SIC welcomes positive report into local adult support and protection services

A JOINT inspection of local adult support and protection measures has found clear strengths in ensuring adults at risk of harm are safe, protected and supported.

However, inspectors also identified areas which could further improve.

The findings were welcomed by council chief executive Maggie Sandison and by Tam Baillie, the chair of the Public Protection Committee in Shetland.

The inspection in Shetland took place between October 2022 and March 2023 and found the following strengths:

• Adults at risk of harm nearly always experienced improvements to their safety, health and wellbeing
• There were strong investigation and case conference processes in place for managing risks for adults;
• There was strong collaborative working between services to support adults at risk of harm;
• Processes for addressing financial harm were effective, including raising awareness in the community of financial scams;
• Arrangements for providing adult support and protection services during the Covid-19 pandemic were well organised, and adults at risk of harm remained a priority throughout this challenging period;
• The strategic leadership team worked effectively to identify priorities for improvement in the delivery of services to adults at risk of harm.

The report also suggests a number of areas that could further improve. It recommends that the Shetland public protection committee’s vision and strategic business plan be updated and be more focussed on adult support and protection.

It also recommends that the duty to inquire processes should be improved as these were applied and recorded inconsistently. The partnership should take steps to improve in this area, the report said.

Care Inspectorate chief executive Jackie Irvine said: “The Care Inspectorate and our scrutiny partners concluded that key processes and leadership for adult support and protection in the Shetland Islands were effective with areas for improvement.

“There were clear strengths supporting positive experiences and outcomes for adults at risk of harm which collectively outweighed the areas for improvement.”

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Council chief executive Sandison said: “Overall, this is a positive report highlighting areas where we have strengths as well as some areas for improvement.

“The report is evidence of the high level of collaborative working amongst agencies and a credit to all staff involved in adult protection work.”

Baillie added: “The inspection provides a really useful insight as to where we are doing well and where we can improve.

“Whilst it is reassuring that the balance is heavily tipped in favour of where we are doing well, we are constantly vigilant on the need to make improvements.

“People have come through tough times, and it is pleasing that our adult protection work during the pandemic is recognised.”

The full Care Inspectorate report can be found here.