2014-2015
Independent Chair Ian Davey
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Quality and Performance Framework
Introduction
The Suffolk Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) is a partnership consisting of members from a wide range of organisations that can be statutory, voluntary
or privately owned and that work with adults who may be vulnerable or in need of support or protection. As the scope and scale of the SAB is so broad,
the board have undertaken to develop this Quality and Performance Framework, the aim of which is to underpin the work that the SAB does and to
provide a degree of accountability and transparency across all agencies working to safeguard vulnerable adults as part of the board and its sub groups.
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The structure of the SAB and its subgroups
SAB; (Safeguarding Adults Board) The strategic multi-agency steering group
with statutory responsibility for the oversight and co-ordination of safeguarding
activity.
P&Q
Health
SCR
P&Q; The Performance and Quality subgroup. Responsible for the production
of effective management information and performance challenge to the SAB.
SAB
Policy and
Procedure
Comms
The
People's
Panel
Training
The People’s Panel; The Service User group, attended by service users or their
representatives and chaired by Suffolk Coalition of Disabled People and
Healthwatch.
Training; The Training and Development subgroup. Responsible for coordinating the development of multi-agency learning and audit.
Comms; The Communications subgroup. Responsible for ensuring effective
communication from the SAB as well as between partners and members of the
board.
Policy and Procedure; The Policy and Procedure subgroup is responsible for the
review and development of multi-agency safeguarding policy and process.
Health; The Health subgroup. Responsible for co-ordinating health membership
of the SAB between the various NHS organisations operating within Suffolk.
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SCR; The Serious Case Review subgroup. Responsible for the investigation of
and learning from Serious Case Reviews.
Understanding our model of services
(1) Intensive
Investigative Work; Adult
Protection Team and
Suffolk Constabulary
(2) Support for
Vulnerable Adults from
Statutory Services
The diagram opposite illustrates the three key tiers of support offered by member
agencies of the SAB; the third tier consists of support offered by services who work
indirectly with vulnerable adults and who may from time to time be required to make
safeguarding referrals, or attend basic awareness training. These organisations are
pivotal in terms of preventing circumstances in which abuse may take place. The
second tier contains those services that work directly with vulnerable adults but who
will make referrals to primary adult protection services and will not investigate cases of
alleged abuse directly. These services effectively minimise the risk of abuse for
vulnerable adults. The first tier consists of adult protection services and statutory
bodies who would undertake investigate or protective work in response to allegations
of abuse.
Diagram One: The SAB Model of Service
The performance and quality assurance model must, by necessity, reflect the shape of
service delivery, with tools and measures that reflect the practice of all SAB member
agencies.
The three spheres of provision highlighted in diagram one will be reflected in the quality and performance tools and reporting that will be presented to
the board for oversight. However, the shape and structure of performance must also address several key areas of service provision at each level, as set
out in the section below.
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(3) Services Offered by
All SAB Partners
In order to more fully understand the necessity to shape and structure the quality
assurance and performance monitoring tools that underpin the work of the SAB, it is
first necessary to explore the model of services offered across the Suffolk system in
support of vulnerable adults.
How do we know that Safeguarding in Suffolk works?
Training and
Development
•Audit and Quality Assurance
of partner agencies
• Ensuring effective
supervision and practice
standards
•Addressing key performance
issues at a senior level
(including SCR)
•Monitoring and ensuring the
quality of training and
development
•Understanding the needs
and views of professionals
Performance and
Workflow Measurement
Service User Feedback
•Understanding workflow and
identifying issues
•Measuring the effectiveness
of service delivery
•Identifying and flagging risk
•Understanding the
performance of key public
facing resources
•Understanding the views of
our service users
•Developing information and
services that our customers
can understand
•Providing effective advocacy
for and on behalf of service
users
Diagram Two: Performance and Quality Quadrants
Diagram two, above, illustrates the model of quality assurance and performance management that will be adopted by the SAB in Suffolk. This model
consists of four key areas of performance management that are all directly related and when taken together will ensure that the SAB, as the body
responsible for co-ordination of safeguarding provision under the Care Act 2014, is able to effectively monitor and manage safeguarding performance as
well as provide intelligent and directed responses to concerns as early as is possible.
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Audit and Quality
Assurance
The four quadrants represented in diagram two are the responsibility of the various sub-groups of the SAB in terms of the development of tools used to
gather appropriate information, as well as in terms of the initial assessment of any outcomes, flagging areas of concern to the board, or the need for
further identified work. The board itself is the body responsible for overall direction and strategic oversight across the county. The responsibilities of
subgroups are as follows:
The responsibilities set out in diagram three are
not exhaustive and it is expected that there will be
some overlap in terms of roles across the various
subgroups.
Training and
Development
•Training and Development Subgroup (Lead)
•Performance and Quality Subgroup
•The People's Panel
Where appropriate, the lead group has been listed
against each of the four quadrants, with groups
that will work within these quadrants listed
underneath.
Performance and
Workflow
Measurement
•Performance and Quality Subgroup (Lead)
•Health Subgroup
Service User Feedback
•The People's Panel (Lead)
•Communications Subgroup
Diagram Three: SAB Subgroup Responsiblities
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The work of each subgroup will be structured
through a range of standardised and agreed tools
and processes that cover all of the aspects required
by the quadrant model and that mirror the tiers as
set out in diagram one. Details of these tools are
explored below under the appropriate quadrant,
with the lead agency highlighted in diagram three
being responsible for their implementation. Tools
highlighted in green have already been
implemented in support of the SAB, those in amber
are in progress and those in white are planned.
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Audit and Quality
Assurance
•Training and Development Subgroup (Lead)
•Policy and Procedure Subgroup
•Health Subgroup
•SCR Subgroup
Quality Assurance and Performance Management Tools
Quadrant One Audit and Quality Assurance
Quadrant Two Training and Development
Description and Purpose
Frequency of Use
Tool
Description and Purpose
Frequency of Use
SAB Self Audit
Tool
Quality assurance and oversight of SAB processes
across partner organisations undertaking the selfaudit, with reporting to the SAB on an exception
basis at ‘challenge and support’ events for
exceptionally good or poor performance. The tool
can be tailored to suit the needs of agencies from
tier one to tier three.
The Policy and Procedure Subgroup is effectively
virtual. The group meets to assess and quality assure
safeguarding policies belonging to partner agencies
as and when required, working with the partner
agency lead to develop a ‘SAB approved’ policy.
All
SAB
partner
organisations
undertake
the self-audit on an annual
basis, with a rolling
timetable of organisations
throughout the year.
Training
and
Development
Benchmarked
Standards and
Audit
Annual review of all
appropriate
training
courses, or ad-hoc as
appropriate.
The policy review panel
will meet on an ad-hoc
basis, as and when
required, but is expected
to convene bi-annually as a
minimum.
Ad-hoc, as and when
required.
Professional
Development
Surveys
All training provided to professionals working with
vulnerable adults across Suffolk must be approved by
the Safeguarding Adults Board in order to receive the
‘SAB Benchmark’ standard. This will be accomplished
via ‘mystery shopping’ of training provision across
the county by Training and Development Subgroup
members.
Professionals working with vulnerable adults across
Suffolk are given the opportunity to feedback on any
issues and concerns that they might have in terms of
safeguarding training provision. This is accomplished
via electronic surveys and ‘locality committee’
meetings of practitioners county-wide.
Policy Review
Panels
SCR Reports
In the event of Serious Case Reviews being
undertaken in Suffolk, the SCR panel will lead on the
production of a report in to the incident, developing
an action plan and ‘lessons learned’ document.
Quadrant Three Performance and Workflow Measurement
Bi-annual
locality
committee meetings, adhoc
responses
to
electronic surveys.
Quadrant Four Service User Feedback
Tool
Description and Purpose
Frequency of Use
Tool
Description and Purpose
Frequency of Use
Whole System
Workflow
Report
The workflow report captures activity in terms of
work to safeguard vulnerable adults across all SAB
members. Reporting looks at demographics, levels of
need in terms of statutory and voluntary provision
geographically and explores the work of the MASH,
as well as the adult protection team and police in
terms of flagging and investigating instances of
alleged abuse.
Support for the Training and Development Subgroup
and quadrant in terms of volumes of practitioners
across partner agencies that have attended offered
safeguarding courses, satisfaction with these courses
and other relevant information.
Monthly ‘Business As Usual’ reporting for the Adult
Protection Team within the county council, detailing
alerts, referrals and substantiation of safeguarding
investigations.
Quarterly Report to the
Performance and Quality
Subgroup, flagged to the
SAB if required. Supporting
information for the Annual
Report.
Service
User
Awareness
Sessions
Drop in and publicity sessions run by the People’s
Panel. Sessions include a representative from the
SAB, a service user, as nominated by the panel and
the SAB manager. Sessions are offered on a rotating
basis at public venues across the county with surveys
undertaken with attendees, the results of which are
collated and fed back to the board.
Monthly
Monthly MASH reporting.
As directed by the Training
and
Development
Subgroup.
Initially
quarterly.
Service
User
Feedback
Surveys
Ad-hoc
/
Monthly
collection of results.
Monthly
Comms Panel
Online and postal surveys of service users across all
agencies. Survey Monkey used to develop a tool
through which all service users across all partners
can feedback on their experiences. Content of survey
developed in conjunction with People’s Panel.
The communications panel convenes to assess the
quality and readability of all public facing SAB
documentation. The panel is responsible for making
recommendations on change and improvements
from a service user’s perspective.
Training
and
Development
Report
Adult
Protection
Report
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Bi-monthly
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Tool
Underpinning Tools Responsibilities of the SAB
Tool
Description and Purpose
Frequency of Use
Strategy
The strategy for the SAB looks to outline the work of the board on a
three year cycle, identifying the work that the board is looking to
undertake over the medium term and the results that will be
expected during the period. The strategy is the foundation of the
annual report and SAB Strategic Work Plan, produced on an annual
basis.
The SAB Annual Report is produced each year and reflects the work
of the SAB and its subgroups in each twelve month period. The
report details progress made against the SAB’s Strategic Work Plan
for the year and outlines the aims of the board for the coming
twelve months. The Annual Report contains updates from each
subgroup, as well as an exploration of the work and focus of
partner agencies from across all three tiers of service provision.
The Annual Report is the place in which longer term trends in terms
of workflow and performance reporting are explored in a
transparent way for service users and the public.
The strategic work plan is refreshed annually and use of the
document that underpins the work of the SAB and its subgroup in
each twelve month period. The work plan is arranged around a
series of key outcomes that the board is looking to achieve, with
individual activities outlined against these.
Tri-annually
Annual Report
Annual document, reviewed quarterly.
The Strategic Work Plan is further devolved in to individual
subgroup plans that identify the work that each group will lead on
during the year.
The Work Plan is reviewed at each SAB meeting on an exception
basis, with those items requiring the attention of the board being
flagged up via a risk heat map.
What does the SAB see routinely?
Due to the wide range of tools in use to measure, monitor and improve quality and performance across all SAB partners, it is not possible for the SAB
itself to have oversight of all aspects of quality and performance at each meeting. As such, the board is presented with a quarterly balanced scorecard,
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Strategic Work Plan
Annual
reflecting the quadrants in diagram two, with exception reporting provided against areas where performance has become a concern, that is similar in
shape, style and content to existing safeguarding reporting within the county council. Exception reporting to the SAB is the responsibility of the
Performance and Quality subgroup. Below is an illustration of the quarterly scorecard, as viewed by the SAB (note; measures are placeholders and out turns are not real
figures):
Quadrant One Audit and Quality Assurance
Measure
Out Turn
% of all SAB organisations in the year to
date achieving over 80% at self-audit
Direction
Travel
70%

25%

of
Measure
% of staff who feel confident in their
training to safeguard vulnerable adults in
the year to date
% of staff who reported that policies and
procedures for their organisation were
easily accessible and clear in the year to
date
% of SAB organisations required to
undertake the self-audit who did not
8%

complete
Quadrant Three Performance and Workflow Measurement
Measure
Number of MASH Alerts in the quarter
Number of Safeguarding Referrals in the
quarter
Out Turn
Direction
Travel
200

100

2:1

40%

Ratio of Alerts to Referrals in the quarter
%
of
Safeguarding
Substantiated in the quarter
Referrals
Out Turn
Direction
Travel
80%

55%

of
Quadrant Four Service User Feedback
of
Measure
% of service users surveyed who feel safe
in the year to date
% of service users reporting that they
understood what the term ‘Adult
Safeguarding’ means in the year to date
Bounce-rate from www.suffolkas.org as a
percentage of total users in the year to
date
Out Turn
Direction of
Travel
65%

40%

53%

The quarterly balanced scorecard gives the board a clear overview of safeguarding activity in the county. Each measure is an assessment of either
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% of SAB organisations in the year to date
returning an ‘all-red’ self-audit section
Quadrant Two Training and Development
success or volume, with the direction of travel indicating whether the percentage, ratio or number has increased or decreased. The RAG rating of each
out turn identifies for the board whether the measure requires further investigation. Measures that are red will require exception reporting as directed
via the Performance and Quality subgroup of the SAB.
The SAB may request further information on any aspect of service provision that sits outside of those measures identified in the scorecard and may
request the addition, amendment or deletion of measures as required to further the work of the board. The wider array of tools used to monitor
continuing quality and performance may also be requested by the board on either a routine or ad-hoc basis.
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