Agenda item

36.1   The Committee considered a report by the Executive Director Adults and Health (copy appended to the signed minutes) which was introduced by Mrs Jupp, Cabinet Member for Adults & Health who told the Committee: -

·         In Summer 2019 pressures in Adults’ Services led to Newton being appointed to carry out a diagnostic across Adults’ and Lifelong Services to identify ways to improve outcomes for people and identify ways of more cost-effective working

36.2   Kim Curry, Executive Director for Adults & Health, added: -

·         Newton’s work enhanced that of the Council’s Transformation Team

·         Adults’ Services was now safe, although West Sussex was still behind some other authorities

36.3   Steve Phillips and Laps Senthilgiri of Newton took the Committee through a presentation (copy appended to the signed minutes) on the work Newton had carried out in collaboration with Adults’ Services using workshops with Council staff and surveys of customers, families and professionals.

36.4   Summary of responses to the Committee’s questions and comments: -

·         SP – The criteria for deciding if a customer outcome was ideal or non-ideal was decided by the Council’s social workers

·         SP – Families and health professionals might be reluctant to advocate any type of care at home as they might not be familiar with its quality or availability

·         SP – People could be reluctant to refer customers for reablement services due to previous experience, lack of availability, quality of service or pressure to make a quick decision

·         SP – Reablement services would be time limited

·         SP – A customer’s hospital stay should not be the basis for a decision on long-term care, but should be an influence

·         Care packages were reviewed between six weeks and two months after implementation, at the annual review and if a person’s condition changed

·         SP – All operational and commissioning requirements had been considered

·         Four options were being considered for the way forward, but the Council does not have the capacity or capability to deliver the programme alone

·         CG – There were savings to be made by moving away from dependent to independent services such as reablement, but to reach the level of service required an investment of £1.4m would be needed in reablement

·         The Adult Social Care Improvement Board had instigated five safety indicators – performance against these showed the services was safe, especially in regard to safeguarding and assessments of deprivation of liberty standards – ACTION: Kim Curry to provide detailed data on the five safety indicators

·         There needed to be changes in the leadership and management teams as well as investment in training and development of the workforce so that staff felt more supported – the Department of Health & Social Care was encouraged that the Council was working with Newton

·         Connecting Lives, Supporting people fitted the proposals and identified local voluntary services

·         The Council was working with district and borough councils to hasten adaptations (if needed) so that people could return home from hospital as soon as possible

·         SF – Newton has worked with 42 other authorities, 40 of which took them on to help deliver adult social care, one did not, and one has yet to decide

·         AJ – The Cabinet was committed to this way of working going forward

·         Pending decisions would not be affected by this work

·         CS – This approach should make the adult social care budget more sustainable

36.5 – Resolved that the Committee: -

1. Supports the development of the diagnostic work assured by the due diligence as set out in the report if Newton is appointed as a strategic partner moving forwards, however it raises concerns over the capacity and capability of the reablement and care & support at home market to deliver deserved outcomes
2. Highlights the importance of working with partners, especially the NHS, when developing this work
3. Highlights the importance of supporting and developing frontline staff throughout
4. Seeks assurance that customers are part of any co-production carried out as part of this work
5. Asks for a commitment at a strategic level that this be a long-term project
6. Asks that the Committee has the opportunity to scrutinise this work throughout its development