Issue - meetings

(a)       That members accept this report as relevant information in relation to Flintshire Safeguarding for the period 1^st April 2019 to 31^st March 2020 and additional information provided; and

(b)       That members note the variety of activity across the Safeguarding Unit and the continuing development and improvement in service provision.

The Senior Manager – Safeguarding and Commissioning briefly introduced the report before handing over to the Safeguarding Unit Services Manager who advised Members that in terms of Adult Safeguarding and Children and Adult safeguarding Flintshire was one of the first local authorities in the North Wales area to move very quickly after lockdown into virtual meetings.  She then gave a more in depth report on the following:-

·         Impact of COVID 19 and response of the Safeguarding Unit

·         Adult Safeguarding under COVID 19

·         New National Safeguarding Procedures

·         Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS)

·         Adult Safeguarding and Adults at Risk

·         Children’s Safeguarding and the Child Protection Register

·         Number of Child Protection Case Conferences held

·         Looked After Children

·         Links to the Regional Safeguarding Board

Councillor Gladys Healey asked if the numbers of domestic violence had increased because of the emergency situation during isolation. The Safeguarding Unit Services Manager said from and adult safeguarding point of view there was a slight increase in the first couple of months during lockdown but nothing substantial over the last six months.  In children, the highest category in the last 2 years of registration has been emotional abuse linked to domestic violence and the highest category in the last 12 months has been neglect.  There was a change there that needs a better understanding of.  It would be interesting to see if the highest category had gone back to emotional abuse rather than neglect when we get the data for the last 6 months.  Many areas have reported an increase in domestic violence but that is not the case for Flintshire.

   The recommendations in the report were moved by Councillor Wisinger                   and seconded by Councillor Lowe

RESOLVED:

(a)       That members accept this report as relevant information in relation to Flintshire Safeguarding for the period 1^st April 2019 to 31^st March 2020 and additional information provided; and

(b)       That members note the variety of activity across the Safeguarding Unit and the continuing development and improvement in service provision.