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Councillors and committees

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Bridges Room - Civic Centre. View directions

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

Items
No. Item

HW60

Apologies for Absence

HW61

Minutes pdf icon PDF 126 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 20 October 2023 were approved as an accurate record with no matters arising.

HW62

Declarations of Interest

Members of the Board to declare an interest in any particular agenda item.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest made.

HW63

Updates from Board Members

Minutes:

·         Chair – The ICB have expressed an openness to forming a Joint Place Committee. This will be explored further to consider how a Joint Place Committee could serve our local system over and above existing working arrangements.

·         Dale Owens – Work is being undertaken with the National Development Team for Inclusion on approaches to social care. A contract for this has been signed for 3 years. The first area to look at is the ‘front door’, including safeguarding. Work will be undertaken across all partners, and the first piece of work will involve putting focus groups together to understand what the ‘front door’ will look like. A report from this is expected to be prepared by the end of March.

·         Dale Owens – LGA has been commissioned to conduct a peer review of adult social care. They are expected to be on site in March and they will complete an independent review across the system. A report on the outcomes from the peer review will be brought to the Board to show areas of strength and areas for improvement before the CQC inspection takes place.

·         Steph Downey – Adult Social Care staff were nominated for an award on digital inclusion. Connected Voice have been awarded UKCF prosperity funding which allows our work together to extend for 18 months.

·         A proposal was submitted on behalf of Gateshead Cares to develop a Women’s Health Hub. £250,000 has been awarded by NENC ICB for the development of the Hub in Gateshead. Sunderland and North Cumbria have also been given the same level of funding.

·         It was reported that, for the first time, all known counterfeit tobacco shops across the borough have been closed.

·         Colleagues in the Housing Team have appointed a Sustainable Food Coordinator.

·         Gateshead has seen the highest level of improvement of flu vaccination rates, particularly in care homes.

·         CNTW is running a campaign on loneliness around Christmas.

The Board wished to thank Dr Steve Kirk for his contribution to the work of the Gateshead health and care system.

HW64

Asylum & Migration Update pdf icon PDF 93 KB

Report of Deborah Ewart and Claire Thew

Minutes:

A report was shared with the Board providing an overview and update on asylum and refugee migration and the implications for Gateshead.

The report covered work that is currently being done by Gateshead Council working with local partners and set out details of the emerging pressures affecting the following groups and areas:

·         Asylum Seekers

·         Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC)

·         Refugee Resettlement

The following implications for the Local Authority were noted:

1.    The increased volume of people via the asylum process granted positive decisions and presenting to the Council for support, this is predominantly for homeless support.

2.    Not all who present as homeless will be considered in priority need for instance some single people, which may result in an increase in street homelessness/hardship.

3.    The increased pressure on children’s social care due to the allocation of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

4.    The increased pressure on social care services due to the pace to receive a UASC within five days of a referral.

5.    The wider implications/pressures due to the increased pace of cessations for other service areas /partnerships such as health and education.

6.    Initial data indicates a higher level of single people than families being granted leave to remain and presenting to the council.

7.    The increased pressures on the voluntary and community sector, more people are presenting with longer term support needs.

8.    The Home Office requires a response to future resettlement programmes from 2025 by the 15 December 2023 and this will be subject to discussions with relevant Portfolio Leads.

9.    The responsibility for future resettlement programmes (safe and legal routes) now rests on the commitment from councils.

The last publicly released asylum data in August 2023 identified Gateshead asylum numbers at 815 people. This figure fluctuates according to new arrivals and changes in procedures. Eight countries are being fast tracked, and a majority of those waiting on decisions in Gateshead are from these eight countries.

Currently, it is understood that there are no rough sleepers who are asylum seekers, although concerns have been raised about asylum seekers receiving little notice of eviction or needing to move properties. This is being monitored by the Home Office.

 A follow up report will be considered by the Gateshead Cares System Board at a future meeting.

The Board commended the work that is happening in this area.

RESOLVED

      i.        The Board noted the report.

HW65

Health & Wellbeing Strategy Implementation Plan and Health in all Policies Update

Report of Louise Sweeney

Minutes:

This item was removed from the agenda.

HW66

Consultation on creating a smoke free generation and tackling youth vaping pdf icon PDF 204 KB

Report of Alice Wiseman and Gemma King

Minutes:

A report was presented to the Board seeking views on the proposed response to a national DHSC consultation “Stopping the start - plan to create a smokefree generation”. The report also sought the Board’s endorsement of the key recommendation around raising the age of sale of tobacco to those born after 1st January 2009 and the new North East Declaration for a Smokefree Future.

The report discussed ways that the key recommendation supports Gateshead’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

RESOLVED

      i.        The Board considered and agreed to the proposed consultation response.

     ii.        The Board supported the key recommendation to raise the age of sale of tobacco to those born after 1st January 2009.

    iii.        The Board endorsed the new North East Declaration for a Smokefree future.

HW67

Gateshead Cares System Board Update

Report of Mark Dornan

Minutes:

Updates were given to the Board on the following areas:

·         Gateshead Place Plan, focusing on Priority 2: Better Health & Care Services – developing Integrated Neighbourhood Teams.

·         Single Point of Access – Children and Young People Pathway

·         Gateshead Cares Professional Forum

·         Winter Resilience Plans

·         Women’s Health Inequalities Hub

RESOLVED

      i.        The Board noted the presentation.

HW68

Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 554 KB

Report of Nicola Bailey

Minutes:

The Board was presented with the 2022/23 annual report of the Safeguarding Adults Board.

The report included information on:

·         The SAB in Gateshead, it’s partners and structure.

·         Gateshead SAB Sub-Group arrangements:

o   Quality Learning and Practice Group

o   Safeguarding Adult Review and Complex Cases

o   Joint Strategic Exploitation Group

·         Partner Governance Arrangements and Scrutiny

·         Key Activities during 2022/23 and the Board’s strategic priorities

·         Safeguarding Adults headline performance

·         Learning from Safeguarding Adults Reviews

Activities from 2022/23 included:

·         Launch of regional Self Neglect 7-minute guides and animation

·         Adult Concern Decision Making Tool

·         Northumbria Police Right Care Right Person

·         Gateshead Housing Hoarder Support Group

·         Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Safe and Well Visits

·         Multi-agency training offer

·         Safeguarding Adults Week

In looking forward to the 2024-26 Strategic Plan, a full review has been undertaken to identify what has been achieved, what needs to be achieved and to ensure priorities are current. This review has included a development day and partnership involvement.

The Board commended the reassurance provided by the report and presentation which it felt was encouraging to see. The Board also commended the focus on people being at the heart of the SAB’s initiatives.

There was also interest from the Board regarding the ‘safe and well’ Fire Service visits. The Fire Service has been able to establish different links with residents as they are considered a neutral service.

There were concerns about Right Care Right Person by the ICB and LAs in terms of the readiness for a launch over the Christmas period. The Police can inform relevant services where calls are being made from but not where a caller lives, which makes it difficult to link service users to the right LA. A partial phased approach is being undertaken, which includes support workers sitting in on calls in the police control room to help with any mental health concerns that arise.

RESOLVED

      i.        The Board noted the report.

HW69

Better Care Fund Quarter 2 Return 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 318 KB

Report of John Costello

Minutes:

The Board received a report on Gateshead’s Better Care Fund quarter two return for 2023/24. The report confirmed that national conditions are being met across the LA and ICB. It also set out details of performance against metrics and the position regarding demand and capacity across the local system.

RESOLVED

      i.        The Board noted the report.

 

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