ADDRESSING THE NEGLECTED ROLE OF HOUSING IN ADULT SAFEGUARDING

‘The role of housing in preventing and addressing adult abuse is neglected in legislation, policy, practice and research’ Report of the joint committee on the draft Care and Support Bill, England, March 2013, para. 163.

30% of publicly available adult Serious Case Reviews in 2012/13 concerned individuals living in social housing

Internal: Housing providers should improve: data bases of all tenants support and contract monitoring awareness of safeguarding by all staff External: Housing providers are inhibited in their effectiveness due to: barriers to information sharing high referral thresholds failures of risk and capacity assessment and diagnosis Lessons for housing providers from adult Serious Case Reviews

‘Support Officers were not seen as professional by social care colleagues. Housing is outside the loop at present’ Follow up report to SCR concerning Steven Hoskin, Flynn/Cornwall, 2009, page 52

‘Th ough the front line support workers knew Gemma better than anyone else, there is no evidence of other agencies seeing them as playing a key role’ SCR concerning Gemma Hayter, Warwickshire, 2011 ‘ There needs to be improved sharing of information with the housing support agency and a recognition of its role as a professional partner in the support of its tenants’ SCR concerning Mr B, Bucks, 2010

‘There was an absence of processes through which housing providers could be involved in discussions and monitoring of the situation’ SCR concerning ‘A1’, Worcestershire, para f.1.f

‘I have seen little evidence of housing providers being presumed or even recognised as a normal participant in assessment or triage arrangements where serious issues arise’ The Edlington Case. A review by Lord Carlile of Berriew CBE, QC, 2012, pages 13, 14

‘The housing agency made repeated attempts to refer Gemma to ASC but were told that she did not have a learning disability and had capacity to make her own choices’ SCR concerning Gemma Hayter, Warwickshire, 2011, para

‘With the exception of the warden of the sheltered housing scheme, professionals adopted a rule of optimism that allowed them to believe that MP would be moving to a protective family environment’ SCR concerning Margaret Panting, Sheffield, 2004, para 2.2.5

‘There was considerable concern amongst members of the SCR panel that an individual could potentially have a serious mental health and forensic history and pose a threat to the community, but that housing might know little or nothing about this’ SCR concerning ‘CC’, Surrey, 2010, page 20

Missed opportunities by housing provider: rent arrears refusal to grant access for gas servicing garden maintenance issues There was a failure of systems to: profile tenants to identify vulnerabilities ensure follow up of the disconnection of gas insist on a home visit alert social services SCR concerning Cynthia Barrass, North Tyneside, 2011, pages 18, 19, 21, 23

‘ All staff need to have a greater curiosity and enquiring approach about what they observe and to be aware when they need to pursue further information either directly with the individual or through other agencies’ (SCR concerning PQ, Bath and North East Somerset, para 24)

The Anti-Social Behaviour caseworker was commended for her ‘leadership and professionalism in dealing with a prolonged neighbour dispute involving several vulnerable tenants in close collaboration with colleagues in partner agencies’ SCR concerning Adult A, Bury, 2010, pages 5,7

‘All providers need to ensure that they have appropriate policies and procedures in place to help prevent, detect, and deal with abuse. These policies should apply to all tenants at risk of harm, not just those living in sheltered, extra care and supported housing’ ADASS/LGA, Safeguarding Adults: Advice and Guidance to Directors of Adult Social Services, 2013, page 12

‘Housing providers have a key role in adult safeguarding, particularly as their staff may be in the best position to spot signs of abuse or neglect at an early stage, especially where other services are not involved’ The College of Social Work/The National Skills Academy for Social Care/ Skills for Care: Briefing Care Act implications for safeguarding adults, 2014, page 12

‘....the pivotal role of housing in identifying and supporting people who self-neglect’ SCIE Report 69, November 2014, page 66

‘The most significant improvement to the engagement of housing providers in adult safeguarding is their inclusion as members of SABs’ Housing and Adult Safeguarding – a brief background paper, Parry, 2014, page 3

‘Housing staff have a key safeguarding role to play, alongside their colleagues in social care, health and the police, in keeping people safe. They are well placed to identify people with care and support needs, share information and work in partnership to coordinate responses’ SCIE Guide 53 ‘Adult safeguarding for housing staff’, 2014

‘All service providers, including housing and housing support providers, should have clear operational policies and procedures that reflect the framework set by the Safeguarding Adults Boards in consultation with them’ Care Act 2014 Statutory Guidance, para

‘Workers across a wide range of organisations need to be vigilant about adult safeguarding concerns in all walks of life, including... housing’ Care Act 2014 Statutory Guidance, para 14.29

‘Local authorities must cooperate with each of their relevant partners... and with other such agencies including housing providers’ Care Act 2014 Statutory Guidance, paras 14.51, 14.52

Our objectives: 1.Increase awareness across the social housing sector, in particular non specialist providers of general needs housing, of the need to engage in adult safeguarding 2.Improve practice within the sector through sharing learning between members and promoting safeguarding adults training 3.Increase awareness of the economic and social value that participation by the housing sector brings to safeguarding adults across all sectors 4.Demonstrate the commitment of the social housing sector to improving engagement in safeguarding adults to a range of partners, particularly adult social care staff

Our objectives: 5.Work with statutory partners to address the barriers to effective partnership working, including those relating to information sharing 6.Improve the strategic engagement of all housing providers with Safeguarding Adults Boards, addressing the barriers 7.Increase joint working on safeguarding adults between housing providers in any geographical area 8.Capture and disseminate positive practice, and celebrate success !