In the past week, the Wychavon council has held several meetings. Here are the details:

Pension Investment Sub-Committee

Date: Monday 10 June 2024

We have not been able to find a video broadcast of this meeting.

Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Date: Monday 10 June 2024

The Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel met to discuss the significance of volunteering in Worcestershire and the outcomes of the Voluntary Redundancy Scheme 2023/24. Key decisions included the endorsement of ongoing volunteer support initiatives and the review of the redundancy scheme's impact on council services.

Worcestershire's Volunteers

Karen May, Cabinet Member for the Community, highlighted the critical role of volunteers in Worcestershire, especially in the post-COVID-19 era. She thanked the volunteers for their contributions, noting their positive impact on public services and individual well-being. The discussion included the transition from the Here to Help COVID-19 response to broader volunteer engagement.

Hannah Perrett, Assistant Director, detailed the current state of volunteering, emphasizing the significant contributions in areas such as libraries, museums, and green spaces. She mentioned the development of new volunteer roles, including those in the Coroners Service and public health initiatives. The council is also working on a county-wide volunteer portal funded by a £30,000 grant from the Department of Health and Social Care¹.

Councillors discussed the importance of promoting the benefits of volunteering, both for community well-being and personal development. They suggested sharing personal stories of volunteers to highlight these benefits. The panel also addressed the need for consistent support and communication for volunteers, including reimbursement of expenses to ensure inclusivity.

For more details, refer to the Item 6 Worcestershire's Volunteers document.

Voluntary Redundancy Scheme 2023/24

Richard Taylor presented the final report on the Voluntary Redundancy Scheme 2023/24, which aimed to address a significant financial overspend. The scheme received 192 applications, with 86 approved, resulting in an annual saving of approximately £2.8 million. The majority of redundancies were from support services, ensuring minimal impact on frontline services.

Taylor assured the panel that the scheme was carefully managed to avoid negative impacts on service delivery. He highlighted the rigorous approval process, which included consultations with trade unions and strategic directors. The scheme also allowed for some flexibility, with a few employees permitted to stay until the end of June to complete essential work.

Councillors raised concerns about the potential impact on staff morale and service delivery. Taylor confirmed that the council is monitoring these aspects through regular surveys and ongoing support initiatives. The panel agreed to review the scheme's outcomes in future meetings.

For further information, see the Item 5 Voluntary Redundancy Scheme 2023/24 Final Report.

Work Programme

The panel briefly discussed the work programme, noting the need to incorporate updates on the volunteer initiatives and the redundancy scheme. They agreed to maintain flexibility to address any urgent issues that may arise.

For more information, refer to the Item 7 Work Programme document.

Pension Investment Sub-Committee

Date: Wednesday 12 June 2024

This meeting has been cancelled.

Joint Museums Committee

Date: Wednesday 12 June 2024

We have not been able to find a video broadcast of this meeting.

Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Date: Thursday 13 June 2024

This meeting has been cancelled.

This week, the council has focused on the importance of volunteering and the financial implications of the Voluntary Redundancy Scheme. The discussions highlighted the council's commitment to supporting volunteers and ensuring the sustainability of services despite financial challenges.

In the past week, the Wychavon council has held three meetings. Here are the details:

Adult Care and Well Being Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Date: Monday 20 May 2024

This meeting focused on several critical issues in social care, including funding, safeguarding, and the management of direct payments. Maurice, the new Sea of Honor, was welcomed, and the council was thanked for allocating additional resources to social care.

Key Points:

• Social Care Funding: Maurice acknowledged the difficulty in securing funds for social care and emphasized the importance of rapid learning from safeguarding incidents. He highlighted the issue of self-neglect, using a personal example to illustrate the risks.

My mother could read a sell-by date but not understand its significance, leading to potential risks like food poisoning. — Maurice

• Exploitation Strategy: The council's strategy on rough sleeping was reviewed, with positive feedback on including people with lived experience in the assurance framework. The Complex Adults Risk Management (CARM) process was also discussed, which involves innovative approaches like meeting people in coffee shops to better address their needs.

• Staffing Concerns: Maurice raised concerns about the future shortage of nurses, noting that while there may be enough doctors, nursing courses are struggling to recruit students. This could become a significant issue as the population ages.

• Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspection: Maurice expressed confidence in the council's preparedness for the CQC inspection, emphasizing the importance of professional curiosity and multi-agency working in safeguarding.

• Direct Payments System: The council is reviewing its processes to make direct payments more efficient and user-friendly, addressing concerns about the impact of voluntary redundancies on the service.

Health and Wellbeing Board

Date: Tuesday 21 May 2024

This meeting covered public health initiatives, reducing smoking in pregnancy, and tackling loneliness and isolation in Worcestershire. Updates on the Better Care Fund and upcoming autism awareness training were also provided.

Key Points:

• Public Health Review: Lisa Macklin presented the achievements of the public health team, including high performance in health visiting services, reduced smoking rates in pregnancy, and successful MMR vaccination campaigns.

• Reducing Smoking in Pregnancy: Claire Mitchell and Hailey Darnell discussed the integrated antenatal and postnatal smoking services, which have significantly reduced smoking rates at the point of delivery.

The introduction of vaping as an alternative to smoking has significantly improved quit rates. — Claire Mitchell

• Tackling Loneliness and Isolation: Lucy Check and Tanya Richardson presented a draft action plan focusing on community connections and support. Initiatives like the Stay Connected Pledge and the Orange Button Community Scheme were highlighted.

• Better Care Fund: Simon requested the board's permission to delegate the sign-off of the Better Care Fund templates to the Integrated Commissioning Executive Officers Group, which was agreed upon.

• Autism Awareness Training: Scheduled for July 16th, this training aims to increase awareness and understanding among board members.

Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Date: Wednesday 22 May 2024

The meeting introduced Councillor Emma Marshall as the new chair and discussed the Valuing Care project, which aims to improve the sufficiency of children’s placements in Worcestershire.

Key Points:

• Valuing Care Project: The project focuses on ensuring that children in care have a family care experience. The council is addressing the challenge of finding enough foster families, especially for children with complex needs.

• Placement Options: The council considers three options for placing children in care: connected persons, mainstream foster care, and independent foster care.

• Challenges and Solutions: The council has introduced specialist foster carers who can earn £1,000 a week for caring for children with challenging behaviors. This initiative aims to recruit and convert existing foster carers into specialist roles.

• Financial Impact: The cost of children's placements is a significant financial burden. The introduction of specialist foster carers has shown financial savings by preventing children from entering residential care.

• Empower Consulting: Dominic Laskin from Empower Consulting presented their role in supporting the Valuing Care project, focusing on improving outcomes for children and reducing costs.

• Future Plans: The project will run until October, with a focus on profiling the needs of children, understanding foster carers' abilities, and strengthening foster care recruitment and retention.

Cancelled Meetings

• Planning and Regulatory Committee (Tuesday 21 May 2024)
• Cabinet (Thursday 23 May 2024)

This week, the council has addressed significant issues in social care, public health, and children's services. The themes of funding, community engagement, and innovative approaches to service delivery have been prominent. The implications of these discussions are far-reaching, particularly in terms of future staffing challenges and the financial sustainability of care services.