Agenda item

Care Services Quality Assurance (30 minutes)

The Wellbeing PDS Panel is asked to note the current Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) for care services and engage with the further development of the QAF, including a clear articulation of the role of the Panel.

Minutes:

The Chairman invited Jane Shayler to introduce the report.

 

Jane Shayler suggested presenting this and the next report (The Effects of Delivering Adult Social Care Savings Targets on the Market – item 13) at the same time as there is direct link to those two reports.  The Panel agreed with this suggestion.

 

Jane Shayler took the Panel through both reports.  Jane Shayler highlighted that the findings of the Winterbourne View case will be published in August or September this year and she advised the Panel to schedule a report on that subject following the publication of findings and as part of that that the Panel receive an advice from Jane Shayler on how the findings could be incorporated in a further development of the Quality Assurance Framework as there is a direct link to it. 

 

The Panel made the following points:

 

The Panel agreed with the suggestion from Jane Shayler to have a report on findings from Winterbourne View case.

 

Jane Shayler said that the CQC became much more rigorous since the Winterbourne View incident and they are paying closer attention on all care homes.  CQC is now releasing very strong press releases in respect on any of findings and very proactively raising any concerns on such issues.  The Strategic Health Authority is also paying very close attention.  Self-assessment process for learning difficulties is very detailed.  It will not only put a pressure on commissioners but also on all providers, including non-specialist providers, to complete the self-assessment and show how the needs of all patients are met.

 

The Panel asked about budgetary considerations, in particular about saving of £1.2m on care placements.

 

Jane Shayler replied that she had consistently  advised that the 3 year efficiency programme (i.e. reducing the costs of placements) was just that and could not be extended to a fourth year.  The 3-year programme, which ends at the end of this financial year was evidence-based, including benchmarking fee-levels with other Local Authority areas and, also asking providers for detailed cost-breakdowns, showing how fees are made up, what element is profit, what element funds “hotel” – type costs and what proportion is spent directly on care provision to negotiate efficiency savings with providers, well informed evidence based programme with the fee breakdown of costs (how the costs are made up, how much profit they are taking, how much is spent on care provision, etc). It was evidence-based, including benchmarking fee-levels with other Local Authority areas and, also asking providers for detailed cost-breakdowns, showing how fees are made up, what element is profit, what element funds “hotel” – type costs and what proportion is spent directly on care provision The 3 year programme ends this financial year.  It will not be going for fourth year as a fourth year of seeking efficiency savings does run a risk of seriously compromising the quality and safety of that provision.  So we would need to seek savings through other means.  There is a link to commissioning capacity as there is a need to keep an eye on all service providers.  We are seeing individual facilities, mainly care homes, dipping in and out of an acceptable standard of care.  We also need to keep up on on-going contract review.  Council also agreed to fund a team for quality assurance and safeguarding team to work alongside AWP and Sirona in terms of the adult safeguarding process, including investigations, and also to have audit and quality assurance function for individual care assessments and support plans.  The commissioning capacity has been increased but is not with the wealth of resources, especially given increased level of activity and referrals.

 

It was RESOLVED that the Panel noted the report and for the Panel to receive a report on findings from Winterbourne View case once it is published.

 

Supporting documents: