Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Annual Report 2024/25

Appendix 2 - SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis feedback for the Annual Challenge Event

Continued strength in governance and collaboration across the partnership.
Board meetings were well attended with active and meaningful participation from all members.
Clear and sustained commitment to improving safeguarding practices.
Enhanced website now offers accessible resources and training opportunities.
The partnership is guided by a robust and clearly defined strategic plan.
Progress is underway toward developing a multi-agency dashboard to monitor performance.
Strategic-level communication remains excellent, enabling strong coordination and shared understanding across agencies.
Partners and the independent chair have provided constructive challenge, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.
Members are respected, their voices heard, and their contributions valued.
Overall, the partnership reflects strength, cohesion, and a culture of continuous improvement.

Progress has been made, but several areas still need attention to strengthen the Board's impact and effectiveness.
Analysis of demand and need remains fragmented:
Power BI data requires better integration and interpretation.
Public awareness of the Board's role and function needs to be improved.
Assurance mechanisms must be strengthened to:
Evidence learning from Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs).
Show how learning is disseminated and its impact on practice and systems.
Better gap analysis is needed between partners, especially for:
Complex issues such as hoarding and self-neglect.
Evaluating initiatives like "Right Care, Right Person" in Gateshead.
Service user engagement should be more effectively used to inform learning outcomes and training development.
Ongoing concerns around provider assurance:
The Decision-Making Tool needs revision.
Wider adoption is required across commissioning, regulatory, and provider bodies.
There is no formal induction process for new Board members.
Representation of large organisations across multiple areas needs to be addressed to ensure.

Training resources are being reshaped to focus on:
- Practical, practitioner-led learning.
- 7-minute briefings.
- Multi-agency training using pooled partner resources.
Data collection and analysis improvements are underway, and a newly formed Data Group supports partners in understanding how trends influence practice and service delivery.
Increased emphasis on promoting good practice more visibly and making the SAB Annual Report more accessible to the public, including a shortened summary version.
Ongoing work includes:
- Developing a fully embedded Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).
- Advancing proposals around the Multi-Agency Risk Management (MARM) framework.
- Encouraging joint working and partnership approaches, such as the Blue Light project.
Assurance processes are under review to focus on learning from SAR recommendations and identifying and addressing barriers to implementation.
Provider assurance improvements needed to revise and promote the Decision-Making Tool and ensuring adoption across commissioning, regulatory, and provider networks.
Additional areas being addressed the lack of an induction for new Board members. Representation from large organisations across multiple areas to strengthen engagement and feedback mechanisms.

The partnership continues to face rising volumes of safeguarding concerns, placing pressure on services and increasing the risk of missed issues.
There remains a misconception that Section 42 enquiries can resolve complex, multi-need cases, highlighting the need for broader, integrated responses.
Preventative approaches lack mechanisms for reporting outcomes, and safeguarding prevention activity risks being reprioritised due to competing demands on staff.
The nature of safeguarding is evolving, with increasing complexity and intersectionality involving mental health, substance misuse, exploitation, and criminal justice.
Attendance at Board and sub-group meetings has been affected by service pressures, and partnership funding arrangements are impacting the Board's ability to deliver on priorities.
Dissemination of information within GSAB partner organisations is inconsistent, and limited investment in training and sharing good practice may lead to misinformation and inappropriate referrals.
There is also a need to adapt to changes in government focus, funding, and statutory responsibilities.
Multiple reporting systems exist, but low-level concerns often lack sufficient attention.
A shared understanding of how to review culture in care settings is essential to drive improvement and assurance.