Adult Care and Well Being Overview and Scrutiny Panel - Monday, 20th May, 2024 2.00 pm

May 20, 2024 View on council website  Watch video of meeting or read trancript
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Summary

The meeting discussed several significant topics, primarily focusing on social care, safeguarding, and direct payments. The discussions highlighted ongoing challenges, recent improvements, and future plans to address these issues.

The most significant topic was social care, particularly the additional resources allocated to it. Mr. Maurice thanked the council for the extra funding, which has helped improve safeguarding processes. He noted that the rapid building process for safeguarding has continued to be beneficial, allowing for quicker learning and engagement with serious incident reviews. He emphasized the importance of understanding self-neglect, particularly in relation to declining cognitive function, and mentioned the use of podcasts to raise awareness about financial scams and executive function.

Another major topic was the exploitation strategy and rough sleeping issues. The council has made significant progress in addressing rough sleeping, involving people with lived experiences and relevant bodies. The complex and high-risk management process (CALM) was also discussed, with praise for the council's innovative approaches to engaging with difficult cases, such as holding meetings in informal settings like coffee shops.

Staffing in the adult care sector was highlighted as a critical issue. Mr. Maurice expressed concerns about the future shortage of nurses, despite an increase in medical school places. He stressed the need for strategies to retain staff and attract new entrants to the profession, given the growing number of adults with complex needs and an aging population.

The meeting also covered the council's preparedness for Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections, with Mr. Maurice expressing confidence in the council's strong position. He suggested that case studies be used to illustrate the impact of the CALM process on individuals' lives.

Mental capacity and professional curiosity were discussed, with a focus on the complexities of mental capacity assessments and the importance of understanding the nuances of individuals' decision-making abilities. The need for better training and information sharing among professionals was emphasized.

The meeting also touched on the role of integrated care boards (ICBs) and their relationship with the safeguarding board. Mr. Maurice noted that while ICBs are finding their role within the system, the safeguarding board has statutory responsibilities under the Care Act to hold agencies accountable.

Finally, the meeting addressed the challenges of direct payments in social care. Despite efforts to improve the system, the uptake of direct payments remains below the national average. The council is working on a review to streamline processes and make direct payments more accessible and manageable for individuals.

Overall, the meeting highlighted ongoing efforts to improve social care and safeguarding, while also acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead, particularly in terms of staffing and resource allocation.