To present the West of Berkshire Safeguarding Report, which provides a current overview of safeguarding in Reading and the wider local area.

The Executive Director of Adult Care & Health Services submitted a report presenting the West of Berkshire Safeguarding Report, which provided a current overview of safeguarding in Reading and the wider local area.  The Safeguarding Report was attached at Appendix 1.

The report explained that the Care Act 2014 stipulated that each local authority must have a Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) to lead on adult safeguarding arrangements across its locality and have oversight and co-ordination with regard to the effectiveness of the safeguarding work of its member and partner agencies.  The SAB’s aim was to help and safeguard adults with care and support needs by ensuring that local safeguarding arrangements were in place, as defined by the Care Act 2014, and that: safeguarding practice was person-centred and outcome-focused; work was collaborative in order to prevent abuse and neglect where possible; agencies and individuals gave timely and proportionate responses when abuse or neglect had occurred; safeguarding practice was continuously improving; and quality of life for adults in its area were enhanced.

The report stated that the West of Berkshire Safeguarding Report reflected performance and priorities with regard to Safeguarding. It highlighted the work that had been carried out across the multi-agency partnership (Reading, West Berks & Wokingham) and included information on Safeguarding in Reading Borough Council Directorate of Adult Care & Health Services.

Resolved –

(1)      That the West of Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Report, which was appended to the report, be noted;

(2)      That the Strategic Plan be noted.