A joint training strategy has been agreed and funded by Cambridgeshire Adult Social Care Services, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, the Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trusts and Peterborough Adult Social Care.

Over 15,000 staff working within health and social care, independent sector providers and the police across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have been identified as needing basic awareness and other training in Adult Protection.

While these numbers may appear to be high it is important to note that:

• over 4,000 staff work within the area’s hospitals,
• 3,000 staff work for the independent sector providers.

Similar numbers work in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Mental Health Trust; staff in voluntary organisations, the police and the local authorities account for the rest.

A full time Training Organiser (Adult Protection) was appointed in September 2003 to carry this work forward. A comprehensive training programme began in January 2004.

The training programme aims to:

• Ensure that each agency has key individuals who are trained in adult protection and who will have a responsibility for being the lead persons for adult protection in their agency.
• Provide multi agency management training for key staff within the partner agencies.
• Provide a rolling programme of awareness raising for all staff working with vulnerable adults.

Joint training with the police has already been carried out under Action for Justice (The Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999). This training equips the lead practitioners with skills in interviewing and using special measures such as video equipment to ensure victims of abuse are supported with sensitivity.

The development and funding of this training strategy and the appointment of the training organiser is one of the most significant factors in our aim to prevent abuse from happening.