What I wish you knew sessions
A key part of the Safeguarding Adults Board’s role is to ensure that partner agencies have a good understanding of what each other do and how to work together. To help with this, the Enfield Safeguarding Adults Board have put together a monthly session called ‘What I Wish You Knew…’. These lunch-and-learn sessions give teams and agencies a chance to explain what they do – how they might help with safeguarding adults in Enfield and how best to get in touch or refer to them.
These sessions often give rise to fascinating discussions and help to build our safeguarding networks in Enfield. If you want any more information about these sessions, or have ideas for future sessions, please get in touch with the Safeguarding Adults Board at EnfieldSAB@enfield.gov.uk .
Please note that sessions prior to July 2025 have been archived but remain available at request from EnfieldSAB@enfield.gov.uk
July 2025 – What I Wish You Knew about working with Neurodiverse Adults (PDF, 917.46 KB) from One-to-One, a charity which works with Neurodiverse adults throughout Enfield.
August 2025 – What I Wish You Knew about Financial Crimes (PPTX, 11393.58 KB) from the Metropolitan Police.
December 2025 - a longer multi-disciplinary session around Hoarding was delivered with contributions from Adult Social Care, Environmental Health and Council Housing partners – this was completed rather than separate What I Wish You Knew sessions in order to give a broader view of how to work with these complex cases. This reflects both learning that partners had requested and learning from the Ms C SAR.
January 2026 – What I Wish You Knew about PIPOT (PPT, 289 KB), Enfield’s Principal Social Worker for Adults spoke about allegations involving Persons In A Position of Trust (PIPOT).
February 2026 – What I Wish You Knew about Learning from the Ms C SAR (PPTX, 2150.71 KB) and other serious cases, a briefing from the SAR author on this case.
March 2026 – What I Wish You Knew about the Court of Protection (PPTX, 1193.71 KB), Enfield Adult Social Care Legal Services
April 2026 – What I Wish You Knew about the 8 Step Domestic Abuse Homicide and Suicide Timelines (PDF, 835.75 KB) - Jonathon Toy, Enfield Community Safety Unit and Josie Holden Wilby, Solace Women’s Aid.
May 2026 – What I Wish You Knew about Precious Moments, the Transitional Mentoring service (PDF, 293.93 KB) – Mauva Johnson from Precious Moments.
July 2026 – What I Wish You Knew about Non-Fatal Strangulation, Gary Hobbs, Islington Council (slides not yet received).
Self-Neglect Training sessions
A short training course was developed for the partnership which was facilitated by David Pennington, Director of Safeguarding, NCL ICB and Elspeth Smith, Safeguarding Adults Practice Lead for Enfield ASC. This came out of the work of the SAB’s Self Neglect Task and Finish group which really wanted to highlight the role of multi-disciplinary approaches in such work.
These 3-hour sessions ran 4 times between July and September 2025 and were open to all partners. Between 15-30 staff came to each session to learn about:
- Signs of Self Neglect.
- The importance of assessment and safeguarding adults in such cases.
- Case examples of positive multi-disciplinary working
- The Mental Capacity Act (2005) and
- The Enfield High Risk Advisory Panel
Safeguarding adults review learning sessions
When the Safeguarding Adults Board publishes a Safeguarding Adults Review, we always learn a lot from it. It is vital that we spread that learning as far as we can – so that adults in Enfield get better outcomes and support from services. From April 2024, the Enfield SAB has started to do regular learning sessions around SARs – sometimes specifically about a SAR and sometimes around a theme identified in one or more SARs.
In June 2025, a learning event was held focusing on learning from both the Elly SAR and the Ms C SAR (which at the time was being finished). This event was attended by around 40 staff from across the partnership and focused on ‘When People Refuse Help’.
As the title suggests, this event helped translate SAR learning into practice by bringing partners together to consider how to respond when adults refuse support, how to apply the Mental Capacity Act in complex situations and how to use multi-agency discussion to manage risk more effectively.
We had presentations and facilitated discussions from:
- Dr J Heffernan (Enable Addiction Services) and David Williams, Principal Social Worker for Adults Enfield, around ‘the Mental Capacity Act v. the Mental Capacity Act’.
- Elspeth Smith and Androulla Economou, Adult Social Care, on ‘The Benefits of the High Risk Advisory Panel’.
- Guided discussions on case studies identified by Enfield’s Community Social Work Team.
- Theo Baron from the North Middlesex Hospital spoke around Mental Capacity Assessments around health with a particular focus on learning from the Jacqueline Maguire case and the ‘Get Me to the Hospital’ guidance for adults with Learning Disabilities.
- Police partners presented on their Section 136 powers and when they might use them
One participant said:
‘It was great to have a day away from my desk to really learn about what all the different partners do in such difficult circumstances’
Another said:
‘I just wish it had been a longer day!’
If you would like more information about these sessions or have an idea for a future session, please contact the Enfield Safeguarding Adults Board Business Unit at EnfieldSAB@enfield.gov.uk.
In April 2024, we gave short session on themes identified in a recent SAR:
- The Mental Capacity Act and Executive Capacity – by Fiana Centala, the London Borough of Enfield’s Mental Capacity Manager.
- Safeguarding Enfield’s Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Boatman and Showman Communities – by Karen Maguire, the London Borough of Enfield’s GRT lead.
- Key themes from the Thematic Safeguarding Adults Review on Self Neglect, Homelessness and Premature Death – presented by David William, Principal Social Worker, London Borough of Enfield and Elspeth Smith, Safeguarding Adults Practice Lead.
In June 2024, there was a longer session around positive work in a case where an adult was apparently self neglecting whilst being homeless, using substances and being pregnant. Professionals worked together to build relationships and get a positive outcome for her. SARs often focus on what goes badly – this session looked at what went well and how we could do the same things in other cases. Presenters came from the Street Homelessness Team, Enable – Addiction Services and Adult Social Care (although many agencies were involved in the case).
So What Does Work Then? Reflections on Multiple Exclusions – June 2024.
In September 2024, to coincide with the launch of the Self Harm Tool kit by Public Health Enfield – a resource for professionals supporting adults who have harmed themselves, Nichole Strachen, the Personality Disorder Clinical Lead for Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust gave a session around Understanding More About Self Injurious Behaviour.
In December 2024, we spent the morning at Park Avenue Disability Resource Centre reflecting on learning from the Thematic SAR into those cared for by family members. This SAR looked at 4 adults who passed away where additional support from Adult Social Care and health services were offered but declined. This SAR will be published in early 2025.
We had three presentations (as well as exercises and discussions around them):
A Summary of the Carer’s SAR – by Elspeth Smith, Safeguarding Adults Practice Lead, LBE.
Mental Capacity and Best Interests Decisions – by Fiana Centala, Mental Capacity Manger, LBE
Professional Curiosity – by Heather Wilson, Designated Professional for Adult Safeguarding, North Central London Integrated Care Board and Sarah Pope, Clinical Lead, Enfield Integrated Learning Disability Services.
What I wish you knew sessions (archived documents)
March 2025… What I Wish You Knew about LGBTQ Hate Crime – the Prevent Team gave us a fascinating breakdown of what hate crime is, how it affects people and in particular how it affects the LGBTQ community. Hate crimes can be reported online here.
February 2025… What I Wish You Knew about Doorstep Crime and Safeguarding Residents – Enfield Trading Standards gave us this presentation around how to protect ourselves and those we work with against this type of crime which is on the increase.
January 2025 – What I Wish You Knew about Age UK Enfield - Age UK Enfield spoke about the impressive range of services that they provide in Enfield to support people to age well. Age UK Enfield referral form
January 2025 - What I Wish You Knew about Pathways into Mental Health Services – colleagues from the North London Foundation Trust gave us a very informative presentation about how best to seek mental health support (for others or for yourself) in different circumstances. Key knowledge for anyone working with adults.
April 2024 – What I Wish You Knew about the Adults’ Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) – information about the Local Authority Safeguarding ‘front-door’ – how to make a referral and what they’ll do with it once you do.
May 2024 – What I Wish You Knew about Enfield Council Housing – The Resident’s Relationship team from Enfield Council Housing gave this talk about how they support vulnerable tenants and how to find out if they are involved.
July 2024 – What I Wish You Knew about the Culturally Integrated Family Approach to Domestic Abuse – Rise Mutual spoke about their program focused on changing the behaviour of those that abuse (or are at risk of abusing) their loved ones.
August 2024 – What I Wish You Knew about Provider Concerns and the Safeguarding Improvement Pane l – How Enfield supports care providers in the Borough where there may be concerns about quality or safety.
September 2024 – What I Wish You Knew about Enfield Carer’s Centre – The many ways in which the Enfield Carer’s Centre can support those unpaid carers in our community.
September 2024 – What I Wish You Knew about Safeguarding in the DWP (postponed from June) – presentation pending.
October 2024 – What I Wish You Knew About Police Work with Missing People and Right Person, Right Care – The North Area Police spoke about how they work with missing adults and new processes.
November 2024 – What I Wish You Knew About… Anti-social Behaviour and the Community MARAC – Police and Anti-Social Behaviour Team colleagues presented about how we can work together in such cases and shared the C MARAC referral form
December 2024 – What I Wish You Knew About Themes from Recent SARs – Pulling together learning from Safeguarding Adults Reviews over the last 2 years and reflecting on how we can make changes.