Agenda item

[Sandra Ashton-Jones, Head of Adult Service - Mental Health, and Rachel King, Head of Childrens Service - Specialist Support,to present report]

The Chair invited Sandra Ashton-Jones, Head of Adult Service - Mental Health and Rachel King, Head of Children’s Service to present the report.

The Head of Adult Service advised the panel that the presentation would give an update on the support offered to young people and adults in Wolverhampton who are either at risk of exploitation or who are being exploited and covers individuals or large groups of people.  The Head of Adult Service outlined the different forms and situations where exploitation can occur, for example, modern slavery and human trafficking, sexual and criminal exploitation. The term ‘exploitation’ is defined as a form abuse where someone is forced or coerced into doing things for the benefit of others.

The Head of Children’s Service commented on the partnership response to the issue of exploitation and specific actions taken from October 2019 to February 2021. The Head of Children’s Service advised the panel that nationally there had been a focus on familial abuse where harm happens outside the home. In the past the focus of the service was on abuse taking place within families.

The Head of Children’s Service advised the panel that a review in October 2019 looked at how partners were working together to address all forms of exploitation. This review led to the introduction of the Partnership Exploitation and Missing Hub, which went live in February 2021.  The Hub brings together professionals from services that have contact with children and adults either at risk or being exploited to able to share real live time information. 

The Head of Children’s Service advised the panel that the service provides for the consistent and systematic sharing of relevant and timely information across the whole age range to better understand the issue of risk and threat in the city. The introduction of the Hub has enabled co-ordinated support packages to be offered to address all forms of exploitation through different interventions and for that activity to be disrupted. The Head of Children’s Service commented on the links between adults and children’s service and highlighted the importance of the additional police resource in supporting the work of the Hub. The Hub also has strong links with colleagues in health and voluntary sectors.

The Head of Children’s Service advised the panel that there is a daily morning briefing meeting chaired by the Exploitation Hub Manager with colleagues from the wider partnership. The aim of the briefing is to review all overnight missing episodes of all young people and vulnerable adults and to consider any significant incidents from the police that require some level of response and coordination.

The Head of Children’s Service briefed the panel about the work of the Power2 team and outlined the impact and benefits of the initiative. The Head of Children’s Services gave details from three case studies and commented on how the intervention from the service has led to a reduction in the risk of exploitation or in criminal activity and an increase in levels of re engagement in education, employment training, improved attendance score and a reduction in missing episodes among the people involved.

The Head of Children’s Service commented that there has been a significant increase in the numbers of vulnerable adults and children been identified at risk of exploitation and highlighted the benefits of increased awareness and training across the partnership.

The Head of Adult Service thanked the panel for the opportunity to brief them about the work of the Hub. 

The Head of Adult Service advised the panel that the work of the Hub is being seen as best practice locally and nationally as not many authorities are working with adults or people beyond the age of 18 who are at risk of exploitation. The Power2 team operates alongside the Exploitation Hub which became operational in December 2019. The work of the team was initially funded by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and is focused on supporting vulnerable young people up to the age of 25 who are at risk of or who being exploited or where there is a risk of family breakdown or care.

The panel were invited to comment on the presentation and report.

The panel thanked the presenters and congratulated the service on getting recognition of the positive work being done in Wolverhampton nationally and by other local authorities of the decision to bring together children’s and adults safeguarding services.

The panel queried the size of the reduction in number of missing episodes referred to in the report and the action taken to follow up and share this information with key agencies, where there are concerns about a young person goes missing every few days. The Head of Children’s Service advised the panel that there is a statutory duty to talk to children when notified about missing episodes. The Head of Adult Service commented that there are more missing episodes cases recorded as the police are recording them differently than a few years ago. The Head of Adult Service added that the service is managing to reduce and disrupt some missing activity and explained that where children are concerned that the local authority will do a return home interview or at least offer them one. This offer will be in addition to the police wellbeing visit to the young person. 

The Head of Adult Service explained that there had been discussions with colleagues where adults have gone missing and the idea of extending the welfare offer when they return home. However, this is not a statutory function. 

The Head of Adults Service added that a meeting is planned next week to think about developing protocols for missing adults and explained that there are also several existing national protocols which cover this situation.

There are plans to develop local protocols to respond issues involving adults who have gone missing from either from care home or hospital.

The Head of Children’s Service advised the panel that if there is a concern about an adult being exploited then a screening tool would be completed which will inform a decision about the need to complete a safeguarding referral form.

The panel queried the process for making referrals to the Hub. The Head of Children’s Service advised that the panel that most referrals to the Hub are received from partner agencies such as the police. The Head of Children’s Service explained that anyone can make a referral or a self-referral into the Hub and then discussions held, and a co-ordinated response planned.

The panel queried the criteria of the term ‘vulnerable adult’ and asked for more details. The Head of Adult Service advised the panel that the definition of a vulnerable adult in terms of Adult Safeguarding is someone who has needs for care and support, is experiencing or at risk of abuse or neglect and as a result of those needs is unable to protect themselves against the abuse or the risk of it.  The Head of Adult Service added that the service adopts a more inclusive approach and would consider all the persons circumstances when assessing their level of vulnerability. The service also supports adults who have experienced life trauma which could make them at risk of being exploited or vulnerable to abuse.

The Head of Adult Service advised the panel that when a person has mental capacity the law refers to their right to make unwise decisions and the service would need consent to work with a person. The service would offer advice and support to a person in this situation which they would be free to accept and provide appropriate information if they do change their mind in future about wanting help. The Head of Adult Service added that the service would try to work with the person to build a relationship which may help to change their mind about accepting support, but without being intrusive.

The panel queried the situation in the case study of the adult moving to a location outside Wolverhampton about the responsibility of the Council to follow up and check on their progress and the arrangements for monitoring the situation. The Head of Adult Service commented that in the case study example the person was referred into the National Referral Mechanism and ongoing support would be provided through this arrangement. The NRM has contracts with several different volunteer organisations to provide support and if a person needed a package of care, then this would be provided as part of the scheme. The Head of Adult Service added that the person’s social worker in Wolverhampton would maintain contact and stay involved with the case and provide ongoing care if needed. The Council would be involved in providing care if they needed ongoing health care, in liaison with the Health Trust in the area the person is moving too.

The panel welcomed the setting up of the Hub and highlighted the value of multi-agency services working together to deliver a service and sharing information and the benefits to the public.

The panel discussed the challenge of trying to measure the effectiveness of the impact of multi-disciplinary working, by using case studies referred to in the presentation, and welcomed the decision to invest in offering the range of support through the Hub.

The Head of Adult Service commented that there is an evaluation report which demonstrates the cost avoidance or savings because of the intervention by the Hub. The Head of Adult Service highlighted the cost savings for a young person who previously would have been detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act and may have required an ambulance call out and other support services that would have been involved compared to the cost of providing support by the Hub. The Head of Adult Service added the service can demonstrate the financial benefits of the work done by the Hub and the personal benefits to the individuals.

The panel queried the action that would be taken when a young person who initially refuses the offer of help but contacts the service at a future date needing help. The Head of Children’s Service that there will be safeguarding considerations in cases involving children and young people and the service would have a responsibility to continue to be involved and offer support. In addition, there is a self-referral option to the MASH service which anyone can use. The Head of Children’s Service added that the service is doing a lot of work is being done to raise awareness with the public about the risks of exploitation.  The work is supported by work of West Midlands Violence Reduction Unit who help to co-ordinate and raise awareness across the sector about issues such as ‘county lines activities (where gangs transport drugs to towns along ‘deal lines’)’ and the exploitation of young people.

The Head of Children’s Service gave further examples of the support service and interventions aimed at helping young people considered to be vulnerable and at risk of exploitation. There are plans for more localised campaigns in know hotspot areas in Wolverhampton on issues such as modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

The panel thanked the presenters for the report.

Resolved:

The panel agreed to note the presentation and the progress of work being done to support vulnerable adults at risk of exploitation.