Date of Request: 10/11/2015
Date of Disclosure: 03/12/2015
Request and Response
Please find Devon County Council’s response to each of your questions below;
- In the 12 months ending 30 September 2015, and in the preceding 12 months ending 30 September 2014,
- a) How many adult safeguarding alerts (concerns from April 2015) were received?
In the 12 months to Sept 2014: 2315
In the 12 months to Sept 2015: 2562
- b) How many investigations (enquiries from April 2015) were undertaken?
In the 12 months to Sept 2014: 1015
In the 12 months to Sept 2015: 769
- In the 12 months ending 30 September 2015 on how many occasions was no action taken in response to those alerts/concerns as a consequence of
- a) The alleged victim having no need for care and support as defined in section 42(1) of the Care Act 2015 or
New alert forms which identify section 42 were only introduced in August 2015, one month before the end of the 12 month period requested.
In any event, to identify this information would require a review of every alleged victim’s record to identify if this was reason in every single case and then to collate the number of occasions and this would take longer than 18 hours and therefore the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit for the purposes of s.12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
- b) Because it was concluded that the alleged victim had the ability to protect him or herself, in accordance with the same Care Act section.
Again, to identify this information would require the same level of work as would be necessary to answer question 2(a) and therefore longer than 18 hours and therefore the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit for the purposes of s.12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
- In the 12 months ending 30 September 2015
- a) On how many occasions was an adult safeguarding representative unable to gain access to an adult who was suspected to be at risk of neglect or abuse, where access was blocked by a family member or other Third Party.
To identify this information would require a full review of every matter when an adult safeguarding representative sought to gain access to an adult to identify whether they were, on each and every occasion, initially successful and then consider the events which followed. This full review would take longer than 18 hours and therefore the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit for the purposes of s.12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
- b) What action, if any, was taken in response?
Please refer to our response above to question 3(a); specifically where we refer to the “events which followed.”
- c) Was access eventually achieved?
Please refer to our response above to question 3(a); specifically where we refer to the “events which followed.”
- Has your LA appointed a Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager?
Yes a Designated Adult Safeguarding Manager has been pointed and was incorporated into an existing post.
- What is the estimated or known cost of this role?
No additional cost because of the incorporation referred to above
- What is the estimated or known overall cost of recruiting, appointing, and payment of salaries and other associated costs?
Please refer to our response above to question 4(a)
- Do you anticipate maintaining this role in the new financial year?
Yes, the role will be maintained in the new financial year