The Leeds Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) Framework for Safeguarding Learning and Development is for all organisations working with safeguarding adults. This includes third sector organisations, commissioned providers and statutory agencies.
The Framework sets out the requirements and expectations of the LSAB and its partners to ensure that the workforce is supported and enabled to provide for the needs of citizens in Leeds.
The LSAB needs to know that all safeguarding agencies and services are meeting their safeguarding adults learning and development duties and that multi-agency arrangements for safeguarding learning and development are effective for staff and volunteers.
The Core Content Requirements for Adult Safeguarding Learning & Development Activity set out what should be included in safeguarding adults learning and development activity for people in paid and unpaid roles.
The Framework and Core Content Requirements can be used as a checklist for ensuring that the requirements are in place and to indicate if actions need to be taken.
This framework document sets out the safeguarding learning and development requirements and expectations of the Leeds Safeguarding Adults Board (LSAB) and its partners to ensure that the workforce is supported and enabled to provide for the needs of citizens in Leeds.
The Learning and Development (L&D) ambitions of the Board are that:
- Citizens in Leeds deserve the support of a workforce, including volunteers, that has the knowledge, skills and compassion to work alongside them and together achieve the best possible outcomes.
- Learning and Development is based upon the principles of 'Talk To Me, Hear My Voice' and the citizen's voice is at the core of safeguarding practice.
- We 'learn from experience to improve how we work'; we work well together within a culture that encourages positive learning experiences and is committed to continuous development.
Learning and workforce development is the responsibility of all the agencies that make up the safeguarding partnership in the city. The Leeds Safeguarding Adults Board has a legal duty to be assured that 'relevant partners provide training for staff and volunteers on the policy, procedures and professional practices that are in place'.
When referring to 'learning and development' we include a wide range of activities that may all help a person to learn, develop and become more confident in undertaking their safeguarding role. For example, observation, practice reflection, supervision, reading, training, on-line videos and blogs.
The Board needs to know that:
- All safeguarding agencies are meeting their safeguarding adults learning and development duties
- Multi-agency arrangements for safeguarding learning and development are effective
- All staff and volunteers receive safeguarding adults training to a level commensurate with their role
- Are made aware of changes in Leeds Multi-Agency Safeguarding Policy & Procedures
The Framework will be underpinned by the Always concept that has been developed by the LSAB in relation to working with Self Neglect as its principles are seen to support all safeguarding practice
To see the Always Care Resources.
The Board believes that in order for the workforce to be skilled, competent and able to work sensitively and in line with the Leeds Citizen-led Multi-agency Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures, safeguarding adults learning and development activity will be informed by the following Always principles:
The person's voice is Always:
- Included in training and L&D activity
- Reflected in learning from Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs)
The language we use is Always:
- Citizen led, clear and easy to understand
- Used consistently across services and approaches
We Always work in partnership:
- Seeking opportunities to co-produce L&D whenever possible
- Sharing learning and training materials that are developed within agencies / services across the partnership
- Considering opportunities for combined training where appropriate
- Understanding the roles and priorities of others
Our L&D resources are Always of a high quality. They:
- Build from the Six Statutory Safeguarding principles
- Reflect citizens' voices and expectations. This may include:
- Topic-focused multi-agency conferences about complex areas of safeguarding
- Reflective practice workshops, learning workshops, guides and toolkits
- Annual legal framework learning events
- Summaries of key safeguarding information (for example, changes in policy and procedures)
- Incorporate the Boards Core Content Requirements, set out at Appendix one
- Every person working with / supporting adults in paid and unpaid role Always has access to:
- Information and training relevant to their role
- LSAB policy, procedures, guidance
- Resources and key messages developed from learning from SARs
- The LSAB Website
- Easily accessible support and advice.
We Always learn from experience, from:
- Safeguarding Adults Reviews, locally and nationally
- The voice of citizens who have safeguarding experience
- Practitioners, volunteers, managers, communities
- Other reviews (Child Practice Reviews, Domestic Homicide Reviews, Mental Health Homicide Reviews)
- Peer Reviews
- Safeguarding data and analysis
- Individual agency organisational self-assessments
- Agency inspection reports
- Complaints & compliments
- Multi and single agency quality improvement processes
- Appreciative Inquiry (strengths based-approach)
We seek to Always reflect, review, learn and improve:
- Knowing what we want to achieve
- Agreeing actions that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely)
- Knowing that our actions make a difference
We Always share what we learn:
- Clearly, simply, widely and timely
- Across services and the partnership
- On the LSAB website
We Always celebrate what is good:
- To support learning and practice improvement
- To reinforce key messages
We Always utilise the benefits of technology, including social media:
- To reach more individuals, services, and communities
- To share essential information, timely and concisely
- For basic training and E-learning across the partnership
- To support and widen opportunities for L&D
The LSAB will seek assurance from organisations represented on the Board that safeguarding learning & development activity Always:
- Includes the Core Content Requirements
- Incorporates learning from reviews
- Reflects Board policy, and procedures
- Is fit for purpose and meets the needs of the Board
- Is flexible and can adapt as priorities change
- Is supported by all organisations represented on the Board
Core Content Requirements for Adult Safeguarding Learning & Development Activity
To ensure the consistent provision of high-quality support services by a well informed and skilled workforce, the LSAB has developed a set of core content requirements to help agencies understand what they should include in safeguarding adults learning and development activity.
This includes people in paid and unpaid roles within the workforce of an organisation.
The LSAB expects that all safeguarding learning and development activity will contain these Core Content Requirements as a foundation for safeguarding learning content; how they are used will depend on the level and complexity of the learning activity. They may be referenced or developed and expanded upon in greater detail.
Safeguarding learning and development activity should Always incorporate the following Core Content Requirements:
- Language should be clear and easy to understand and should support the understanding and involvement of the individual.
- The role and purpose of the Leeds Citizen-led Multi-agency Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures. Always hear the voice of the individual and reflect the LSAB 'Talk To Me, Hear My Voice' approach.
- In situations where the person has mental capacity and declines support but they remain at significant risk, Always consider different options and approaches to supporting the person to engage with support and services.
- The six statutory Safeguarding Adults Principles, including how they are defined and described by citizens.
- Citizen rights to inclusion and representation, including the duty to provide independent advocacy
- The Essential Safeguarding Legal Framework (including The Care Act 2014, The Mental Capacity Act 2005, Care & Support Statutory Guidance 2017, Domestic Violence, Crime & Victims Act 2005 and the Human Rights Act 1998) and how this applies to safeguarding practice.
- Learning from relevant safeguarding reviews, including Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs), Thematic Reviews, Learning Lessons Review and Appreciative Inquiry.
- The importance of understanding and recognising the person's culture and identity and its impact upon their wishes, feelings and behaviours.
- Think Family, Work Family; the Leeds commitment to working with families, being aware of our duties towards children as well as adults, understanding the context of a person's life and the needs of family members in providing for support arrangements.
- The importance for information sharing to multi-agency working, including the LSAB information sharing policy (2019).