Overall purpose
The purpose of the quality assurance subgroup is to support the Safeguarding Adults Boards to take a strategic overview of the quality of safeguarding activity across their area of responsibility; by ensuring there are effective and accountable safeguarding adults’ performance and monitoring systems in place. This includes prevention and early intervention to improve the experience and outcomes for individuals throughout their safeguarding journey.
This will be achieved through the delivery of an annual workplan, the production and sharing of regular reports and information.
Duties
- to strengthen and develop service user feedback mechanisms for safeguarding processes and prepare reports on findings and recommendations for the board
- to agree minimum standards and ensure these are reflected in Multi-agency practice and contracts
- to co-ordinate audits to effectively understand the persons journey across organisations, identifying areas of good practice and areas of learning
- to consider the findings and recommendations of national reports and identify methods to incorporate these within the boards workplans
- to make proposals to the two boards on interagency quality assurance frameworks including process and outcome measures
- to provide an analytical overview of safeguarding activity and outcomes in each organisation
- to review quality assurance information for each Local Authority area (separately), Health and the Police, reporting findings to the board
- to develop a quarterly quality assurance report for review by the board at every meeting
- to use the above to identify trends and gaps, make recommendations about where to target preventative actions and strengthen co production
- to seek assurance that the Quality Assurance group have sight of any concerns escalated by staff regarding the interpretation and application of the policy and procedures, develop staff feedback mechanisms for safeguarding processes and prepare reports on findings and recommendations for the board
- to oversee the development of risk management systems in relation to the safeguarding adults’ framework
- to produce a proportionate outcome focused annual work programme for approval by the board
- to liaise with other working groups for example Safeguarding Children Partnership, Health and the Well Being Board and Community Safety Partnerships to ensure a joined up and consistent approach to safeguarding
- to monitor any relevant Safeguarding Action/ Improvement Plans that have been compiled as a result of audits and/or reviews
- to propose and recommend changes to the Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures or guidance as a result of findings from audits
- to receive, discuss and promote problematic safeguarding related issues reported by any of the Partner Agencies for resolution and if necessary escalation to the Safeguarding Adult Boards
- to identify any trends, themes or emerging risks and report to the Safeguarding Adult Boards
Membership
Deputies can attend as required.
- Senior Manager – Safeguarding, Dorset CCG
- Senior Manager – Safeguarding, BCP Council
- Senior Manager – Safeguarding, Dorset Council
- DCI – Safeguarding, Dorset Police
- Senior Manager – Safeguarding, Dorset Healthcare University NHS Trust
- Senior Manager – Safeguarding Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Senior Manager – Safeguarding Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch NHS Foundation Trust
- Senior Manager – Safeguarding, Dorset County Hospital
- Business Manager, BCPSAB
- Business Manager – DSAB
Frequency of meetings
The Quality Assurance Subgroup will meet every 3 months, to be administered and supported by Dorset Council.
Standing agenda items
On each agenda standing items will be:
- performance reports
- audits
- service user engagement
Quorum
The meetings will be considered quorate when there is representation from the statutory partners (both Local Authorities, Dorset CCG and Dorset Police)
Reporting arrangements
The Quality Assurance Subgroup will report to the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Safeguarding Adults Board and the Dorset Safeguarding Adults Board at every meeting.
Review date
In one year (March 2021), Business Manager – Dorset Safeguarding Adults Board
Footnote added October 2020 regarding membership:
On 1 October 2020 Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch NHS Foundation Trust merged to create University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.