Elderly must be protected - bodies to act after report
Calderdale councillors were last week discussing ways in which older people can be protected from domestic violence.
Members of the council's adults health and social care scrutiny panel were considering an action plan designed to improve the way in which agencies work together to ensure older people are better safeguarded.
The action plan has been drawn up following publication of a Serious Case Review into the death of an 82 year-old man in July 2009.
The man had been living with his wife and daughter at their home in Sowerby, where there was an incident when he fell and broke his leg. He was taken to hospital and died 10 days later from pneumonia.
Following police enquiries his daughter was arrested and admitted the manslaughter of her father and assault of her 82 year-old mother.
The death prompted the first independent Serious Case Review (SCR) to be commissioned by Calderdale's Safeguarding Adults Board.
The action plan will be discussed alongside the SCR report. In its conclusion, while the report identified some areas of good practice by all agencies, it also found that there was a need to revise guidance, provide more training for staff and improve communication between partner organisations.
The report lays down a series of specific recommendations for Calderdale Safeguarding Adults Board, the council, Police, NHS Calderdale and the hospital trust to improve the way in which they work together.
The action plan closely reflects the findings and recommendations of the SCR and health and social care scrutiny panel chairman Coun Ruth Goldthorpe, says it is important that members have the opportunity to view and comment on both documents.
"This was a very sad case. All of the organisations involved need to take on board the report's findings. We also need to look carefully at what actions each organisation needs to take now.
"We must ensure that people working with vulnerable adults recognise abuse, prevent it occurring and, where it does occur, they are able to take swift and decisive action to stop it taking place."
Calderdale Council's director of adults, health and social care, Jonathan Phillips, says the council and partner agencies have been working together closely for some time in order to ensure that vulnerable adults are protected from domestic abuse.
Sue Cannon, director of quality, NHS Calderdale said they had implemented the recommendations set out in the report in full. "The death of this person was tragic and we express our condolences and sympathy to the family. The Serious Case Review highlights that the police acted positively when responding to incidents at the family's home address and provided information and advice to family members at various times about obtaining support from other agencies.
"Appropriate referrals were made. The report identifies where matters could have been dealt with better, in particular the voicemail message left on July 2, 2009, that wasn't picked up until the next morning.
"However, there were a number of subsequent calls that day that were responded to personally by a senior officer, including direct contact with both.
"With regard to the two calls and voicemail left on July 2, they were made to a voicemail telephone line which is intended for non urgent general advice and guidance. It is regrettable that the voicemail message was not picked up until the following morning. In line with the report's recommendations, we have reviewed the procedures for handling calls and answering telephone messages.
"We will continue to work closely with our partner agencies to identify and safeguard people in our communities who may need our protection or who may be at risk of suffering significant harm."
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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