Agenda and minutes

Report of Newcastle Gateshead CCG

The Committee received a report which provided an update on the progress made in respect of the implementation of the Deciding Together proposals and sets out the next steps for all organisations involved.

A planning workshop was held in November to discuss and agree the joint approach between Gateshead and Newcastle local authorities, Newcastle and Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group and Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust.

The meeting had two purposes:

1.         To consider the STP (Sustainability and Transformation plans) and             implications and how the local offer would be aligned to the aspirations of the          STP. The STP priorities were confirmed as matching the local priorities of      care closer to home, easy access and smooth discharge to appropriate      support in the community.

2.         To be clear with respect to the financial position as there is less available    development money than previously anticipated across health and local           authorities. The meeting confirmed that it was satisfied the original plan to             locate Acute beds on the St Nicholas site remains the right option and is     sustainable going forward.

A workshop is arranged for Wednesday1 February for Newcastle Gateshead CCG, Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Gateshead and Newcastle local authority and third sector organisation colleagues to meet to discuss the next steps and the implementation of Deciding Together.

Given the changing landscape and current financial pressures for all organisations involved it is felt that it is better to jointly consider how best to plan and implement the outcome of Deciding Together and work together to achieve this for the local populations in a realistic way.

The output from the workshop on 1 February will be to draw up and develop the joint implementation plan across all partners and agree some early ‘wins’, therefore ensuring that there is a reduced reliance on hospital beds, the time spent in hospital is shortened and the experience of the service users’ is improved.

Councillors expressed concerns that there appeared to be lack of clarity in the availability of funding to move the scheme forward.  The Committee were reassured that it was still the intention of the CCG to deliver the scheme as agreed on the site at St Nicolas’ Hospital and work is underway to prepare a business case in order to apply for funding.

Councillors requested that it would also be useful to have sight of the conclusions arising from the consultation process.

Two carers attended the meeting and sought confirmation that the scheme for 3 acute wards on the St Nicholas’ site was still anticipated and that any out of area placements be kept to a minimum.

The CCG and Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust confirmed that the aim is still to deliver at St Nicholas’ site as planned and work is ongoing to try and get the necessary funding in place which has delayed the process and also that each individual case is dealt with on its own merits and that out of area placements are kept to a minimum as far  ...  view the full minutes text for item CHW27

Report of the Director of Public Health, and

Presentations from Elizabeth Saunders, Interim Service Director, Health and Social Care Commissioning and Quality Assurance, Care Wellbeing and Learning.

Peter Wright, Environmental Health and Trading Standards Manager, Development and Public Protection, Communities and Environment

Paul Gray, Public Health Programme Lead, Care Wellbeing and Learning

The Committee received a report and presentations in the third evidence gathering session examining the role of housing support in Gateshead with respect to issues regarding:

·         The role of housing in supporting independence for those with social care needs, and

·         Other housing support and advice services

The aim of this session was to highlight how the Council addresses housing needs identified for those with acknowledged social care needs, and the role of universally available and largely preventable  housing support services. It will show how housing support services can help people to live in their own homes, and can maximise opportunities to improve health and minimise harms

Peter Wright, Environmental Health and Trading Standards Manager gave the committee a presentation on Housing Support an Advice Services.

Elizabeth Saunders, Interim Service Director, Health and Social Care Commissioning and Quality Assurance gave the committee a presentation on Housing Support Services for people with social care needs and also presented two case studies.

It is proposed that future evidence gathering sessions cover the following:

February - the proposed date for a focus group to collate evidence from members is 16 February 2017 at 2.00 pm.

Report of the Strategic Director, Care Health and Wellbeing

The Committee received a report providing the details of the implementation and embedding of the Care Act (2014); which came into statute in April 2015

Across the North East Region, Gateshead led the Regional Care Act Implementation Group, which brought together the 12 Councils with ADASS and LGA to plan, implement and monitor the outcome of the Care Act (2014).

In Gateshead a Council wide implementation group oversaw the policy and practice changes required to enable the Council and its partners to deliver the requirements of the Care Act (2014).

The monitoring of the implementation of the Care Act (2014) has not identified any significant increase in assessments for either cared for individuals or carers. However, this needs to be taken into consideration alongside the expediemtial increase in Deprivation of Liberty Assessments, which many of the Stock Takes identified were creating significant pressure, at the pint6 at which Councils were planning for the implementation of the Care Act changes.

The Care Act is now “mainstream” social care business, and as such the implementation groups that were set up are no longer operating. However, the cultural and system changes required to fully implement the Wellbeing and Prevention agenda are an ongoing area of work, which will be addressed through strategies and programs such as Early Help and Achieving More Together. The work that Adult Social Care is undertaking in respect of Demand Management, and the customer journey will also be influenced by the guidance and principles embedded within the Care Act (2014).

There have been several reissues of the Statutory Guidance, with the most recent coming in late 20-16, following a legal challenge in respect of Ordinary Residence (Cornwall Case). There has not as yet been a significant swathe of legal challenges in respect of the main legal provisions of the Care Act; however some specific areas, such as the levels of use of advocacy, have come under scrutiny.

At present Part 2 of the Care Act, which deals with the more significant changes in terms of the Care Cap and financial provisions, is “on hold” with a planned implementation date of 2020. The original planned implementation was delayed in recognition of the severe financial pressure the sector was under, and therefore there are some doubts as to whether Part 2 will be achieved in 2020. At this stage no further formal confirmation or plans have been issued by the DH, and therefore Adult Social care departments are unable to plan for implementation at this time.

The Care Act (2014) represents a significant change in social care law, and provides us with opportunities to address Wellbeing & Prevention and therefore to delay the need for care and support. However, the cultural and system changes required to bring about real changes are significant, and practitioners need to make sure that the system wide change programmes such as the STP, support the changes required to fully implement the benefits the Care Act can provide.

Report of the Acting Chief Executive

The Committee received a report providing an update on the current position with regard to the annual work programme.

In advance of the OSC agreeing its review topic for 2017-18, members of the OSC were invited to identify any issues which may potentially be appropriate for a detailed review by 14 December 2016. It is proposed that those issues put forward by members are added to the list of potential review topics for consideration by the OSC at the start of the municipal year, unless the issue is already being, or would be more appropriately be, dealt with through other processes within the Council.  Members will be notified if this is the case and advised as to how their issue is being dealt with.

All of the Council’s Overveiw and Scrutiny Committee’s have received feedback on the outcomes of the specific reviews undertaken by them during 2015-16. This Committee has received a monitoring report on the outcomes generated by its Review of GP Access on 13 September 2016 and will receive a further monitoring report on 25 April 2017.

Case studies have been included within OSC work programmes to provide an additional means of examining issues of concern/carryiong out more detailed work on a particular topic/measure the impact of a particular OSC’s review recommendations over a specific period of time.

The case study for 2016/17 is:-

·         Delayed Transfers of Care (Linked to Evaluation of new Model for Adult Social Care) – 7 March 2017 meeting

Each OSC has identified specific issues to be considered through the case study method and it was agreed that in view of the timing of case studies within 2015-16 work programmes that feedback on their effectiveness be sought during its work programme review in 2016/17.

During 2015/16 the OSC considered the following case study:-

Multi – Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) Case Study and Progress Update – 19 January 2016 meeting

The OSC focused on:-

·         The work the Council was taking forward in collaboration with partners to support and protect vulnerable adults in the borough

·         A specific example of the work carried out by agencies involved in the MASH and its outcomes

·         The number of referrals made to the MASH and it was noted that since April 2015 there had been 333 referrals overall which had comprised of approximately 30 to 40 referrals per calendar month.

Having examined the issues the OSC agreed to receive further updates on the work of the MASH as part of the Adult Social Care performance reports.