September 2021 newsletter

Dear colleagues,

Welcome to the first Partners in Salford newsletter. This newsletter has been produced on behalf of the Chairs of the Integrated Partnership Boards. In future issues we will tell you more about the work of the
respective boards, which work together to ensure that effective safeguarding is delivered to protect all the citizens of Salford.

The statutory boards are:

• Salford Safegaurding Adult Board (SSAB)
• Salford Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP)
• Community Safety Partnership (CSP)
• Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB)

Further information and resources regarding the above boards and partnerships.

The Salford Safeguarding Adult Board,and the Salford Safeguarding Children Partnership also have their own newsletter which offer a good resource of information and signposting to training and other value
resources so feel free to take a look by clicking on the links of the individual board or partnership.

We are pleased to share our very first newsletter and we hope you find the content interesting and useful. For future newsletters please see the latest news page.

The aim of this newsletter is to improve communication across the boards, partnerships, workforce and partners in Salford and to keep you up to date with developments.

Throughout the year there are many national days and awareness days and keeping up to date can be difficult so we are going to use this platform to communicate some of the future days and events to ensure
every opportunity is made to raise awareness of important humanitarian, cultral and social issues. Watch out for social media and communications.

Awareness days

• Domestic Abuse Month: 1 October 2021 until 1 November 2021
• Black History Month: 1 October 2021 until 1 November 2021
• World Mental Health Day: 10 October 2021
• Transgender Awareness Month: 1 November 2021 until 30 November 2021
• National Hate Crime Awareness Week: 9 October 2021 until 16 October 2021
• Anti-Slavery Day: 18 October 2021
• 16 Days against violence against women: 25 November 2021 until 10 December 2021
• Worlds AIDS day: 1 December 2021
• Internation Day of Persons with Disabilities: 3 December 2021
• International Human Rights Day: 10/ December 2021

Safeguarding

Cuckooing

This has recently been identified as a concern with a number of cases coming to light across Salford.

Cuckooing is when people (usually criminals) exploit a vulnerable person, taking over their home and often using it for criminal purposes such as dealing drugs or hiding firearms but not exclusively.

The name is based on the practice of the cuckoo birds who take over the nests of other birds.

The restrictions that have been in place during the pandemic have meant that some people are more isolated, leading to increased
opportunities for this type of crime to occur. For more information we have produced a 7-Minute Briefing and plain text version with more information about cuckooing.

Please use these resources to discuss cuckooing with your teams so people are aware of it and can recognise potential signs. If you have concerns, please raise them with partners as it is likely that a coordinated response will be required.

Suicide prevention

Salford has developed a 5-year strategy focused on suicide, recognising that suicide prevention is everyone’s business and that suicide is an avoidable occurrence.

Key priorities include the roll out of suicide prevention training, ensuring that people know how to signpost people to the right help and support, and suggesting approaches to support those who maybe at higher risk of suicide.

There is also provision of counselling for people who are bereaved by suicide. The Suicide Prevention Partnership includes members
from a range of organisations and services who come together to ensure that learning is shared, and the strategic priorities are delivered through monitoring of the action plan.

Salford Suicide Prevention Strategy 2017-22 (PDF)

Domestic abuse

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 was passed earlier this year and introduces / extends provisions in relation to domestic abuse including:

• A new statutory definition (not yet enacted)
• The new definition recognises children who witness abuse as victims in their own right
• It establishes an office of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner
• Places a duty on local authorities to provide specialist support to victims in safe accommodation
• Extends offences of controlling or coercive behaviour to cover post separation abuse and the offence of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress (“revenge porn”) to cover threats to disclose such material
• Creates a new offence of non-fatal strangulation
• Provides a statutory domestic abuse perpetrator strategy

For more information, see the Domestic Abuse Act 2021: overarching factsheet.

The statutory duty for the local authority is to appoint a multi-agency Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board (in Salford this is named the Salford Local Domestic Abuse Housing Advisory Group) which must:

• Assess the need for accommodation-based domestic abuse support for all victims in their area, including those who require cross-border support.
• Develop and publish a strategy for the provision of such support to cover their locality, having regard to the needs assessment.
• Give effect to the strategy (through commissioning / de- commissioning decisions).
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy.
• Report back to central government.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Project

Following on from discussions at the Health and Wellbeing Board, it was identified that a joint presentation between Adult and Children/ Young People’s mental health commissioning would be a useful approach to provide an overview of the work being carried out under the All Age Mental Health Commissioning Strategy, with a view to identifying key workstreams and themes for the various Partnership Boards in Salford to consider as part of their work plan.

Through discussions with the Partnership Boards, it was hoped that the key themes would be reflected in their individual action plans, encouraging system focus to achieve a shared approach to improved mental health and wellbeing.

In addition to identifying priority areas of work (eg suicide prevention, Living Well, Parent and Infant Mental Health, Integrated Community Response Services for young people in Crisis and a single point of access for CAMHs), the presentation identified the following key themes:

• Family Support – breaking the cycle of poor mental health
• Support for people experiencing domestic abuse – supporting the development of the domestic abuse commissioning strategy and subsequent recommendations
• Trauma informed, responsive care
• Equity of access

Partners were asked to consider the following actions:

• Promote 5 Ways to Wellbeing within their organisations
• Promote Connect 5: Connect 5 is a mental health promotion training programme that is designed to increase the confidence and skills of front-line staff about mental health and wellbeing, free training is available via the link
• Mental Health First Aid, Mind in Salford now offer Mental Health First Aid England training for individuals, businesses and organisations in Salford. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an evidence-based internationally recognised training, backed by the Royal Society for Public Health, which teaches people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and to provide initial help and support – just like physical first aiders do for people with injuries or physical ill health.
• Supporting staff with Financial wellbeing and Focusing on Workplace Wellbeing and being a Mindful Employer
• Promote the Shining a Light on Suicide work
• Support staff/clients who may be experiencing loneliness

Following discussions at each partnership board, additional recommendations or actions are taken forward by the board by including the activity in their wider action plan.

Social Housing and the Housing Register

There is currently a severe shortage of social housing in Salford. There are many more people in need of (re)housing than there are properties, for example: during the 12 months of 2019/20 the total number of properties advertised were:

• 396 one-bedroom properties
• 526 two-bedroom properties
• 233 three-bedroom properties
• 18 four-bedroom properties

However, on average, every month (during 2019/20), the numbers of households registered and in need of housing were:

• 3827 in need of a one-bedroom property
• 1528 in need of a two-bedroom property
• 743 in need of a three-bedroom property
• 206 in need of a four-bedroom property

Accessible and adapted housing is in even shorter supply.

Applicants need to be encouraged to widen their choices in terms of area, floor level and type of accommodation (eg flats) as much as possible, to increase their chances of being rehoused.

More detailed information about social housing is available from Julie Craik (Housing Strategy Team): julie.craik@salford.gov.uk / 0161 793 2143.

Concerned about an adult or a child

Safeguarding means protecting people from abuse or neglect. If you are concerned about the welfare of an adult or a child, it must be reported, trust your instincts.

For further information to how to report your concerns:

• Worried about a child
• Worried about an adult

Finally…

If you would like us to include anything in our next bulletin or have any feedback, please email the Business Managers for each board. We are:

• Salford Safeguarding Adult Board (SSAB) - Jane Bowmer - email jane.bowmer@salford.gov.uk
• Community Safety Partnership (CSP) - Roselyn Baker - email roselyn.baker@salford.gov.uk
• Salford Safeguarding Children Partnership (SSCP) - Shahanara Begum -  email shahanara.begum@salford.gov.uk
• Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) - Nicola Leak - email nicola.leak@salford.gov.uk

Best wishes, stay safe and well.