Lynne Turnbull is one of the Ambassadors for the Strengthening DPULOs Programme. In her day job, she is Chief Executive of Cheshire Centre for Independent Living, and below writes about part of her work drawing on user voice in safeguarding.
As part of my role representing the Voluntary & Community Sector on the Adult Safeguarding Board in Cheshire East, I have expressed the importance of the Board’s work being driven by the outcomes wanted and needed by disabled people. As a result, alongside my role on the Safeguarding Board, as the CEO of a DPULO, I currently chair the ‘No Secrets Reference Group’. This is made up of disabled people and carers who may/have already, experienced abuse (including hate incidents, verbal abuse, physical abuse etc).
At the recent meeting, the group decided on outcomes that were important to them during a safeguarding process, but equally these could easily relate to any aspect of life – treatment in hospitals, social care, by police etc.
This reference group is now the main subgroup to the board and these outcomes underpin all board and sub group activities.
For example, Cheshire East Council is piloting a feedback form that was designed by this group and is also underpinned by these outcomes. This feedback form is to be piloted within a social care team so that we can capture to what extent the outcomes are achieved by disabled people experiencing abuse.
The group has created a picture of where disabled people felt they were, or had been, with regard to safeguarding. You can view this here:
The hills demonstrate that there was still a way to go, but the sun represents the outcomes of where everyone said they wanted to be.
We would love to produce this on a postcard and distribute to every household in the area with contact details for reporting abuse – safeguarding really is everyone’s business!
arbitrary constant 
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