The Strategic Director for Adult Social Care will update the Committee on important news and announcements.
Minutes:
Item 6 was taken after Item7
Declarations of Interest: None
Witnesses:
Dave Sargeant, Strategic Director for Adult Social Care
Mel Few, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care
Steve Cosser, Cabinet Associate for Adult Social Care
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Strategic Director advised the Committee that the Adult Social Care Directorate would be undergoing structural changes in order to modernise the Directorate and realign it with current trends and priorities in care-giving. It was highlighted that these changes were under discussion but assurance was given that they would not affect frontline services but would instead focus on the managerial structure of the Directorate and an update would be forthcoming once the changes had been finalised. The Committee agreed that the Adult Social Care Directorate was in need of modernisation, in particular noting the importance of synchronising it with the six Clinical Commissioning Groups in Surrey.
2. The Strategic Director gave a verbal update on the latest developments with the final strategy for the implementation of the Better Care Fund in Surrey. It was advised that the presentation of the final document to the Committee would be delayed until the next meeting due to some final amendments being required as a result of mixed messages being issued by Central Government. It was highlighted that the Better Care Fund only represents 3% of the Adult Social Care budget for Surrey which limits the opportunities to address how care is delivered to Surrey’s vulnerable adults. The Director advised that a strategy was being developed for more wholesale changes to the delivery of Adult Social Care in Surrey. The Committee expressed concern that buzz phrases such as the Better Care Fund don’t translate well within the community and that more needed to be done to ensure that people in Surrey were made aware of what the Fund actually is in practice. The Strategic Director agreed that more engagement with the Community on these issues was required.
3. The Committee was referred to the recently published Barker Commission which sets out new approaches to the delivery of Adult Social Care including the suggestion for a ring-fenced budget for providing free Adult Social Care. It was advised that a briefing document summarising the recommendations of the Barker Commission would be circulated in due course.
4. The Strategic Director advised that the report from the Coroner on an ongoing Serious Case Review would be available from the 9 September 2014 although no further update on the case was given.
5. The Committee were advised that, in light of new legislation requiring Local Authority Children’s Services to extend the remit of care provisions to children until the age of Twenty-five, some Adult Social Care services in Surrey along with some of their budget will be reallocated to Surrey County Council’s Children’s Services to allow them to fulfil these new obligations and advised that more information would be given to members on this reallocation once it had been fully agreed with Children’s Services . Members expressed some concern that a Transitions Team hadn’t yet been set up despite assurances and that Adult Social Care and Children’s Services were not fully cooperating on transitioning vulnerable residents from the care of Children’s Services to that of Adult Social Care due to the significant amount of time taken to work put the correct protocols in place to create a Transitions Team. The Strategic Director advised that Children’s Services and Adult Social Care worked closely with each other and held regular meetings to ensure that there was no gap in care provision and highlighted that the protocol was close to being finalised. An invitation was extended to the Chairman to attend a Children’s Services Select Committee to see how the two services worked together.
6. The Committee requested clarification on upgrades being made to software managing Adult Social Care in Surrey. The Strategic Director indicated that improvements to the software were on hold until the full implications of the Care Act and the additional demands it placed on Care services had been fully realised. It was also highlighted that, while clunky, the software was functioning effectively. The Strategic Director further added that a pilot scheme to give social care staff tablet devices to reduce the amount of time they spend completing paperwork was underway and that this scheme would be rolled out across Surrey in due course. Concerns were raised by members about the impact that tablet devices would affect the ability of care workers to interact with their patients as well as flagging issues of practicality although it was generally agreed that they would allow nurses and care workers to spend more time in the community.
Recommendations:
None
Actions/ further information to be provided:
It is agreed that the Strategic Director will:
· Provide an update in October on the realignment of the ASC Directorate
· Feedback on the outcome of the Better Care Plan fund.
· Circulate a summary the King’s Fund’s Barker Commission, Professor Bolton’s report on the demands being placed on adult social care and the outcome of the Gloria Foster Inquest.
· Give an update on the future of the Transitions Team following implementation of the Children and Families Act.
Committee Next Steps:
None