Agenda and draft minutes

Adults and Health Select Committee - Wednesday, 4 December 2024 10.00 am

Venue: Council Chamber, Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 8EF

Contact: Sally Baker, Scrutiny Officer 

Media

Items
No. Item

27/24

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS

    Purpose of the item: To report any apologies for absence and substitutions.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Cllr Victoria Wheeler arrived at 10.02 am

     

    Apologies were received from Cllr Michaela Martin, Cllr Ernest Mallet, Cllr Carla Morson, Maria Millwood, Board Director Healthwatch Surrey

     

    Substitutes: Cllr Robert Hughes.

     

28/24

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS: 10 OCTOBER 2024 pdf icon PDF 418 KB

    Purpose of the item: To agree the minutes of the previous meeting of the Adults and Health Select Committee as a true and accurate record of proceedings.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The minutes of the previous meeting were AGREED as a true and accurate record.

29/24

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

    All Members present are required to declare, at this point in the meeting or as soon as possible thereafter

    (i)            Any disclosable pecuniary interests and / or

    (ii)           Other interests arising under the Code of Conduct in respect of any item(s) of business being considered at this meeting

    NOTES:

    ·         Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest

    ·         As well as an interest of the Member, this includes any interest, of which the Member is aware, that relates to the Member’s spouse or civil partner (or any person with whom the Member is living as a spouse or civil partner)

    ·         Members with a significant personal interest may participate in the discussion and vote on that matter unless that interest could be reasonably regarded as prejudicial.

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Cllr John Furey declared he was in receipt of a Care Package from Surrey County Council.

30/24

QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS

    Purpose of the item: To receive any questions or petitions.

    NOTES:

    1.    The deadline for Members’ questions is 12:00pm four working days before the meeting (28 November 2024).

     

    2.    The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting(27 November 2024).

     

    3.    The deadline for petitions was 14 days before the meeting, and no petitions have been received.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    None received.

31/24

CABINET RESPONSE TO SELECT COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS pdf icon PDF 106 KB

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    Purpose of the item:  For the Committee to consider the response of Cabinet to the recommendations of this select committee throughout the scrutiny of the budget-setting process.

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The committee NOTED the Cabinet’s response to the recommendations.

32/24

SCRUTINY OF 2025/26 DRAFT BUDGET AND MEDIUM-TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY TO 2029/30 pdf icon PDF 129 KB

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    Purpose of the item: Scrutiny of the Draft Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Witnesses:

    David Lewis, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources

    Sinead Mooney, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

    Mark Nuti, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing & Public Health

    Rachel Wigley, Director of Finance Insights and Performance

    Nicola O’Connor, Strategic Finance Business Partner (Corporate)

    Louise Lawson, Strategic Finance Business Partner for Resources, Land and Property and Economy and Growth

    William House, Strategic Finance Business Partner for Adults, Wellbeing and Health Partnerships (AWHP)

    Clare Matthews, Acting Principal Strategy and Policy Lead

    Claire Edgar, Executive Director of Adults, Wellbeing & Health Partnerships (AWHP)

    Jon Lillistone, Director of Integrated Commissioning

    Sarah Kershaw, Strategic Director of Transformation, Assurance & Integration

    Ruth Hutchinson, Director of Public Health

    Kathryn Pyper, Chief of Staff (AWHP)

     

    Prior to the discussion witnessed provided a slide presentation on the Draft Budget 2025/26 and Medium-Term Financial Strategy to 2029/30 (See Item 6 in the Agenda, pages 41-49)

     

    Key points raised during the discussion:

     

    1. The Vice-Chair expressed concern around the heavy reliance on technology within the transformation programme, particularly with issues this could create for rural areas with internet connectivity problems. The Vice-Chair asked for reassurance on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other remote technology could be delivered and accessed by residents. The Vice-Chair addressed the ageing population and the increased demand for AI and technology this would create and wanted to understand what is happening within Surrey to enhance the ability for residents to access technology appropriately as they age. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Carereassured the committee that there was a lot of work being undertaken in the Adults, Wellbeing and Health Partnerships (AWHP) directorate to successfully deliver and prepare its residents around digital inclusion.

     

    Cllr Robert Evans and Cllr Abby King joined the meeting at 10.08am

    Cllr Mark Nuti joined the meeting at 10.24am

     

    1. The Strategic Director of Transformation, Assurance & Integrationacknowledged the reliance on digital solutions but noted it was not the only means to deliver efficiencies. The Office of National Statistics reported 50,000 people in Surrey lacked internet access, which was about average compared to other counties. AI and its requirements had to be built into the transformation programme, as well as insights such as data and modelling. AWHP was mindful of digital exclusion to ensure that does not happen, and its impact on efficiencies. A corporate digital exclusion programme looked at this work and its potential across all council activities. The programme’s action plan could be shared with the committee. Public libraries were doing work on digital exclusion such as the public computer network and an independent skills programme more generally.

     

    1. Regarding digital exclusion, the Director of Integrated Commissioning reaffirmed that Surrey compared reasonably favourably to other authorities. Significant work was being done with Mole Valley District Council in the broader digital switchover, with a focus on how there could be alternatives to broadband such as mobile technology when switching from analogue to digital solutions. There was a national toolkit, and work was done with national networks to progress through that. Detailed work was being undertaken, specifically to enable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32/24

33/24

REVIEW OF PROGRESS MADE TO IMPLEMENT THE JOINT HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE DEMENTIA STRATEGY FOR SURREY, 2022-2027 pdf icon PDF 301 KB

    Purpose of the item: The Committee has asked to review the progress made to implement the joint health and social care dementia strategyfor Surrey, 2022-2027. The Committee would like to see a focus on ensuring sufficient preventative measures are being provided to reduce dementia, as well as improving the dementia care pathway for the Surrey population. The Committee wish to understand what developments have been implemented across Surrey.

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Witnesses

    Mark Nuti, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, and Public Health

    Jane Bremner, Head of Commissioning, Mental Health

    Simon Brauner-Cave, Deputy Director of Mental Health Commissioning, Surrey Heartlands, Integrated Care System (ICS)

    Damien Taylor, Community Transformation Lead for Older Adults, Surrey and Borders NHS Partnerships Trust (SaBP)

    Negin Sarafraz-Shekary, Public Health Principal, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

     

    Key points raised during the discussion:

     

    1.    Officers provided the Committee with a presentation prior to the discussion, which outlined the context of the dementia strategy; interventions and programmes of support in place to enhance prevention and reduce risk factors; dementia diagnosis rates; support groups; Technology Enabled Care and Homes (TECH); support for carers; and end of life care support.

     

    2.    The Chairman noted that several links in the report did not work and asked for links to be re-sent to the committee.

     

    3.    A Member asked what was being done in Surrey around prevention among adults with learning disabilities and how it could be promoted in the community other than online such as on social media. The Community Transformation Lead for Older Adults explained that there were several accessible resources offered, particularly around brain health, healthy eating and lifestyle. These resources were often provided when an individual was referred into services. If an individual had a specific specialist learning disability health need, there was a healthy group run by the multidisciplinary team which could offer referrals to dietetics.

     

    4.    The Public Health Principal added that everyone from the age of 14 with a diagnosed learning disability were eligible to receive an annual health check, providing an opportunity to identify early risk factors around healthy eating, sexual health, alcohol etc. A lot of work to raise awareness was happening across primary care to increase that opportunity and ensure parents were aware. Public Health developed two bespoke ‘making every contact count’ courses for people and carers of people with learning disabilities. One course was around healthy eating, and the other course was around alcohol, to help ensure a tailored approach for people with a learning disability.

     

    1. The Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Public Healthhighlighted that prevention in Public Health was about living better and healthier. Less alcohol, less smoking and more exercise, for example, could help prevent the onset of dementia in later life. Everyone had a responsibility to look after themselves and be advocates to the public to improve messaging.

     

    1. A Member raised concerns about reaching the target audience of people in their 30s, 40s and 50s with messages about lifestyle choices and its impact. The Member questioned if messaging was also reaching young people who played contact sports such as football and rugby, highlighting the potential damage these sports could cause. The Member felt messaging was not currently getting through to these groups.

     

    1. In addition, the Vice-Chair felt that prevention was key, and that education around lifestyle choices and links to dementia should occur at school-age; to make young people aware of the impact of choices such as smoking and alcohol,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33/24

34/24

RECOMMENDATIONS TRACKER AND FORWARD WORK PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 222 KB

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    Purpose of the item: For the Select Committee to review the attached recommendations tracker and forward work programme, making suggestions for additions or amendments as appropriate.

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    Minutes:

    The Committee NOTED the recommendations tracker and forward work programme.

35/24

DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING

    The next public meeting of the committee will be held on 6 March 2025 at 10:00am.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Thursday 6 March 2025.

     

    Meeting ended at 1.26pm