A joint inspection of adult support and protection measures in Fife has found clear strengths in ensuring adults at risk of harm are safe, protected and supported.
However, inspectors also identified areas which could further improve.
Inspectors from the Care Inspectorate, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland carried out an inspection in Fife between May 2021 and August 2021.
This was part of a new series of inspections being carried out across Scotland.
They intend to provide assurance about local partnership areas’ effective operation of adult support and protection processes, and leadership for adult support and protection services. Inspectors looked at health, police, and social work records of adults at risk of harm.
In the report of the inspection, published today, inspectors say key strengths were that adults at risk of harm typically experienced improvements to their safety, health and wellbeing due to the collaborative efforts of social workers, health professionals, and police officers
They added that Partnership leaders promoted a collaborative ethos which led to improved outcomes for adults at risk of harm.
Inspectors noted that adults at risk of harm played a key role on the adult support and protection committee and a third sector body effectively supported their meaningful participation.
And they found that Partnership leaders exercised sound, collaborative leadership for adult support and protection, and they initiated constructive quality assurance and self-evaluation work.
Inspectors also identified key areas for improvement, including that the partnership should develop standardised templates for adult protection chronologies, risk assessments, and protection plans, and use them consistently.
The partnership should also adopt the policy that all adults at risk of harm, who require them, should have a chronology, a risk assessment and an accompanying protection plan, whether they have been subject to a case conference or not.
Peter Macleod, Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, said: “The Care Inspectorate and our partners Healthcare Improvement Scotland and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland were asked by Scottish Ministers to carry out joint inspections of adult support and protection across Scotland.
“This is a report of our findings in the Fife partnership area. It sets out how effectively the Partnership makes sure adults at risk of harm are safe, protected, and supported.
“The Fife partnership carried out almost all aspects of adult support and protection well. Social work staff, health professionals, and police officers worked collaboratively to make sure adults at risk of harm were safe, supported, and protected.
“Management of risk is a critical facet of adult support and protection. There was room for improvement for chronologies, risk assessments, and protection plans.”
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Notes to editors
The full report is available here.