Follow up question regarding safeguarding checks.

Cleveland Police did not have the information requested.

Dear Cleveland Police,

Good evening. This request follows on from a previous request. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/q...

In that request I asked the following :

"I would like to know what your procedure is, when you are asked by a social worker to carry out a safeguarding check on a potential house mate of a vulnerable adult, before the vulnerable adult moves in.

Please tell me what things the safeguarding check looks for, and what (if any) types of things are excluded from these checks.

How far back does the checks go? How many years does it look at? Does it check even if the person has lived in various places around the UK? How thorough is the checks?

How many of these safeguarding checks have been carried out during 2017 in the Stockton On Tees area?"

The reply I was given was:

"We have made enquiries with our Protecting Vulnerable People department and they have advised that we are not asked to carry out these checks, in relation to adults, by Social Care. We would suggest therefore that you may need to request information, regarding their procedures, from them."

The response from Stockton Council was:

"A1. We are unable to answer this question as we are not aware of any such
checks being carried out."

I have since spoken to the social worker, and they told me that the police carried the check out. It was carried out by staff that operate at Helen Britton House. The social worker is adamant that the police carried the check out. As far as I am aware, having had dealings with them in the past, the protecting vulnerable people department operate out of Helen Britton House.

Can you please look into this matter for me again? I'm concerned, because my son, who is a 24 year old vulnerable adult with special needs, moved into a house with a man who was about 48, and he (the housemate) told me later that he'd been under investigation for a sexual assault on someone, and was on bail when my son moved in. The social worker swears blind that they carried out safeguarding checks on the housemate (through the police) before my son moved in, but I haven't been able to find proof of this. I would also like to think that a safeguarding check would have flagged up this information.

Thank you for your time.

Yours faithfully,

Peter Smith

Freedom of Information, Cleveland Police

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Freedom of Information, Cleveland Police

Dear Mr Smith,

We have looked at your request again and must advise that our response, based on the information provided to us, still stands "we are not asked to carry out these (safeguarding) checks, in relation to adults, by Social Care" and we have no policy or procedure documents on this subject.

With regards to your new comments we do not feel that this is anything that could be dealt via Freedom of Information.

We can confirm that officers frequent Helen Britton House however the information provided to us indicates that there are none based there. This facility was managed by the NHS up to 31st March 2018 and is now managed by Safe in Tees Valley.

To proceed with this subject matter any further we would recommend that you submit a request to the force Legal Department ([email address]), in writing, providing as much detail as you can, including names of Social Workers, Police Officers etc. so that it can be looked into.

If your require any further assistance please contact this office on 10642 306825 or 01642 306832.

Your sincerely,

Ms E McGuigan
Freedom of Information Decision Maker
Cleveland Police, Ladgate Lane, Middlesbrough
Tel: 01642 306832 or 01642 306825
E-mail: [Cleveland Police request email]
       
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