In 2013, North Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Board published a serious case review into the death of ‘Robert’.
The review recommended actions or learning points for the agencies involved and for the safeguarding adults board. The recommendations in the report were accepted fully by the board as a means to further professionals’ understanding, support wider knowledge sharing and improve services for homeless people in this complex and unique area of adult social care.
The board is now satisfied with the response to all the recommendations and formally signed off the action plan at its meeting on 5 June 2014.
In addition it agreed to issue a staff/partners briefing note with case briefing sheet for communication and awareness raising about the outcomes put in place from the serious case review action plan.
The board recommends that this briefing note is used by staff and trainers within the relevant agencies to encourage understanding and learning from this review.
The board has also adopted an updated serious case review protocol which reflects the lessons learned from this review which will be operational with immediate effect, pending a further review alongside the guidance about safeguarding adults reviews in the Care Act (2014). This protocol is available above.
A joint procedure has also been issued which clarifies the response that homeless people should receive if they present out of hours to health and adult services or district councils. The procedure has been developed jointly between Health and Adult Services and the County Homelessness Group.