National News and Guidance
There is an excellent webpage on the Stop Hate UK website that lists all of the prominent national organisations linked to the subject of Hate Crime, as well providing some really useful information on this subject. You can now also report a Hate Crime in Lewisham using this website: Report a Hate Crime
If you are a professional who works with victims or perpetrators of domestic abuse and have experience working with adults aged 60+ then researchers at Durham University and the University of East Anglia want to hear about your views and experiences. This will help them to build evidence to inform the development of domestic abuse prevention strategies, policies and practice. Please see the attached Research Study Poster for more information.
Local News and Guidance
Give us your views and have your say by completing the Board’s Annual Survey 2021-22 (which runs until the end of March 2022), and encourage members of the public, clients or service users to do the same. This will help inform the future direction of adult safeguarding in the Borough:
The Board has recently approved the attached Guidance for Reporting Medication Incidents as Adult Safeguarding Concerns, which will also be published and embedded into the Lewisham Adult Safeguarding Pathway. This provides clarity on what constitutes a Safeguarding Concern and how to respond to such incidents, as well as near misses. This should be adopted and used by all professionals across the Borough who work with medicines. Please disseminate this across your networks accordingly.
Healthwatch Lewisham have recently published the attached report on Digital Exclusion. We would strongly encourage professionals to read this report and consider the recommendations, and how these can be generically adopted by services. “always seek to capture feedback to help shape services that meet the needs of digitally excluded and vulnerable people”.
Help to shape the future for adults living with a disability in Lewisham
The Lewisham Disabled People’s Commission is launching a survey across the Borough to find out what barriers disabled residents face working and living in Lewisham. The Commission has been set up and funded by Lewisham Council and is an independent user-led organisation that aims to put disabled people at the very heart of decision making. The Commission is keen to hear views from a wide range of residents who are disabled including those who have long-term chronic physical or mental health conditions, learning disabilities, or are Deaf.
Please take part in this survey to help shape the future for disabled residents in Lewisham.
Are you or someone you know working with young people affected by violence and or exploitation in Lewisham? Lewisham Council have formed a partnership to: understand local issues and challenges; allow for the development of trauma informed approaches through the provision of clinical support; and to strengthen skills and assist in building cohesive communities. If you are interested in becoming a ‘Community Champion’ linked to this project then please see the attached poster for more information.
Also see the LSAB dedicated COVID Webpage: LSAB COVID-19 Information for residents, carers and professionals
Spotlight on: Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT)
The Lewisham MSHT Network has produced the attached draft strategy and guidance which is now being published for consultation (this has been left in MS Word format to allow for track changes to be added and returned). If you have responsibility for this subject in your service, or you work in this sector, then please take the time to review the contents and also seek feedback from victims and survivors. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss this in more detail. The consultation will run until mid-February 2022.
Please also see the attached 7 minute briefing on this subject which outlines how the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) works.
Unseen run the national Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline: 08000 121 700 See their website for more details and information on this subject.
Local Learning, Training and Development Events
Online Adult Safeguarding Foundation Level Training Sessions
The aim of these online sessions is to provide an introduction to adult safeguarding by outlining the legal framework, definitions and principles that are used, and by explaining the content of the Lewisham Adult Safeguarding Pathway, which includes key local and national resources. This is for new staff or volunteers, or for those needing a refresher on this subject. This is led by Martin Crow LSAB Business Manager.
26 January 2022 – 12.45 to 4pm Book Here
11 May 2022 – 12.45 to 4pm Book Here
6 July 2022 – 12.45 to 4pm Book Here
31 August 2022 – 12.45 to 4pm Book Here
2 November 2022 – 12.45 to 4pm Book Here
14 December 2022 – 12.45 to 4pm Book Here
[Please be aware that Eventbrite is not compatible with Internet Explorer if this is the default search engine your computer system uses – please open and then copy & paste the links into Google].
We are currently working on developing the Board’s training programme for 2022, but this will include (not exhaustive):
- Further Networking and Safeguarding Champions Events
- Training to support the transition to, and implementation of the new Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) under the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019
- Training linked to the publication of some new guidance on Domestic Abuse which is to be developed in the Borough
- Training to support the launch of the MSHT Strategy and Guidance
- A programme of events to support the National Adult Safeguarding Awareness Week again in November 2022.