Burglar conned pensioner twice
15th September 2009
A conman burglar stole from the home of an 81 year old man with dementia twice after knocking on his door claiming to be selling dusters. To read this article in full click on the link above.
Worcestershire Council Serious Case Review
14th September 2009
Worcestershire Council has been accused of a number of failures over the death of a 22-year-old man with severe learning disabilities whose body was found stuffed into a suitcase at his family home. To read the executive summary click on the link above.
Mencap slams hospital for its treatment of Kyle
23rd July 2009
A disability charity has slammed Basildon hospital for its 'appalling' treatment of a severely disabled young man who died in a hospital bed. To read the article in full click the link above.
Royal College of Nursing launches whistleblower hotline
10th May 2009
A whistleblowers' hotline is being set up today by the Royal College of Nursing after evidence emerged that its members are being victimised for voicing worries about unsafe practices on NHS wards.
To read more click on the link above.
Care firm worker jailed for fraud
21 April 2009
A care company employee in Somerset who stole from an elderly woman she befriended has been sent to prison for six months. To read more click on the link above.
Death by Indifference
March 2009
The Ombudsmen Inquiry (see article below) was sparked by a 2007 report by Mencap "Death by Indifference", which argued that all six were victims of institutional discrimination against people with learning disabilities in the care they received, and their deaths were unavoidable. To read this report click on the link above.
Ombudsmen Inquiry
24th March 2009
NHS and Council failings in six cases involving people with learning disabilities led to prolonged suffering and at least one avoidable death. That was the verdict of an investigation by the health service and local government ombudsmen into the care given to the six people who died between 2003 and 2005. Click on the link above to read more.
Prison for torture killing pair
27th March 2009
Two men who admitted torturing and killing a man with learning difficulties in his Fife home have both been jailed for 12 and a half years. To read this article in full, please click the link above.
Mentally ill victim was failed by CPS
28th January 2009
A decision by prosecutors to drop a serious criminal assault case because the victim, who had half his ear bitten off, suffered mental health problems, has been severley criticised by High Court judges. To read the article in full follow the link above.
Vulnerable Deaths Inquiry Set Up
19th January 2009
A confidential inquiry to investigate premature deaths of people with learning disabilities in England is to be set up by the Department of Health. To read this article in full click the link above.
Robbers kill pensioners budgie
18th January 2009
Burglars have snapped the neck of an elderly woman's budgie in front of her after she refused to hand over money. To read the article in full click the link above.
BBC Undercover in Notts Care Home
2nd May 2008
An undercover reporter from the BBC gained employment at a Nottinghamshire care home recently, uncovering poor infection control and lapses in care. The show was broadcast on 2nd May 2008. For a full report on the BBC's findings, follow the link above.
Carer stole £21,000 from patient
2nd September 2008
A FORMER care worker who fleeced a pensioner out of more than £21,000 collapsed as a judge told her she would be jailed. She admitted stealing £21,393 from 88-year-old wheelchair-bound Anne Giggins, who she looked after while working at Ernhale Lodge Care Home, Arnold. To read this report in full follow the link above.
Teddy Camera catches Carer thief
20th August 2008
A forensic science student and her father catch a carer stealing from an elderly relative by hiding a camera in a teddy bear's eye.
Robert Sampson, 46, and Emma, 21, fixed the tiny camera in the Liverpool home of his mother Thelma Sampson, 75.
To read the article in full follow the link above.
Care Home Workers go Unchecked, warn Police
2nd June 2008
Tens of thousands of migrant workers may be working with vulnerable elderly people in care homes, without undergoing full criminal record checks, The Times has revealed. To read the article in full, including why it is thought that the introduction of the ISA scheme next year will do little to help, follow the link above.
Latest ISA Newsletter
June 2008
The latest Independent Safeguarding Authority Newsletter is available to download. In this issue you can read about the announcement of board members, the transfer of staff to the Authority and how to get information on consultation responses. To view the newsletter and other information about ISA follow the link above.
£97,000 payout for vulnerable couple
30th May 2008
A couple who were imprisoned and tortured by a gang of youths have been awarded £97,000 in damages after a judge ruled that their local council failed to protect them, reports the Daily Mail. In a landmark ruling at London's High Court, Mr Justice Maddison said the council owed a duty of care to the 52-year-old man and his 46-year-old wife, who both have learning difficulties. To read the full Daily Mail article, follow the link above.
£2million abuse prevelance study
27th MArch 2008
Ivan Lewis, Minister for Care Services, has announced three new measures to strengthen the protection of vulnerable older people in the care system.
The plans will help to ensure that older people are treated with dignity and respect in all care settings. To read about the new measures, follow the link above.
Home
Latest News and Events
Government Response to No Secrets
The Government response to the consultation on safeguarding adults - the review of the No Secrets guidance is now available to view. Please click here.
Women's Aid Pet Project
Are you living in fear of your partner and need to leave but are scared about leaving pets behind? Refs for Pets can help. For more information please click here.
Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) Update - 2009
December 2009
Latest on the Vetting and Barring Scheme.....Please click here to read the report 'Drawing the Line', recently published.
It is important to remember that the scheme has not yet been changed and we will have to wait for a response to Sir Roger Singleton's recommendations.
October 2009
The official guidance in relation to the introduction of the initial phase of the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) is now available to view by clicking here.
As the Scheme moves forward you may find it helps your staff, member organisations or other stakeholders, if you put the following on your website or in newsletters in coming weeks.
As you may know from their publicity, the three key changes at 12 October 2009 for employers and employees (including managers of, and volunteers in, unpaid work) are:
for employers: you must not knowingly employ in regulated activity, or use as a volunteer, a barred person;
for employers: if you dismiss or cease using a person in regulated activity (or in controlled activity) because you think they harmed or pose a risk of harm to children or vulnerable adults, you must refer the case to the ISA (see ISA referrals guidance, below);
for employees: if you yourself are barred from regulated activity, you must not work, or seek to work, in regulated activity from which you are barred.
The attached Guidance covering the first aspects of the Scheme will be followed at a later date by guidance on other changes which take place later. Three key changes which do not happen until later are:
July 2010 - new entrants to work with vulnerable groups can register with the ISA;
November 2010 - new entrants must register with the ISA before starting work;
April 2011 - existing workers can start to ISA-register. We will publish, in good time, our recommendations as to dates by when they should register.
NDVF (Nottinghamshire Domestic Violence Forum) Seminar
NDVF have produced a new poster aimed at people in same sex abusive relationships. To order a copy of the free poster contact NDVF on 01159623237.
A Domestic Violence and No Recourse to Public Funds Bulletin is available to view here.
Thank you
Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Adults Board would like to thank everyone who signed our pledge recently. The pledge was part of a week of awareness raising of safeguarding adults and preventing abuse which saw us out on the road visiting towns around the County and launching our annual report on 15th June at County Hall, West Bridgford. In total, 1,411 people have signed our pledge to date, agreeing that they will help to stop abuse of vulnerable adults and report any concerns they have to Nottinghamshire County Council.
And it's not too late...if you'd like to add your name to our pledge, you can email us at samcat@nottscc.gov.uk stating your name, the town you live in and your workplace if applicable.
More details of the week will appear shortly...
Counselling for Abused Older Adults
Harmony Counselling Service is for people aged 60 or over who live in the City of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Harmony is a generic counselling service, but the main focus is counselling older people who are either experiencing abuse or have done so recently. For more information on this service click here. A referral form can be accessed by clicking here.
Have a concern about yourself or someone else?
If you have a concern about either yourself or a vulnerable adult, you should report it. For more information, click here
Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The launch of the new Care Quality Commission (CQC) happened on the 1st April 2009, bringing together the independent regulation of health and adult social care in England. Its aim is to build on the work of its predecessors, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission and the Mental Health Act Commission. For more information, or to check out their website click here.
MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements)
A copy of the multi agency procedure for the central co-ordination of Level 2 MAPPA meetings is available to view, for your information. To read click here.
Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust report
The Healthcare Commission as was, did an investigation into failings in Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust. To read the summary report click here.
'Smile, No Bullying'
The most recent 'Smile, No Bullying' newsletter (4) is now available to view by clicking here. Smile, No Bullying is a partnership between Nottingham Mencap, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Councils.
Criteria for referral to Senior Practitioners - Mental Capacity Act
A document is now available to view which states the criteria needed for making a referral to Mental Capacity Act Senior Practitioners. To view this document click here.
Forced Marriage Statutory Guidance
Updates on Forced Marriage Guidance can be found on our Information, Research & General Material page. Click here to go direct to this page.
Mental Capacity Act Update
A new Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy and a protocol for joint working between the Office of the Public Guardian and Local Authorities was launched in December 2008.
To read this update in full click here.
For the easy read version click here.
Do you want to read the Nottinghamshire response to the No Secrets review?
The Department of Health, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice recently launched the national consultation on the review of the No Secrets guidance. The response from Nottinghamshire has been sent to the Department of Health. If you would like to view this response please click here.
Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) scheme in England & Wales for adult placement schemes, domiciliary care agencies & care homes: A practical guide
The Department of Health has published a practical guide with regards to the POVA scheme in England and Wales aimed at adult placement schemes, domiciliary care agencies and care homes.
To view this guide in full please click here.
Revised Pro Forma for making Protection of Vulnerable Adult Referrals to the Independent Safeguarding Authority
There is also a new address for all referrals under the List 99, PoCA and PoVA schemes as from today, Tuesday 20th January 2009.
This is following the new Vetting and Barring scheme, from which details are now confirmed regarding the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) starting (and Ministers stopping) making barring decisions on new referrals.
For more information please click here.
CSCI Frequently Asked Questions
CSCI have issued some frequently asked questions (FAQ's) around CSCI and Safeguarding Adults. For more information please click here.
PRESS RELEASE - Keeping Vulnerable Adults Safe
The County Council have sent out a press release following the Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Select Committee meeting on Wednesday 22nd October 2008. To read this press release in full click here.
Did you know..?
- Did you know that from the 4th August 2008 The Adult Protection Unit will be known as Safeguarding Adults and Mental Capacity Act Team. The new name reflects the move in terminology and focus, from Adult Protection to Safeguarding Adults, along with the addition of the new Mental Capacity Senior Practitioners to our Team.
- Did you know that the National Info and Links page gets updated regularly, providing information and tools that you may find useful when working with vulnerable adults? Recent additions include information from Valuing People on Hate Crime, Protection of Vulnerable Adults List-Final Report, Independent Safeguarding Authority Newsletters and Frequently Asked Questions about the Deprivation of Liberty. To view this and other information visit the National Info and Links page now!
Training for Trainers
For 2008/2009 we will be providing 2 training programmes for Train the Trainers.
Programme 1
For those staff that will be delivering awareness/alerter training in their own organisations.
Programme 2
For those staff that will be part of a multi agency training team, and will deliver Referrer training to a multi agency audience.
To apply for one of the above programmes, please contact:
Safeguarding Adults and Mental Capacity Act Team (SAMCAT), Chadburn House, Weighbridge Road, Mansfield, Notts. NG18 1AH.
Telephone: 01623 473225
E-mail: samcat@nottscc.gov.uk