhibit hoarding behaviours.
Click here for a recording of the webinar on Self-Neglect and Fire Risk, presented by Neil Whitemann from the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. The webinar provides information and guidance of how to manage fire risk when working with individuals who may be at risk of fire at their homes due to hoarding behaviours.
Promoting safer cultures is all about how organisations and individuals can take steps to minimise harm occurring in the first instance. It’s also about embedding appropriate policies and procedures. In this way, people will know what to do if they have a concern to report. In addition, the organisation will have a plan in place for acting on concerns.
Elder abuse is a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.
The World Health Organisation has found that rates of elder abuse have increased since the pandemic. Around one in six people aged 60 years and older experience some form of abuse in a community setting. Also, rates of elder abuse are high in institutions such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
A recording of the webinar on Coercive Control and Links with Fraud in Families, presented by Professor Keith Brown, Independent Chair West of Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Board.
Click here for a recording of the webinar on Dewis Choice, presented by Rebecca Zerk. Dewis Choice is the first longitudinal prospective study globally to examine the decision-making processes of older victim-survivors as they seek help and access to justice. Dewis Choice has highlighted the diverse ‘lived experiences’ of 131 women and men aged 60 years and over who have experienced abuse from intimate partners and/or adult family members.
Click here for a recording of the webinar on Elder Abuse – Domestic Violence and older adults, presented by Isobel from Hourglass. The webinar informs the work which Hourglass are doing in working with older adults who are experiencing domestic abuse.
Click here for a recording about Predatory Marriage, a powerful session from the personal experience of a daughter whose mother was the victim of predatory marriage.
Technology can help to keep people safe. But abusers can also use technology to cause harm.
Domestic Abuse in a Tech Society
Click here for the recording of the webinar on Arson Awareness, from the Royal Berkshire Fire Rescue Service. Cases of arson linked to domestic abuse are on the increase, this session will improve the knowledge of staff regarding this issue.