A small act … thank you

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

As we move to the end of the year, it feels like the right time take a moment, look back at what we have done and ask:

‘Is Norfolk a safer place for an adult at risk of abuse and harm at the end of 2022 than it was at the beginning?’

I believe I can say very positively yes, it is.

How best to see the impact and showcase evidence that demonstrates safeguarding adult work has made a tangible difference to people’s lives, has been a frequent discussion with colleagues  this year. It will be a theme we will continue to think about and continue to develop through the next year, I am sure.

During 2022 the board has worked on using data more effectively, quite rightly to bring our attention to where our focus needs to be. Impact can be measured in a number of ways and from a number of perspectives, … yes we can use ‘hard’ numbers and we also have ‘soft’ qualitative experiences too. This impact can be made up of lots of different things; some are big, like the progress summit the board held in September to review the impact of the recommendations from the Joanna, Jon and Ben Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR). Some are small, like a question asked in a team meeting, that sparks a conversation.

All safeguarding actions taken are helping to build a social movement against adult abuse and harm.

To make a lasting difference we need thousands and thousands of actions, some big and some small. While larger actions will often be part of what the board does, I do not want to overlook the small. While these could be harder to measure, they are nevertheless just as important.

As we move to the end of the year it seem a good point for me to say thank you to anyone who has taken one or more small actions. It could have been:

• If you are one of the 17,000 plus people who have visited the NSAB website … thank you
  
  
• If you have downloaded guidance or information from the website … thank you
  
  
• If you are one of those who have raised a safeguarding adults concern to the local authority this year (current figures suggest 5,553, compared to 4,883 for 2021) … thank you
  
  
• If you have asked a safeguarding adults question in your team meeting … thank you
  
  
• If you have joined one (or more) of the NSAB webinars, In Conversations or other events … thank you
  
  
• If you have attended any one of the Localities Safeguarding Adults Partnership (LSAP) meetings this year … thank you
  
  
• If you have attended a Train the Trainer safeguarding adults training course (and are giving training to your organisation) … thank you
  
  
• If you have helped present an agenda item to a board meeting … thank you
  
  
• If you have helped contribute to any of NSAB’s subgroup meetings this year … thank you
  
  
• If you have made a Safeguarding Adults Review referral … thank you
  
  
• If you helped support the awareness week in November … thank you
  
  
• If you attended one or more of the safeguarding focus groups we ran with the Norfolk Care Association … thank you
  
  
• If you have been one of the many people who have distributed our information leaflets or posters … thank you
  
  
• If you have asked a colleague for some adult safeguarding advice … thank you
  
  
• If you have taken a few minutes from your busy day to read this blog … thank you

Building a social movement during 2022 links into something I have been thinking about ... how can we develop the notion of safeguarding from everyone’s business to everyday business. Early in the year I shared the following on LinkedIn:

‘… When safeguarding is done well it permeates through every part of our workforce, across our communities and through our voluntary & social enterprise sector. Safeguarding isn't just everyone's business, it's everyday business.

From the start of your career to the end, from frontline to board, in every conversation, in our working lives to our leisure time, we are all responsible. When done effectively we can ‘feel’ it in all contacts we have with an organisation and its people.

This feeling is outwardly demonstrated because raising a safeguarding concern is done with total ease and confidence.

We all have a role to play. We are all accountable.’

All the actions you have taken have helped us do this, and to make Norfolk a safer place this year. Thank you.

Walter Lloyd-Smith

NSAB Board Manager

Email: [email protected]

Monday 19 December 2022