Strategic priorities 2025-26
This year we undertook a review of our governance and scrutiny procedures, resulting in the publication of revised Governance Arrangements. This work was done to ensure the Board is equipped to deliver its statutory and local commitments and to add value to partnership working in safeguarding adults through effective oversight and scrutiny.
It is important to add that, in setting revised Strategic Priorities and Annual Objectives, the key aspects of the previous year’s work have (where relevant) been incorporated into the new priorities and objectives, so that good practice, learning and ongoing work is not ‘lost’ going forward.
It is proposed that the high-level Strategic Priorities for 2025-26 remain unchanged to continue to the progress we have made over the last 12 months. These Priorities remain relevant to the activity of the Board and represent a clear framework on which to assess progress. They form a comprehensive framework that captures all the key functions of the Board, focusing on three areas of equal importance; effective operational delivery; good governance; and active communication and community engagement.
Whilst the Strategic Priorities effectively remain the same, it is important to demonstrate that each has been properly reviewed in the context of the current operating environment. Each priority is set out below together with the rationale for its selections.
Ensuring Safeguarding services are delivered effectively and professionally, with Making Safeguarding Personal at the heart of how those services are delivered. This priority continues to be relevant, so that the Board’s focus on adult safeguarding remains firmly on the needs and expectations of the individual at risk.
Ensuring that there are effective governance, scrutiny and business processes in place to ensure that the safety and well-being of adults who are subject to, or at risk of, abuse and neglect is at the heart of Board members organisational priorities.
This Priority will ensure that the findings from Safeguarding Adult Reviews published during 2022-23 and other key areas of Practice improvement are implemented. The Board will continue to develop and strengthen its governance arrangements; it is important to maintain the focus on systems and processes.
We will promote safeguarding adults in the community by listening to their concerns and raising awareness to prevent neglect and abuse before it happens, with a focus on diverse, isolated and underrepresented communities.
This Priority will ensure there is effective communication and engagement with the partners, key stakeholders and the wider community is maintained and that the concerns of adults at risk of abuse and neglect are listened to.
We will continue to collaborate with other key groups, committees and partners, particularly the Safeguarding Children’s Partnership, the Community Safety Partnership and the housing, homelessness and rough sleeping sectors to build on our effective partnership working and deliver key workstreams. We will continue to deliver training and development in areas where awareness and understanding needs to be improved.
Plans for our objectives for 2025-26
To deliver those Priorities, several annual objectives are proposed that will ensure we move towards delivering our Strategic Priorities, which are:
To achieve the maximum impact of those Strategic Priorities, we have set out our Annual Objectives, monitored and delivered through our Business Plan. They are summarised below.
Service delivery with maximum focus on Making Safeguarding Personal and informed by the voice of adults who are at risk of neglect and abuse.
Deliver safeguarding services through a cross-cutting approach to safeguarding adults, children and families at risk of neglect and abuse.
Raising awareness of safeguarding adults issues, particularly during the cost-of-living crisis and the increasing demands on service providers.
Through a range of development tools, including self-assessment, peer review and benchmarking.