Our Strategic Plan 2023/24

Our plans for the year ahead are based around four key ambitions that guide our work as a Board. Are objectives are based on our learning throughout the year and what people have told us is important.  We welcome feedback on our plans at any point in the year, you can do this via the Tell your views survey. 

Ambition One:  Develop citizen-led approaches to safeguarding adults

Our ambition is that people in Leeds can influence safeguarding adults work.

We plan to:

1. Expand our Friends of the Board Network to engage with community organisations and members of the public
2. Ask people in Leeds for their views about the values that the Board should have
3. Produce a Board constitution and Member's handbook that include citizen-led principles and ambitions
4. Promote our Citizen Ambassadors programme so that organisations hear from people in Leeds about how to support them to be safe from abuse and neglect
5. Hold an event for the Board to meet local organisations to discuss safeguarding work in Leeds
6. Regularly consult people about safeguarding work in Leeds and plans

Ambition Two: Promote awareness about safeguarding within communities and organisations

We are committed to working with Leeds communities to ensure people have access to clear and simple information about abuse and neglect and they are confident to report it.

We plan to:

1. Continue to provide free awareness sessions for community groups
2. Promote our posters, leaflets and films so citizens and organisations can use them to raise public awareness
3. Use social media to promote messages and campaigns
4. Create resources for faith communities to increase safeguarding awareness and confidence to report abuse or neglect
5. Co-produce a plan with local organisations, to increase safeguarding awareness in ethnically diverse communities and increase confidence to report abuse or neglect
6. Co-produce awareness resources for people with learning disabilities
7. Develop a new website to share our information resources and promote our work
8. To help local organisations know and understand their safeguarding responsibilities we will review guidance about what 'safeguarding' is and what 'poor quality care' is
9. Explore the need for multi-agency training for organisations in Leeds
   

Ambition Three: Develop citywide approaches to safeguarding

We want people in Leeds to be confident that practitioners will work together and with them to get the best outcomes for them.

Working with our strategic partners, we plan to:

1. Develop a citywide approach to responding to self-neglect
2. Hold an event about the Leeds self-neglect strategy to hear from practitioners and organisations
3. Work with strategic partners to develop our approach to responding to domestic abuse
4. Contribute to Leeds Domestic Abuse & Violence Strategy
5. Work with partners to increase city-wide understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and Best Interest decision making
6. Continue to provide the Exceptional Risk forum supporting organisations working with people who remain at risk of abuse or neglect, despite prior support being provided or offered
7. Link with wider citywide strategies, Boards and Partnerships
8. Co-produce an improved approach to multi-agency safeguarding work in Leeds
9. Engage with Social Housing providers in Leeds
10. Assess the impact of the recent review about people living street-based lives
11. Ensure the Board is kept informed about any safeguarding issues related to commissioned care and support services.
    

Ambition Four: Learn from experience to improve how we work

We are committed to continual learning and the development of safeguarding adults work, using people's experiences and feedback to help us achieve positive outcomes for people in Leeds.

We plan to:

1. Carry out Safeguarding Adults Reviews to learn from peoples experiences
2. Look into how the Board can be assured that safeguarding arrangements are working well in Leeds
3. Our Board Partners will carry out Annual Audits and report back to assure the Board of their safeguarding arrangements
4. Develop an approach to seek assurance from all member organisations that they have put new Board learning, resources, policies and procedures into practice.