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Councillors and committees

Agenda and minutes

Contact: Grace Anderson, Tel: 0191 433 4635, Email:  democraticservicesteam@gateshead.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

CHW7

Minutes of last meeting pdf icon PDF 105 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2023 were agreed as an accurate record with no matters arising.

CHW8

Social Care Recruitment pdf icon PDF 110 KB

Report of Steph Downey, Service Director, Adult Social Care

Additional documents:

Minutes:

An update was given to the OSC regarding the approaches taken by Integrated Adults and Social Care Services to address the challenges in social care recruitment.

Whilst the challenge is universal, the sector is varied, wide ranging and encompasses multiple roles and organisations. Consequently, the issues affecting recruitment and retention are also multifactorial and the potential solutions equally so.

Gateshead have been heavily influential in this work with the Service Director for Adult Social Care chairing the regional group and have pioneered the work on training models for professionally qualified roles, utilising the apprenticeship levy.

The regional strategy has focused on areas such as:

·         Career pathways/career development opportunities

·         Retention strategies

·         Understanding data/workforce planning

·         Apprenticeships – upskilling the existing workforce and recruiting new talent

·         Comms and marketing

·         Hyperlocal recruitment

·         International recruitment

The approaches taken are enabling the Service to bring new people into the organisation, and the of interest in these roles has been significantly higher than our traditional roles/methods of recruitment.

The Service has been keen to share the good practice and learning with other parts of the Council, partners in Gateshead and other Adult Social Care departments regionally. The work on trainee roles has been highlighted with the Department of Health and Social Care; the service has delivered a number of webinars regionally and nationally and was referenced by DHSC as an example of good practice, and by Social Work England as part of their Sector Led Improvement offer.

The work with the Local Government Association in respect of the social care workforce data is being piloted in Gateshead as an early adopter of the model, meaning that we are benefitting from senior advisory support from a workforce expert funded by the LGA to develop our strategy and approaches.

The OSC commended the work of Integrated Adults and Social Care Services.

RESOLVED:

i.              The OSC noted the report.

CHW9

Health and Wellbeing Board - Progress Update and Better Care Fund Update pdf icon PDF 172 KB

Report of John Costello, Gateshead System Integration Manager, Integrated Adults and Social Care Services

Minutes:

The OSC were updated on the work of the Gateshead Health & Wellbeing Board for the six-month period of April – September 2023.

The items covered in the update are as follows:

·         Health and Wellbeing Strategy: Progress summary, draft approach and plan for implementation

·         Gateshead Place Plan

·         A New Home Improvement and Assistance Service for Gateshead

·         Specialist & Supported Housing Needs Assessment & Strategy

·         Gateshead’s Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Local Transformation Plan 2023-24

·         Update on Learning Disability & Autism, and Mental Health Transformation

·         Prevent Update – Northumbria Police

·         Workforce and Workforce Development

·         Notification of Removals from the Pharmaceutical List and Changes to Pharmacy Opening Hours

·         Gateshead Cares System Board

·         Assurance

The OSC recognised that there is a high demand on community police regarding call outs for mental health patients. Concerned that as part of Right Care Right Person, adults redirected to adult social care will not meet the safeguarding criteria for support.

Colleagues from adult social care are planning regular meetings with the police on the progression of Right Care Right Person. There are concerns that there is no additional funding allocated for the services that police calls will be diverted to when this scheme comes into effect. The Integrated Care Board (ICB) is involved in the implementation of the Gold Group. Officers from Gateshead Council and the NHS are involved in the implementation of the Silver Group.

RESOLVED:

i.              OSC members requested that a presentation on Right Care Right Person be added to the Care, Health and Wellbeing OSC Work Programme.

ii.             The OSC agreed the report.

CHW10

CQC Assurance pdf icon PDF 87 KB

Report of Steph Downey, Service Director, Adult Social Care

Minutes:

The OSC was updated regarding the preparatory work that Integrated Adults and Social Care Services is undertaking. Information was also given to facilitate scrutiny in respect of the work undertaken so far, and the work planned.

The Integrated Adults and Social Care Services department has been working with regional colleagues in the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) to prepare for the inspection and assurance process.

The service is part of a number of regional Sector Led Improvement networks where they share good practice with neighbouring Local Authorities and learn from each other.

Through these networks they have received feedback from both CQC and the Local Authorities that have been through the pilot inspections, which are being used to guide preparations.

The current high-level understanding of the inspection process is:

·         Annual conversation with CQC

·         Completion of a Self-Assessment (areas of strengths and areas for development)

·         Notification of impending inspection

·         Identification of 50 case files

·         Information sharing

·         On site assessment: focus groups, case file audit, meetings with key people

·         Initial feedback and clarification process

·         Outcome and action plan

The service has identified a modest number of additional posts to facilitate both the inspection process, and the ongoing and continuous assurance/inspection readiness. Recruitment is ongoing.

Gateshead like all Local Authorities has been advised it will receive a one-off payment of £26,730 which the Government believes will fund the additional capacity and capabilities required.

The draft self-assessment is partially completed and will be finalised by end of November 2023 (the self-assessment will then be updated on a planned basis).

Relevant information and evidence is being gathered; e.g. the coproduction and consultation undertaken to review the Adult Social Care pages of the Councils website.

Work is ongoing in respect of the case file tracking process, and this will be complete by February 2024.

Colleagues across the service, wider Council and partner organisations have been kept up to date with tailored communications.

The Health and Wellbeing Board has agreed to establish an Assurance Sub Committee which will look at CQC and Ofsted Assurance via a Gateshead Health and Care System lens.

RESOLVED:

i.              The OSC noted the report.

CHW11

CQC Maternity Inspection Report pdf icon PDF 242 KB

Report of Jane Conroy, Head of Midwifery/SCBU

Minutes:

The Committee were presented a report on the Care Quality Commission of maternity services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The overall summary of services, relating to safe services and well-led services, were scored as good.

The following outstanding practice was highlighted:

·         The lead midwives for diabetes had developed a Gestational Diabetes Melliutis (GDM) education session and offered individual sessions to women and birthing people who were non-English speaking and required interpreting services. Diabetes antenatal clinics provided a waiting area for women with GDM to provide healthy snacks and support and education from dietician.

·         A grab bag project was in place to provide vulnerable women and birthing people fleeing domestic violence with basic amenities. An assessment would be made so that staff could determine what the person would need.

·         The service had introduced the implementation of postnatal contraception and advice and information given within antenatal clinics to support women with pre-conceptive advice on tobacco dependency, alcohol misuse, positive mental health, postnatal contraception, nutrition, and physical activity.

The following areas for improvement were highlighted:

·         The trust should ensure staff complete mandatory training, including safeguarding and regular updates.

·         The service should ensure women and birthing people feel listened to by staff and their partners.

The inspection score is given through a combination of five reviewed areas. The rating system used in the report had four levels:

·         Inadequate

·         Requires improvement

·         Good

·         Outstanding

It was noted that all other areas of the North East were given a score of requires improvement.

The Committee commended the results of the report.

RESOLVED:

i.              The OSC noted the report.

CHW12

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 69 KB

Report of Grace Anderson, Democratic Services Officer, Corporate Resources and Governance

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report which provided details on the development of the work programme for Care, Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the municipal year 2023-24.

 

The proposed 2023-24 work programme was attached to the main report as Appendix 1 and remains provisional as:

 

i.              Cabinet may wish to refer further issues to OSC’s for further consideration.

ii.             It does not consider new policy issues which may be identified during the year, which Cabinet may wish to refer to Overview and Scrutiny, and it does not include issues identified by members of committees on an ongoing basis during the year as a result of scrutiny decisions, call in and councillor call for action.

 

RESOLVED:

iii.            That the information be noted.

iv.           The Committee endorsed the OSC’s provisional work programme for 2023-24 attached at Appendix 1, subject to any amendments arising from consideration of Appendix 1.

v.             The Committee noted that further reports will be brought to the Committee to identify and additional issues which the Committee may be asked to consider.

vi.           To add an item to the Work Programme on the topic of Right Care Right Person.

CHW13

Time and Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of the OSC will be held on Tuesday 5 December at 13:30, The Bridges Room, Gateshead Civic Centre.

Minutes:

The next meeting of Care, Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be held on 5 December 2023 at 13:30 in the Bridges Room.

 

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