We take the issue of safeguarding very seriously, and are always
looking for ways to improve the policies and procedures that are
linked to it.
Below are detailed some of the lessons that we have
learned as an organisation, along with examples of the outcomes of
individual incidents.
Strategic lessons
- A review of safeguarding activity identified instances of
ambulance staff making a safeguarding referral some time after the
incident which prompted the referral. Whilst feedback was offered
to the staff involved, it became apparent that operational pressure
(to attend another emergency call) was preventing a referral being
made in a more timely manner. Policy has now been introduced so
that a referral is considered as part of the dispatch cycle, so
that a crew are not deployed to another 999 call until it has been
completed.
- Work is underway to identify improved liaison
with health and social care agencies where ambulance staff attend a
child aged under the age of two who is not conveyed to hospital.
This is to help ensure joined up access to information about a
patient’s wellbeing.
- Liaison is being undertaken with the 32 local
London authorities to introduce a systematic process to improve the
feedback loop on the action taken when a referral has been made, in
accordance with best communications practice.
- Liaison is being similarly carried out
towards the Trust having access to information about children who
have been deemed to be ‘At Risk’, so that this information can be
made available to the attending ambulance staff.
Individual incidents
- The care provided at a care home was the subject
of a local authority investigation. The evidence of safeguarding
referrals made by the attending ambulance staff contributed to a
number of changes and improvements being put into place as regards
the care home’s policy and practice.
- Increased domiciliary care provision for an
elderly patient who was vulnerable to falls was put into place as a
consequence of a referral by the attending ambulance
staff.
- A family were offered a variety of support
measures following a safeguarding referral where it was identified
that the lone parent was experiencing difficulties in
coping.
- Arrangements were put into place for a patient
with a history of acute mental illness to be conveyed to the
facility who was managing his long-term care rather than the local
A&E department, on any occasion that the patient experienced a
relapse whilst on home leave.
- The evidence of the referral made by the
attending ambulance staff contributed to care proceedings
undertaken by a local authority.
- When a child was conveyed to hospital, the
ambulance crew expressed concerns to the A&E nurse but didn’t
complete a referral themselves. Feedback was provided on the need
to do this.