A joint inspection of adult support and protection measures in South Lanarkshire 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.
Key strengths were:
- The partnership’s adult support and protection interventions led to improved outcomes for adults at risk of harm.
- Investigations were comprehensive and almost always effectively determined if the adult was at risk.
- There were effective and collaborative processes for assessing capacity and supporting adults who needed support to make independent decisions affecting their lives.
- The strategic leadership’s vision and strategy was collaborative and effective.
- Strategic leaders promoted an extensive range of adult support and protection training opportunities for staff and carers.
- Leaders effectively engaged with unpaid carers who were well represented, and contributed, to adult support and protection strategic planning and service delivery.
Key areas for improvement were:
- The partnership should build on measures already taken to improve attendance and consistency at case conferences. This will improve information sharing, mitigation of risks and protection planning.
- The quality and recording of information in chronologies was inconsistent and needed improved.
- The partnership’s quality assurance processes need to continue to develop to promote improvements in practice.
- The quality of supervisory oversight around decision making should be improved. This will ensure more effective planning and risk assessment for adults at risk of harm.
Jackie Irvine, Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, said: “Adults at risk of harm experienced positive outcomes as a result of the interventions they received. Referral, screening, and triaging processes were effective and enabled early interventions to minimise risks. Investigations were also carried out timeously and had a positive impact for almost all adults at risk of harm. The partnership should continue to build on adult support and protection key processes to improve information sharing and recording.
“We have asked the South Lanarkshire partnership to prepare an improvement plan to address the priority areas for improvement we have identified. The Care Inspectorate, through its link inspector, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and HMICS will monitor progress implementing this plan.”
The full report can be read here.
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