Decision Maker: Director of Adults, Health and Well-Being
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
A significant safeguarding investigation is
taking place within the Borough focused on a provider of Children
and Adult’s services. So far, this has highlighted the need
to review and explore the records and information on a significant
number of young adults.
In order to complete the work within a timely way which will
support the wider Police and multiagency investigations we need
additional experienced staff capacity to support the work. We have
taken 2 experienced members of staff and leadership capacity from
our Community Adult Learning Disability Team and Safeguarding. We
are now needing to backfill these roles and bolster the capacity
available now that the numbers potentially impacted are
understood.
The work is likely to take 6 months (minimum) to complete and will
be reviewed on a monthly basis in terms of whether the level of
capacity continues to be needed. If it is not required then this
will addressed to ensure the cost impact is minimised. The
rationale for using agency staffing means that contracts can be
ceased at short notice as the work reduces over time.
Within adults we are working across multiple placing authorities
and CCG’s who are requesting information and regular updates.
This is being managed currently via a single inbox which is being
overseen and monitored via a Business Support colleague who is
reaching in but this is not sustainable for an extended period. In
addition there are regular feedback sessions with the relevant
authorities and CCG’s which are attended by Adults and
Children colleagues.
This work cuts across a range of policy and legislation within the
Children’s and Adults arena as well as regulation. As a
result we need people who are experienced and understand the
frameworks of the arena which they are required to operate in. This
means targeting appropriately qualified and experienced staff and
we will need some additional resource to ensure we can get this in
place.
To temporarily employ (for 6 months) 1 x
Advanced Practitioner FTE to provide leadership and oversight of
the information pack collection, as well as provide 1:1 supervision
and support to the additional Social Work capacity. 4 x Social
Workers FTE to undertake the information collation and reviews. In
addition they will also undertake any s42 investigations which will
be generated retrospectively from the ongoing current reviews. 1
PTE Business Support/ Admin to co-ordinate and oversee the
information collation, respond to the requests for information from
other LA’s and Partners.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND
REJECTED
Release internal staff without backfill
Initially it was felt that this would be the preferred and
manageable option. It has become apparent as the scope and
complexity of the situation has been revealed that it is not a
sustainable approach. Within the current staffing capacity of the
directorate there is not the level knowledge and expertise which we
can take off line to focus without backfill.
Mutual Aid from other authorities
Due to the number of placing authorities this would prove to be
extremely difficult to enact in practice in terms of oversight and
accommodation (office space). This has also been trialled in
Children’s in the early days of the investigation with
limited success.
Publication date: 12/08/2021
Date of decision: 03/06/2021
Accompanying Documents: