QOF Plus Year 1 - Imperial College London

Priority and relevance to national policyExamples of national legislation and policy relating to safeguarding children, young people andvulnerable adults (including partnership working) include: Children Act 1989United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child(ratified by UK Government in 1991) Human Rights Act 1998 Protection of Children Act 1999 Health and Social Care Act 2001 Adoption and Children Act 2002 Sexual Offences Act 2003 Children Act 2004Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006/Working Together under the Children Act2004 (2006)/Protecting Children- a shared responsibility (1998) Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006Recent guidance produced by the National Patient Safety Agency (Bowie and Pringle, 2008)addresses the importance of Significant Event Analyses, including those relating to near missesinvolving potential harm to patients, and of sharing this information with Primary Care Trusts andthe NPSA in order to enable lessons to be shared with others.Achievement of these indicators would provide practice assurance of the following HealthcareCommission core standards: C1a, C2, C5d, C7a, C7c, C11a and C20a.Local contextThe number of children on the child protection register in Hammersmith and Fulham rose from70 in February 2006 to 139 by March 2007. The main reasons for registration continue to beneglect and emotional abuse. Information is collated at case conferences regarding family issues.For the period December 2006 – February 2007 there were 133 conferences. Domestic Violencewas a factor in 42% of all cases. Other factors that are significant are substance misuse andmental health issues (Hammersmith and Fulham Child Protection Annual Report 2006/7).The proposed indicators relating to child protection are in concordance with therecommendations of Hammersmith and Fulham Child Protection Annual Report 2006/7. They aredesigned to strengthen record-keeping and cross-organisational communication in relation tochild protection, which have been identified locally as an area for action, and to embed a systemof regular CRB checks for practice staff.A multi-agency policy and related procedures for the protection of vulnerable adults has beenproduced by the the local social services department and partner agencies to protect vulnerableadults in the borough (LBHF Social Services Department, 2006).87