Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Care, Wellbeing and Learning

The OSC received a reported which provided the six month update of performance and delivery for the period April to September 2017 in relation to the Council Plan 2015-2020 for the indicators and activity linked to care, health and wellbeing delivered and overseen by Adult Social Care and Public Health services within Care, Wellbeing and Learning Group.

The OSC noted that of the 20 indicators monitored in this report 11 had an updated position since the last report with 6 indicators showing an improvement. However, 4 of the indicators had not improved and these related to the proportion of people who were dissatisfied with life, when asked as part of the annual population survey (ONS), although this still remained better than the North East average. In addition, excess weight levels amongst year 6 children (10 to 11) have increased, as has the mortality rate from causes considered preventable. Mothers smoking status at the time of delivery has also increased on the previous year. One indicator has stayed the same since the last report and this is the proportion of BME carers assessed or reviewed by social services and this remains at 0.8 %.

The OSC received an update from the Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and was advised that key pieces of work over the last twelve months had been the creation of a social care business plan and work to promote independence, including the use of personal budgets to enable people to remain in their own homes as well as work to develop a centre of excellence. The OSC was also advised that the aim was to have a new Director of Commissioning post in place by early spring.

The OSC congratulated the Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care on the work being done in relation to some of the Council’s Care Homes and the care provided via the Domiciliary Care Service.

The OSC queried whether the work around the Domiciliary Care Service would require some initial outlay at the start and was advised by the Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care that this would be the case. The OSC also queried whether unannounced visits to Care Homes still took place and it was confirmed that this was the case to ensure compliance with Care Home standards. The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care informed the OSC that there were significant challenges in relation to the stability of the market for care home providers and domiciliary care and this is why the Council has retained its in house Domiciliary Care Team.

The OSC queried whether there would be any value in the OSC visiting some of the Care Homes and was informed that it would be useful for the OSC to visit Care Homes such as Shadon House which is nationally recognised for its Dementia Care but this would need to be done in small groups.

The OSC noted that information had been highlighted about care homes in other localities having to go into liquidation and the OSC queried whether there any Gateshead residents likely to be affected by some of these closures. The OSC was advised that Gateshead residents should not be affected as the organisations involved were not big providers in Gateshead.

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care advised that one of the reasons for retaining the in house team was to ensure that where there are issues in Gateshead Care Homes the in house team can provide appropriate support.

The OSC thanked the Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care for the update and indicated support for the approach to support independence and keeping people in their homes as long as possible and the retention and development of the in house domiciliary care team.

The OSC also received an update from the Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing on the work being done as part of the Year of action on Tobacco, homelessness and complex needs, healthy weight across the life course and inequalities.

The OSC raised concerns that the NHS locally was not driving forward the issue of tackling smoking in hospitals forcefully enough as they were aware of examples where this was continuing on hospital premises. The OSC considered that smoking is an addiction and should be tackled in the same way as other areas such as alcohol misuse etc where action is targeted at addressing an addiction.

The OSC was advised that work is ongoing across the region amongst Directors of Public Health and via the STP Prevention Board to ask the NHS to step up and treat nicotine dependence in the same way as other addictions and they are asking the NHS to fund nicotine replacement therapy when people are in hospital.

The OSC queried who was involved in the Tobacco Alliance and was advised that there was involvement from the Council, Housing Company, voluntary sector and CCG. However,it was acknowledged that the membership needed to be expanded much more widely in order to drive forward the agenda.

The OSC considered that a letter should be sent to the Chief Executive of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust raising the OSC concerns in relation to NHS involvement in tackling smoking in hospitals and a response requested.

The OSC thanked the Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing for the update.

RESOLVED -             (i) That the activities undertaken during April to September

                                        2017 are considered to be achieving the desired outcomes

                                        in the Council Plan 2015-20.

                                    (ii) That a letter is sent to the Chief Executive of Gateshead

                                         Health NHS Foundation Trust raising the OSC concerns in

                                         relation to NHS involvement in tackling smoking in hospitals

                                         and a response requested.