Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director, Care, Wellbeing and Learning

The Committee received a scoping report as part of the OSC’s review into Helping People to Stay at Home Safely. The Committee were advised that the review will centre on the following 6 core themes of:-

·         Assistive technology and digital information;

·         Enablement services;

·         Housing options to support independent living;

·         Commissioning for enablement outcomes;

·         Emergency and community services;

·         Personalisation and choice.

The report focussed upon how the Local Authority and Gateshead Health Foundation Trust are working collaboratively as part of the Gateshead Care Partnership to provide community based Enablement approaches to residents of Gateshead enabling people to be as independent as possible. The report also detailed the trusted assessor models and interface between the Local Authority and Gateshead Health Foundation Trust (Queen Elizabeth Hospital – QEH) which serve to seamlessly discharge people from hospital back to their own homes.

The Committee were advised that the ageing population means that there will be an increase in demand on both health and social care in future years. Around 53,000 people (1 in 4) in Gateshead have one or more long term conditions. Over 8,000 of these have three or more long term conditions. There is a significant difference in health inequality across the borough (as much as ten years difference) and healthy life expectancy in Gateshead is significantly lower than for England; for men it is 59.1 years compared to 63.3 and for women 60.6 years compared to 63.9. Around 22% of people in Gateshead reported that their health limits day to day activities compared to around 18% nationally (Census 2011). Significantly, Gateshead residents have higher levels of dementia, COPD, coronary heart disease and stroke prevalence than national average levels across England. The population is ageing it is projected that by 2039 there will be an additional 14,400 people aged 65 or order, an increase of 38%.

The Committee were advised that to effectively respond to a Gateshead population that is getting older with an increase in the number of people with life limiting illnesses, the Council’s Adult Social Care Provider service has remodelled its services. These include; PRIME Enablement Service (short term domiciliary care support), Rapid Response, Promoting Independence Centres (Eastwood, Shadon House and Southernwood), Blaydon Resource Centre and Shared Lives. These services all serve to optimise the ability of Gateshead residents to continue living independently in their own homes and attaining a high quality of life. The majority of these services are registered by the Care Quality Commission and have either an ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’ rating.

The Committee also received a verbal update about Gateshead Community Services, Trusted Assessment: Hospital Transfers of Care to Eastwood, Trusted Assessment: Hospital Transfers of care into Reablement Services, Bridging Service, Function of the Social work team and supporting Gateshead Community Services in providing care closer to home for people with health and social care needs.

The Committee will also be visiting Blaydon Resource Centre, Shadon House and Eastwood Promoting Independence Centre on the afternoon of 9 October 2018 as part of a site visit programme.