Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 29 September 2024 were agreed 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 the Strategic Director of Integrated Social Care

The Committee received a report and presentation of the Gateshead Safeguarding Adults Board (GSAB) statutory Annual Report 2023/24 and the new Strategic Plan 2024/2027.

The GSAB 2023/24 Annual Report highlights progress throughout the 2023/24 financial year. The report articulates how partner governance arrangements ensure members are accountable for Safeguarding Adults.

The GSAB Safeguarding Adult Review and Complex Cases Sub-group continues to support the statutory work of the GSAB through completion of mandatory Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) and local learning reviews. This provides an opportunity for GSAB partners to review cases where a person with care and support needs has suffered abuse and neglect which has resulted in their death or serious injury or illness. The learning from these reviews allows the board to identify areas of development, in knowledge, skills and practice and to focus on areas where improvements are required to protect people which care and support needs.

Key areas of work in 2023/24 include the introduction of subgroup highlight reports to improve assurance and risk management across the board, the annual quality assurance challenge event which supported the development of the new strategic plan for 2024-27. Work progressed with the development of the SAB data dashboard to provide the board with robust data and analysis to support assurance and decision making. The board prepared for the CQC assurance inspection by taking part in the LGA Peer Challenge and taking forward actions from feedback.

The board actively disseminated the learning from SARs through briefings and guidance and has developed in partnership with the ICB an animation on exploitation. The launch of Understanding Safeguarding guidance and briefing sessions were developed to support practitioners to improve their understanding of safeguarding in both a formal and informal context. All agencies have promoted safeguarding training and development both internally and through the multiagency offer. The GSAB multi-agency training offer has been reviewed and refreshed offering a robust and accessible training offer for partners.

The new Strategic Plan 2024 - 2027 sets out how the Safeguarding Adults Board will achieve its five Strategic Priorities which are:

• Strengthening Safeguarding
• Learning and Development
• Data and Information
• Prevention of Harm
• Involvement and Engagement

The new Strategic Plan was developed in collaboration with partners at an event in September 2023. Partners were asked to consider what was working well, what wasn’t working well and what actions they would like to see the board take to address some of the issues raised during the day. The final Strategic Plan was approved by the Board in February 2024 and work is underway to complete the objectives set out in the business plan to achieve the strategic priorities.

The Committee discussed adjacent cases in children’s social care in the press, and were assured that lessons learnt from headline cases are shared across the sector to ensure all Local Authorities can prevent issues from happening again.

RESOLVED

i.                 The Committee considered and commented on the Safeguarding Adult Board Annual Report 2023/24 and Strategic Plan 2024-2027.

Report of the Chief Executive

The Committee received a report providing an update on the Council’s Performance Management & Improvement Framework, reporting performance on the delivery of Council priorities for the period 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024, with a focus on information relevant to the role and remit of this committee.

The report highlighted challenges, areas of excellence and imporvement, and actions for the Committee to consider.

Challenges include:

• The landscape of Gateshead is complex but interconnected, these three challenges reflect that:
  • Women in recovery services are far less likely to present at pre-arranged primary care appointments and are therefore at a disadvantage in terms of access to sexual health services – being addressed via Women’s Health Strategy.
  • 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.
  • An aging substance misusing cohort brings additional complexity associated with medical / social needs, and increased challenges with behaviour change.

• Our permanent admissions to residential & nursing care remain above national averages but are improving from recent years.
• There remains a lack of suitable specialist accommodation for people with complex care needs and behaviour which challenges.
• Elements of the finance modules of Mosaic have been more complicated than anticipated and payments have not been a seamless transition. The development of a payments and purchasing team should resolve these challenges.
• The proportion of older people who were still at home 91 days after discharge from hospital into reablement is below national average, but we are improving from the end of the reporting year. Sister Winifred Laver opened April 2024 and initial data indicates reablement services are helping people remain at home.

Areas of excellence and improvement include:

• Development of a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach, and the subsequent inclusion of Health Impacts and Socio-Economic Duty/ Disadvantage in the new Integrated Impact Assessment tool alongside equalities and the environment to facilitate evidence-based decision-making.
• Implementation of a sexual health training model within the Gateshead Recovery Partnership (GRP) to enable access for women in recovery services to emergency and long-acting forms of reversible contraception (LARC) by GRP staff at GRP premises, which will reduce inequalities faced by women in accessing vital services.

• Delivery of Gateshead Food Summit (8th November) and development of Gateshead Food Strategy and Action Plan, engaging organisations across the public, VCSE and private sectors on this important matter.
• Positive feedback from the LGA Peer Review highlighted our strong links between our Integrated Adults and Social Care Services strategy, the corporate plan and operational delivery.
• Development of a PowerBi dashboard has provided a greater insight of data and performance at both strategic and operational levels.
• Stronger working relationships between Commissioning and Social Work colleagues and recognised in the LGA peer review that commissioners were starting to think more strategically.
• The additional resource of Caritas, coupled with a reduction in sickness absence, has helped towards a reduction the number of people waiting for a care act assessment by 65%.
• We have 154 more people  ...  view the full minutes text for item CHW59

Report of the North East and North Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust Integrated Care Board

The Board received a presentation the current provisions available for mental health support at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The presentation focused on services available for four key groups.

Perinatal and Maternal Mental Health – Maternity and midwifery support specialist help can be provided by CNTWs Perinatal Community Mental Health Service who also have a regional perinatal in-patient unit. More recent 2 perinatal peer support workers have been commissioned to provide support across the borough into Family Hubs

We do anticipate in the future some funding in order to develop maternal mental health service to deliver on the LTP ambitions

Children and Young People – In November a safe place was launched within the Paediatric Emergency Department for young people in mental health crisis. This is a special room made to feel calm and safe for young people who need help during difficult times. It was designed by local young artists from The Baltic. The room has been designed for comfort and tranquillity and in the future will have a TV added as well calming music. There are also mental health first aid kits to help young people feel more relaxed created using ideas from young people who have been in similar experiences.  This includes basic toiletries, mindfulness books and lavender spray.

If a young person needs mental health support whilst at the QE a referral can be made to CNTW Crisis Team if a response is urgent. Alternatively, if the need is not urgent then referrals can be made to CNTW Mental Health Services or STSFT Emotional Wellbeing Service or counselling. There is also a range of support available across the wider VCSE’s. Of note CYP services are currently under review with a new model being proposed  Commissioners are also exploring a CYP Safe Haven/Crisis Café offer.

Ages 16-65 – Anyone attending an emergency department with a mental health need will be referred to CNTWs Psychiatric Liaison Service who will offer a full bio-psych-social assessment. This could lead to further assessment by CNTW Crisis Team if there is a significant and ongoing need or risk, or onwards referral to wider community-based service including Talking Therapies, Community Treatment Team, Gateshead Peer Support Service, Mental Health Practitioners in PCNs or VCSE’s.

Commissioners are currently looking to launch a Safe Haven in Gateshead early 2025 which will hopefully reduce attendances at emergency departments. Gateshead Foundation Trust also offer a service for younger people with memory problems

Ages 65+ - A Psychiatric Liaison Team is currently provided for those over 65 attending an emergency department with a mental health need. This also includes providing a liaison function across in-patient wards.  Gateshead Foundation Trust have 2 mental health wards, Sunniside (10 beds functional) and Cragside (16 organic). Crisis Services are provided by CNTW for assessment for admission or to facilitate early discharge.

RESOLVED

The Committee:

i.              Discussed and noted the presentation.

Report of Strategic Director of Integrated Adult Social Care

A presentation was given to the Committee reviewing examples of and advanced in technology enabled care methods.

Technology Enabled Care is the use of assistive technology and digital solutions to support people to live longer, healthier lives at home, or in a community setting like a care home or supported accommodation.

TEC services refer to the use of telecare, telehealth, telemedicine, telecoaching, self-care technologies (including apps and wearables) and smart home technologies in providing care for clients with long term conditions, disabilities, cognitive and sensory impairment:

·         Supporting people to manage their own health

·         Supporting informal and professional carers

·         Enabling better coordination of care

·         Personalisation of care

·         Preventative care

Current technology enabled care projects include:

DLF’s Online Self-Assessment Tool: AskSARA

·         AskSARA is an online tool designed to provide impartial advice on assistive technology for older and disabled people helping them live independently.

·         It assists users in making informed purchasing decisions, for low level needs that may not require OT involvement. The tool generates tailored advice and recommendations produces guided advice about the types of aids and adaptations based on responses to topic-based questions.

·         Currently approved by SMT and CAB, AskSARA is in the procurement process and under legal review. Next steps include forming a working group to assist in the tool build and determining its placement on Council Website.   

PainChek Pain Assessment Tool

·         The PainChek App is the world’s first clinically proven digital pain assessment tool. Using AI, facial recognition and smartphone technology, PainChek intelligently automates the pain assessment process at the point of care.

·         ADASS Funding was secured to trial the PainChek App for 1 year. The plan is to trial the app at the Sister Winifred Laver PIC. We are also looking at where else in ASC it could potentially be beneficial and so have agreed to trial with some clients identified by the ACT team.

·         Regular review and evaluation will take place to allow a future decision to be made around procuring the app once the trial is complete.

The presentation also focused on engaging and empowering the workforce through devices and software, training, and engagement.

Work in progress and future plans for technology enabled care include the following:

·         Development of a ‘Smart Room’ at the Sister Winifred Laver PIC.

·         Gateshead Council Website ASC section – Refresh and update to include TEC IAG and case studies.

·         Continuation of joint work with ACT to trial new assistive tech, smart tech and digital solutions.

·         Work with Community Led Support Team around prevention and sign-posting specific to TEC.

·         Revisit Automated Telephony (via Contact & Connect) for post reablement and consider wider uses.

·         Co-producing the NENC Regional ASC TEC Strategy led by ADASS.

·         WGLL for Digital Working in ASC Self-Assessment Framework – review progress.

·         Development of ‘Digital Champions’ (specialist training, ambassador for TEC, part of trials/ pilots, give feedback, share good practice).

RESOLVED

The Committee:

i.              Noted the presentation.

The Committee received a report setting out the Work Programme for 2024/25, including suggestions that had been received to date from elected members and relevant officers.

RESOLVED

       i.          The Committee approved the Work Programme.