Adult Support and Protection National Strategic Forum minutes: June 2019

Attendees and apologies

Attendees

• Jamie MacDougall (Chair), Scottish Government
• Jean Harper, Scottish Government
• Dale Meller, Scottish Government
• Kiran Haksar, Scottish Government
• Maria McIlgorm, Scottish Government
• Morag Robertson, Scottish Government
• Elaine Galbraith, Police Scotland
• Fidelma Eggo, Care Inspectorate  
• Maureen Berry, Health Improvement Scotland  
• David Lynch, IJB Chief Officers Group  
• Paul Comley, Stirling University  
• John Paterson, SASPICA National Convenors Group
• Mary Notman, SWS ASP Leads Network
• Shaben Begum, Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
• Donald Macaskill, Scottish Care
• Jeff Ace, NHS Chief Executives
• Austen Smyth, Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland

Apologies

• Ms Clare Haughey, Scottish Government
• Cathie Cowan, NHS Chief Executives
• Laura Caven, COSLA and SOLACE
• Alex Taylor, Chief Social Work Officers Group
• Karen Hedge, Scottish Care
• David Thomson, Mental Health Nurse Leadership Group
• Mark Hodgkinson, SWS ASP Leads Network
• Mike Diamond, Mental Welfare Commission
• Fiona Brown, Office of the Public Guardian

Items and actions

Opening welcome to the Forum (Jamie MacDougal)

Jamie MacDougall addressed the group and welcomed members to the second meeting of the Forum this year. 

Member introductions and any apologies (All)

Jamie MacDougall informed the Forum that the Minister for Mental Health was unable to attend this meeting and confirmed that he would be chairing the meeting in her absence. He then invited members to introduce themselves and noted apologies.

Previous minutes and actions arising, amended terms of reference (All)

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 5 March 2019 were agreed as an accurate record.  Jamie McDougall summarised the actions from the previous meeting. The Adult Support and Protection (ASP) Team confirmed these were complete or, on the agenda for discussion except for the actions pertaining to the Inspection Programme (carried forward) and the Forum’s Terms of Reference (TOR) which was dealt with by the meeting. Following the last meeting Dale Meller reviewed and slightly amended the ownership section of the TOR and had re-circulated to the group, no further comments received. The final Terms of Reference were therefore accepted by the Forum. These will be published on the group webpage.  Jamie McDougall updated the Forum that SG finance have approved funding for ASP Improvement Plan and Inspection Programme and that we are now waiting for final sign off from Ministers.

ASP Team have therefore still to inform COSLA and Police Scotland about the ASP Inspection work once Ministerial sign off agreed. ASP Team also still to develop a communication plan for the inspection work. (Action 1 – ASP Team)

Update on ASP improvement plan: written report & discussion (ASP team)

Jamie McDougall informed the Forum that he is in the process of getting the ASP Improvement Plan into the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2019-20.  He confirmed that this would help further to raise the profile of ASP. Dale Meller updated that the ASP Team have secured funding for a permanent team leader post within the division and that this is now being recruited to.

Dale Meller referred to the written update on the ASP Improvement Plan and invited the Forum to question/discuss anything in relation to each of the six improvement strands. The Forum discussed the data and information, legislation policy & guidance, practice improvement and prevention strands of the Improvement Plan. There were no further comments from the Forum on assurance and governance.

The Forum highlighted advancements in England in relation to the availability and publication of data on safeguarding vulnerable adults. The ASP Team updated the Forum that they are proposing to undertake a feasibility study looking at work in England (and elsewhere) on developing outcomes data for adult protection. The ASP Team also updated the Forum that they have put in application for an intern to carry out some of this work starting this summer.

Following a brief update from Dale Meller on the review of mental health legislation, the Forum welcomed the appointment of John Scott (QC) as the Independent Chair of the Review.  Dale Meller suggested that the Forum think about how ASP is represented in any reference group and advised that at the current time, John Paterson as Chair of SASPICA has been asked to support the review.

The Forum then discussed the pending national guidance on Significant Case Reviews (SCRs). It was suggested that the interim guidance being drafted by Jean Harper (due to be published in September) could draw from the existing child protection SCR Guidance. The Forum also enquired about forthcoming work on the vulnerable accused in the justice system, requesting to be involved in any stakeholder discussions on this. Dale Meller to get back to Elaine Galbraith with the contact details of Scottish Government policy team leading on this work. (Action 2 – Dale Meller)

Other comments from the Forum included the potential role of IRISS in promoting and developing ASP practice resources for practitioners. The ASP Team updated the Forum that they are now commissioning IRISS to support this work through a practitioner web resource and a research into practice network. The ASP Team also reminded the Forum of the national conference taking place 2 October in partnership with Social Work Scotland. Finally, Dale Meller updated the Forum on the prevention strand of the Improvement plan which she advised would be progressed once the team was fully staffed and the submission approved. The Forum suggested reviewing earlier ASP prevention work undertaken by the Scottish Government and asking for local examples of prevention campaigns to inform this work.

Service user and carer involvement proposal: written report and discussion (Dale Meller)

Dale Meller updated the Forum on the service user and carer involvement proposal. Following a brief description of key objectives, Dale Meller emphasised the benefits of obtaining a local perspective on involvement to assist national work and opened up discussion with the Forum.

The Forum acknowledged some of the challenges of involving service users and carers in strategic work about ASP, particularly persons who lack capacity. Forum members indicated that existing mechanisms to obtain service user views could be broadened to include existing older peoples’ groups such as Alzheimer Scotland and Together in Dementia Everyday (TIDE). It was also suggested that this work should not be seen in isolation, rather in the broader context of community planning partnerships, local community structures and interests. The Forum reiterated that the purpose of developing policies involving service users and carers was both to inform policy and to understand how people feel and are impacted on. The Forum commented on the important role of advocacy groups in supporting and influencing local involvement. The Forum also acknowledged recent research on service user involvement including research by Queen's University Belfast. Dale Meller advised the Forum that she will use the above comments to strengthen the proposal and will recirculate to the group for comment. (Action 3 – Dale Meller)

South Ayrshire Significant Case Review and the benefits of publishing (John Paterson)

John Paterson provided a short introduction to the recent South Ayrshire Significant Case Review (SCR) and a general overview of the processes involved in conducting a SCR. John Paterson acknowledged that the SCR had been presented recently to SASPICA by the South Ayrshire ASP Convener, Paul Martin. This was followed by a discussion by the Forum.

The Forum acknowledged that following an SCR, the crucial next steps are translating learning into practice and implementing changes/improvements. It was noted by the Forum that SCRs under ASP do not seem to generate the same national response as SCRs under child protection. The Forum acknowledged the benefits of drawing learning from other areas including child protection and wider public protection. It was noted that there is a current review underway through CPC Scotland for SCRs for child protection.  Forum members then discussed the impact that the publication of these reports can sometimes have on local communities. It was noted that work may be required to rebuild communities’ trust in professionals as well as public confidence more generally. Trauma was also acknowledged by the Forum as being an issue in these communities as well as the impact on staff involved in SCRs. This is something which the Forum suggested that public bodies involved in SCRs need to be able to fully understand and respond to.

The above advice was noted by the ASP Team. Jamie McDougall updated the Forum that the ASP Team would consider the feedback and come back to the Forum for any further comment in advance of the publication of the SCR Guidance in September. (Action 4 – ASP Policy Team)

Clinical and care governance, public protection and ASP (David Lynch, Maria McIlgorm, Dale Meller, Morag Robertson)

David Lynch, Maria McIlgorm, Dale Meller and Morag Robertson gave a short input on Clinical and Care Governance – this is a strand of work being taken forward under the Review of Integration. For the Forum, one of the key issues is in relation to the governance of ASP and other public protection function from the perspective of Chief Officers and Integration Authorities.

The Forum noted the current gap in involvement of the independent and voluntary sectors in the development of this guidance to date. This was acknowledged by the staff involved. The Forum discussed where the safeguarding of vulnerable adults sits within existing governance arrangements. It was suggested there may be value in considering clinical & care governance and public protection within the community planning partnership agenda or aligning it with the Realistic Medicine policy. Other Forum members noted the potential different interpretations of clinical governance in relation to social care. It was noted that there may be a case for simplifying it into simply care governance. Maria McIlgorm, Dale Meller and Morag Robertson to go back to the Integration Review Leadership Group with this feedback from the Forum (Action 5 – Maria McIlgorm, Dale Meller, Morag Robertson)

Future Forum agenda items: mental health legislative review and ASP, information sharing for ASP (All)

The ASP Team is working on the agenda for the next Forum meeting and the above noted will be included.

Actions noted

• ASP Team to inform COSLA and Police Scotland about the ASP Inspection work once Ministerial sign off agreed and ASP Team to develop a communication plan for the inspection work. (Action 1 – ASP Team)
• Dale Meller to get back to Elaine Galbraith with the contact details of The Scottish Government policy official/s leading on this work. (Action 2 – Dale Meller)
• Dale Meller to incorporate the views of the Forum into the service user and carer involvement proposal and recirculate to the group. (Action 3 – Dale Meller)
• ASP Team to consider the Forum’s views on carrying out Significant Case Reviews and come back to the group for further comment before the next meeting in September/in advance of the publication of national guidance in September. (Action 4 – ASP Team)
• Maria McIlgorm, Dale Meller and Morag Robertson to go back to the Integration Review Leadership Group with this feedback from the Forum (Action 5 – Maria McIlgorm, Dale Meller and Morag Robertson)

Date of next meeting

The next meeting of this group will take place on the 3 September 2019, 09:30-11:30 in St Andrews House (Conference Rooms C&D).