Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 2024 were approved as an accurate record with no matters arising.

Committee members to declare an interest in any particular agenda item where applicable.

No declerations of interest were made.

Report of Richard Hall and Chloe Finn, Policy and Improvement

The Committee received a report providing a year end performance update on the Council’s new Performance Management and Improvement Framework (PMIF), reporting performance on the delivery of Council priorities for the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

The analysis of performance for 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, against each of the six policy objectives of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the Balanced Scorecard was attached in Appendix 1, which was noted as a draft document.

Committee Members were informed that a review of the PMIF will be conducted over the next 12-18 months.

The following were identified as areas most relevant for the Committee’s focus:

Challenges:

·         Lack of accommodation options and support for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness including direct access into appropriate emergency and crisis accommodation.

·         Increased length of time people are in emergency B&B placements and dispersed Temporary Accommodation due to system pressures with a significant overspend on B&B budget.

·         The number of people awaiting a care act assessment or reassessment is still high but are routinely risked assessed for complexity of needs and ensure people are “Waiting well” by providing interim support where possible. 

·         The permanent admissions to residential and nursing care have reduced due to supporting more people to remain at home. However, our admissions remain above regional and national averages.

·         There remains a lack of suitable specialist accommodation for people with complex care needs and behaviour which challenges.

Areas of excellence and improvement include:

·         Trainee models for Social Work and Occupational Therapy has brought in new recruits to our assessment teams and work for the service whilst undertaking a degree apprenticeship. This has helped with recruitment and capacity issues whilst growing our professionally registered workforce for the future. Our Trainee models have been recognised as national best practice by DHSC.

·         The trainee Occupational Therapy apprenticeship model commenced in September 2023 and has helped deliver a 42% reduction in the OT waiting list.

·         Before the opening of Watergate Court in April 2022, the Council supported 223 people in seven extra care housing settings. By December 2023, this had increased to 291. Watergate Court is reflective of our intention to support people living with dementia in appropriate environments, whilst maintaining independence.

·         All CQC regulated in-house services are currently rated good or outstanding. A number of projects are underway or planned to consider the expansion and redesign of in-house services to meet need and improve value / market sustainability.

·         Single homelessness accommodation programme (SHAP) successful funding bids to deliver new supported housing schemes for over 25s- and 18–25-year-olds during 2025.

Actions include:

·         Actively promoted direct payments through accessible online information and staff training, with a commitment to set up a direct payment support service to increase the use of direct payments. The Service is exploring alternatives to direct payments, such as individual service funds, and to promote the use of direct payments as a means of sourcing creative solutions to meet eligible care needs.

·         We have  ...  view the full minutes text for item CHW46

Report of Anna English, Place Director, CNTW NHS

The Committee received a paper to inform members about the re-provision of CNTW services from the Campus of Aging and Vitality site to St Nicholas Hospital site.

CNTW have been working with local colleagues and stakeholders on the further development of plans for the re-provision of services from the Campus of Ageing and Vitality (CAV) in Newcastle to St Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth. Newcastle University (owners of the site) and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are looking to create a new Health Innovation Neighbourhood (NIN) at CAV. The development of this new facility means CNTW services will need to vacate the site by Summer 2025.

This re-provision impacts on both adult and older adult services. From Gateshead perspective the adult mental health services are primarily provided from Hadrian clinic, Newcastle on the former Newcastle General Hospital site.

CNTW adult acute in-patient services are planned to move to the St Nicholas Hospital site in the Spring/Summer 2025 as per previously agreed plans.

In May 2024, the Trust’s Board of Directors at CNTW, agreed that older people’s inpatient and community services in Newcastle will move to the St Nicholas Hospital site to establish a centre of excellence for all older persons. To accommodate this move, one of the currently closed adult acute wards on the St Nicholas Hospital site (Bede Ward) will instead be repurposed to provide older persons in-patient beds.

The co-location of adults and older adult mental health services onto the St Nicholas Hospital site will enhance the offer to residents of Gateshead and Newcastle due to the range of services and support offered on one site.

The paper presented the impact and benefits of this including the following areas:

·         Adult Pathway

·         Sustaining the proposed Adult Bed Model

·         Older Adults Pathway

·         Service Users and Carers

·         Timescales

The Committee received additional information showing maps of the provision. It was noted that North Tyneside and South Tyneside do not have provision and tend to respectively use services in Northumberland and Sunderland unless a patient requests otherwise.

Report of Steph Downey and Lesley Carlisle, Adult Social Care

The Committee received a report providing an overview of the Community Led Support approach that Integrated Adults and Social Care Services are undertaking with the National Team for Development and Inclusion (NDTi). The purpose of the report was to demonstrate how the Community Led Support approach will help to transform the Adult Social Care pathway, integrate social care services within our communities and help the Council to meet its statutory responsibilities under the Care Act to Prevent, and Delay the need for Care and Support.

Discussion was had regarding people’s voice groups, and how representation would be ensured while considering that involvement may be affected by the trauma those targeted may be experiencing.

Report of Democratic Services

The Committee received a report detailing the Overview and Scrutiny work programme setting process for 2024-25 and a list of suggested topics for inclusion in the work programme, relevant to the remit of the Care, Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Elected Members and relevant officers were invited to submit suggestions for inclusion in the work programme between 20th February 2024 and 5th March 2024.

Ideas for topics for scrutiny to consider can be gathered from a wide range of sources including:

·         Elected Members

·         Senior Officers

·         Partner Organisations

·         Corporate Plans and Strategies

·         Complaints system and Ombudsman

·         Evidence from Councillors on issues affecting neighbourhoods

Appendix 1 detailed the suggestions put forward for the 2024/25 Work Programme.

RESOLVED

      i.        The Committee noted the report.