Safeguarding
Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups Safeguarding Declaration 2013 / 2014:
Safeguarding of children and adults is a high priority for Manchester CCGs and there is strong commitment to ensuring that structures and governance arrangements for safeguarding are robust. The protection of vulnerable children and adults from abuse and neglect is fundamental to delivering health and wellbeing and core to delivering the quality agenda. Manchester CCGs also ensure that organisations commissioned to provide services have appropriate safeguarding systems, including clear accessible policy and procedure, safer recruitment, training and governance systems. The principle philosophy is that safeguarding is everybody’s business and all staff will respond and act to raise safeguarding awareness and address any emerging issues.
Safe Staffing:
Manchester CCGs have safer recruitment arrangements in place including CRB checks for eligible staff and enhanced level checks where appropriate, safeguarding children responsibility is included within the job descriptions of all staff.
Manchester CCGs also act as umbrella organisation’s to support independent contractors with the management of the CRB process. Manchester CCGs will be using the contracting process to ensure that CRB checks are undertaken on eligible staff.
Policies and Procedures:
Manchester CCGs have reviewed policies and procedures relating to safeguarding in line with Manchester Safeguarding Children Board and Manchester Safeguarding Adult Board policies and standards. Safeguarding policies and an audit tool have been included in contracts, as required regionally.
All provider services contracting with Manchester CCGs are contractually required to have systems in place that identify adults at risk and vulnerable children and flag issues that increase risks to vulnerable individuals, children and families. All provider organisations are required to report safeguarding issues and conduct/participate in enquiries/investigations to reduce the risk of reoccurrence including multi-agency enquiries.
Training:
Safeguarding training is mandatory within the CCGs induction programme for all new employees and refreshed at the mandatory updates for clinical and non-clinical staff.
The CCGs are committed to support the development of a safeguarding training programme, linked to training needs analysis to continually strengthen the delivery of the safeguarding obligations. Manchester CCGs have reviewed system’s for recording staff attendance at safeguarding training and management reports are produced regarding compliance.
The CCGs fully endorse the principles that all health professionals must have the requisite skills, knowledge and competence to undertake their specific roles, including independent contractors such as GPs and allied health professionals in accordance with best practice.
Governance Arrangements
Within Manchester there are 3 CCGs – south, central and north. Central Manchester CCG hosts the safeguarding team which is a citywide resource in commissioning; there is one executive director for safeguarding for the 3 Manchester CCGs
CCGs have statutory responsibilities to safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk of harm. These responsibilities are outlined in the authorisation document.
As commissioning organisations, CCGs have a statutory duty to ensure that all health providers, from whom it commissions services, have robust single and multi agency polices and procedures in place to safeguarding and promote the welfare of children and protect vulnerable adults from abuse or the risk of abuse. Health providers must be linked to local Safeguarding Children and Adult Boards and contribute to multi agency working.
The reporting of safeguarding issues is explicit within the governance framework and embedded into the reports to the Governing Body. This informs the Governing Body regularly and supports continual improvement of quality and organisational learning of lessons from incidents and individual experience.
Safeguarding Clinical Specialists:
The Manchester CCGs can demonstrate compliance with this requirement. There has been significant investment over the years to ensure the time available for designated and named professionals is proportionate to the needs in Manchester.
The trusts designated professionals lead an active professional advisory sub-committee for all named safeguarding children specialists who work in Manchester trusts. This group ensures best practice and learning is shared.
Partnership Work:
Safeguarding is most effectively delivered through strategic and organisational multi-agency arrangements, with partners working collaboratively to achieve a shared vision. The focus for multi agency safeguarding is through safeguarding boards – Manchester Safeguarding Children Board and the Manchester Safeguarding Adults Board. However these structures do not sit in isolation, they form part of wider multi agency partnerships that provide a range of support and services to promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Examples include the Health and Wellbeing Board, the Children’s Board and Multi agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).Manchester CCGs are committed to partnership working and is a key member of the MSCB and its sub-committee’s and the MSAB.
February 2013