Our Safeguarding Panel
All week, we’ve been focusing on Safeguarding as part of Ann Craft Trust's Safeguarding Adults Week.
In the final post of our series of conversations with Pete Morgan, Advance’s Independent Safeguarding Panel Scrutineer, we talk about the role of our Safeguarding Panel.
1. ADVANCE: Advance has a Safeguarding Panel. What is the purpose of the Safeguarding Panel?
PETE: “I was originally recruited as the Independent Chair of Advance’s Safeguarding Panel in 2014 in the lead up to the Care Act coming into effect. The purpose of the Panel is to ensure we go above and beyond the safeguarding standards required by our commissioners and regulators. The Panel meets every quarter to review safeguarding cases that have occurred, identify and discuss lessons learned and “horizon-scan” for possible future developments such as new legislation or good practice identified outside Advance.”
2. ADVANCE: What is your role on the Safeguarding Panel?
PETE: “I am now the Independent Scrutineer on the Panel and my role is to comment on the quality of safeguarding work being done – for example, whether the safeguarding cases being brought are appropriate and how they have been handled – and to provide advice on things that could be done differently to improve the service, both on an individual basis and across the organisation. Being external is also advantageous as I am involved elsewhere and can bring important lessons from across the sector.
3. ADVANCE: What is in place to ensure safeguarding at Advance is being continually monitored and improved?
PETE: “The Safeguarding Panel is an important way to make sure we are reviewing our practice. In meetings we also discuss what is coming up in safeguarding, e.g. potential changes in regulation or legislation, which will impact the service we deliver and ensure we are planning and proactively managing safeguarding performance and practice rather than being reactive.
Surveys of staff and customers are also carried out to gather feedback on how they feel inquiries were handled.
As mentioned before, reflective practice is also key at Advance. Most abuse or poor practice can occur in a service because people have stopped thinking about what they are doing. Through supervision, training and team meetings, Advance staff are encouraged to take time to look at their practice, reflect on why they are behaving the way they are and openly discuss best practice with colleagues.”
Thank you for engaging in our Safeguarding Adult Week posts this week – it is a very important topic and we hope you have found the content useful.
Also, a big thank you to Pete Morgan for taking the time to answer our questions – you have been brilliant!
Find out more
If you want to read up more about a specific Safeguarding topic, take a look on the Ann Craft Trust’s website https://www.anncrafttrust.org/resources/