The Adult Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss an update on the Stepping Hill Foundation Trust estates and funding situation, and to consider reports on early help in adult social care, a pharmaceutical needs assessment, and the safeguarding adults partnership annual report. The committee was also scheduled to discuss its work programme.

Here's a summary of the topics that were listed for discussion:

Stockport Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025

The committee was scheduled to consider the draft Stockport Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025 (PNA) from the Director of Public Health.

The PNA is a statutory requirement for health and wellbeing boards, and must be published every three years. It looks at the provision of pharmaceutical services across Stockport, assesses whether they meet the current needs of the population, and identifies any potential gaps in service delivery. According to the report pack, the PNA is used by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB) in its approval process for applications to join the pharmaceutical list.

The draft PNA concluded that the population of Stockport has sufficient service provision to meet their essential pharmaceutical needs.

Within Stockport there are 59 community pharmacies, 3 internet / distance selling pharmacies, 1 dispensing appliance contractor (DAC) and 1 hospital pharmacy.

This is a similar number of pharmacies per 100,000 population to the England average, despite four community pharmacies closing since 2022.

Stockport Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025 Main Report

It also noted that more than 92% of the population have access to pharmacies within one kilometre of their home, and that more than 96% of the population live within 2km of three or more pharmacy providers.

However, the report identified gaps in out of hours service in three areas:

• Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme Neighbourhood
• Marple Neighbourhood
• Stepping Hill Neighbourhood

The report stated that the preference would be for an existing provider in each of these areas to meet the identified out of hours need.

The committee was asked to consider whether the draft PNA adequately identifies the needs of the population of Stockport, whether they knew of any relevant information that had not been included, and whether they agreed with the conclusion that pharmaceutical provision within Stockport is satisfactory with limited identified gaps in weekday evening provision in three neighbourhoods.

Stockport Safeguarding Adults Partnership Annual Report 2024/25

The committee was scheduled to consider the Stockport Safeguarding Adults Partnership Annual Report 2024/25 Main Report from the Director of Adult Social Services.

The Stockport Safeguarding Adults Partnership must prepare an annual report each year, in line with statutory duties as set out in the Care Act 2014. The report details progress made against the Partnership's Strategic Business Plan, learning gained from any Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs), and sets out priority actions for the coming 12 months.

The report demonstrates progress made against the Business Plan priority areas of:

• Improving partnership working and information sharing
• Effective transitions from childhood to adulthood
• Understanding complex trauma and assessing risk
• Working with adults to manage risk effectively and make safeguarding personal

The report noted that the Partnership had successfully recruited an adult with lived experience to sit on the Executive Board and Quality Assurance Partnership, who has coproduced an easy read information leaflet on safeguarding processes. It also noted that the sub-groups have a more clearly defined focus on business plan priorities, and that multi-agency audits have strengthened SAR learning, particularly around self-neglect and substance misuse.

The report also set out the Partnership's priorities for continued improvement, including:

• Expanding engagement to hear more voices of individuals as well as practitioners
• Launching delivery of 'causing others to undertake enquiries' training
• Launching the online multi-agency safeguarding policy and procedure resource
• Seeking assurance on partners' safeguarding training and competencies
• Ensuring partners fully embed the risk matrix and safeguarding thresholds tool in frontline practice
• Working with partners to deliver multi-agency safeguarding training across the system
• Encouraging all partners to be more active in delivery of the Business Plan and other Partnership activities

Delivering Early Help and Prevention in Adult Social Care

The committee was scheduled to consider a report from the Director for Adult Social Care, which outlines how the Adult Social Care service currently delivers prevention and early help services for the residents of Stockport, and includes the future delivery plans for the next five years in alignment to the One Stockport One Future and the Stockport Live Well programme.

The strategy sets out the framework for transforming services to better promote independence, highlighting current efforts and future priorities:

• Information, Advice and Guidance: Reliable advice and information empower people to make informed choices.
• Enabling Independent Living: Supporting people to live independently is vital for autonomy and well -being, requiring a holistic approach across health, safety, social support, and accessibility.
• Commissioning for Early Help and Prevention: Early help and prevention are central to commissioning strategies, with a focus on maximising independence.

The report stated that effective early help and prevention will help the council to manage demand for Adult Social Care, and will prevent, reduce and delay the need for longer term formally commissioned care, thus directly contributing to the overall financial sustainability.

Scrutiny Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to consider a report from the Assistant Director for Governance, which sets out planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee's next meeting, and Forward Plan items that fall within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

The committee was invited to consider the information in the report, and put forward any agenda items for future meetings.