Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting - Zoom - Public Access via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/bathnescouncil. View directions

Contact: Marie Todd  01225 394414

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome and Introductions

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.  He explained that the virtual meeting was being held under the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020. 

2.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from:

 

Mike Bowden – Bath & North East Somerset Council

Nicola Hazle – Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership

Kirsty Matthews – Virgin Care (substitute Jo Scammell)

Laurel Penrose – Bath College

3.

Declarations of Interest

At this point in the meeting declarations of interest are received from Members in any of the agenda items under consideration at the meeting.

(a) The agenda item number in which they have an interest to declare.

(b) The nature of their interest.

(c) Whether their interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an other interest,  (as defined in Part 2, A and B of the Code of Conduct and Rules for Registration of Interests)

Any Member who needs to clarify any matters relating to the declaration of interests is recommended to seek advice from the Council’s Monitoring Officer or a member of his staff before the meeting to expedite dealing with the item during the meeting.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

4.

To Announce any Urgent Business Agreed by the Chair

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.

5.

Public Questions/Comments

Minutes:

Two public questions had been received from Margaret Preddy and Debbie Clifton.  The Democratic Services Officer read out the questions and the Chair stated that a written response would be sent to the questioners within five days of the meeting.  (A copy of the questions and responses is attached as Appendix 1 to these minutes)

Public Questions and Responses - Appendix 1 pdf icon PDF 82 KB

6.

Minutes of Previous Meeting - 21 January 2020 pdf icon PDF 177 KB

To confirm the minutes of the above meeting as a correct record.

Minutes:

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

7.

Update from Children and Young People Sub-Group pdf icon PDF 110 KB

The Children and Young People sub-committee of the Health and Wellbeing Board takes the strategic lead in developing the local Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) and ensuring that the priorities identified in the Children and Young People’s Plan 2018- 2021 are delivered.

 

The report sets out the progress made during year two of the Plan and the activities and areas of focus for members of the In-Care Councils and Youth Forum.

 

Lesley Hutchinson and Sarah McCluskey – 10.35am – 25 minutes

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board considered a report which set out the progress made during year two of the Children and Young People Plan 2018-2021.  The report also gave details of the activities and areas of focus for members of the In-Care Councils and Youth Forum.

 

Lesley Hutchinson, Director for Adult Social Care, Complex and Specialist Commissioning introduced the report and explained that officers are currently working on the development of a strategy for the years 2021/24.  More detail has now been included regarding trends, performance and outcomes as suggested at the last meeting.  She explained that the Plan was closely aligned to the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

 

Sarah McCluskey, Strategic Commissioning Officer, sought feedback from the Board regarding the template used for the report and whether any further information was required.

 

Kate Morton queried whether the financial envelope had shifted.  It was confirmed that nothing had changed for the year two report.

 

Paul Harris stated that it would be helpful if high level “RAG” metrics were included in the report.

 

Cllr Kevin Guy thanked all the staff that had worked on the production of this comprehensive report in these difficult circumstances.

 

Bryn Bird welcomed the work that was being carried out to mitigate difficulties encountered by children and young people.  He highlighted the duty and responsibility of healthcare services to address health inequalities.

 

Lesley Hutchinson stated that officers would make the template more accessible and would also look at the structure of the Plan so that it would not be as narrative based in future and to make it easier to digest.

 

Will Godfrey suggested that, to improve accessibility, it would be helpful to pull out the key headlines contained in the report as an executive summary.

 

The terms of reference for the Children and Young People Sub-Committee, including membership details, are attached as Appendix 1 to these minutes.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)  To note and approve the Year 2 Progress Report on the actions identified in the Plan for 2019/20.

 

(2)  To note the Year 1 Progress Report on the actions identified in the Plan for 2018/19.

Terms of Reference - Children and Young People Sub Group - Appendix 2 pdf icon PDF 118 KB

8.

Autism Update pdf icon PDF 200 KB

This report updates members of the Health and Wellbeing Board on:

 

·  The re- establishment of a B&NES wide, all-age (children’s and adults) Autism Partnership and progress made since the last update to the Board.

·  Outline work taking place at a locality level in B&NES to review and update the B&NES Autism Strategy and improve local provision.

·  The work planned across the B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG footprint through the Learning Disability and Autism Transformation Board.

 

Rebecca Potter – 11am – 25 minutes

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board received a report which gave an update on:

 

·  The re-establishment of a B&NES wide, all-age (children’s and adults) Autism Partnership and progress made since the last update to the Board.

·  Work taking place at a locality level in B&NES to review and update the B&NES Autism Strategy and to improve local provision.

·  The work planned across the B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG footprint through the Learning Disability and Autism Transformation Board.

 

Rebecca Potter, Commissioning Manager, gave a presentation which covered the following issues:

 

·  How the recommendations in the report contribute to the aims of the B&NES Corporate Strategy.

·  Legislation and Statutory Guidance.

·  The 2019 NHS Long Term Plan contains a commitment to do more across the NHS “to ensure that all people with a learning disability, autism, or both can live happier, healthier, longer lives”

·  The vision is that everyone with autism, whether living, working or visiting B&NES will have the opportunity to ‘choose’ the life they want to live.  B&NES will support this by building an inclusive community that understands.

·  Values and principles.

·  Progress made on the reduction of waiting times, engagement, promotion of reasonable adjustments, the ambassadors for autism scheme and the clarification of mental health pathways for autistic adults.

·  The priorities of the B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire Operating Plan.

·  Needs profile and trends.

·  Services available for children, young people and adults with autism.

·  Priority 1 – Joined up commissioning and delivery.

·  Priority 2 – Improving access to diagnosis and post-diagnosis support.

·  Priority 3 – Getting the right support at the right time.

·  Priority 4 – Increasing awareness and understanding of autism across the whole community.

·  Next steps.

 

It was noted that virtual services, which have been provided during the Covid-19 pandemic, have worked very well for some people with autism.  However, for others the change in routine has been difficult.  It will be important to capture the positive innovations that have been used during this time as some service users have appreciated the opportunity to meet virtually.

 

The numbers of people referred for diagnosis is increasing.  In 2018 294 people were referred and in 2019 this rose to 351. 

 

Cllr Rob Appleyard thanked officers for all the work that has gone into this report and for the hard work that is being carried out in this service area.

 

It was noted that the terms of reference for the group gave details of its membership.

 

Sara Gallagher stated that there had been a 30% increase in the amount of Bath Spa University students who were on the autistic spectrum.  She would welcome the opportunity for someone from the University to contribute to this work.  Rebecca Potter agreed to follow up this request. 

 

In response to a query from Cllr Rob Appleyard regarding the length of time taken to carry out assessments, Rebecca Potter explained that the process involved a multi-agency approach.  There were some capacity issues but the provision of a diagnosis is a complex piece of work  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Autism Strategy Update - Presentation Slides - Appendix 3 pdf icon PDF 335 KB

9.

Covid-19 Update Report and Position Statement

To receive a presentation regarding the B&NES Council and NHS local response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

A copy of the report which was considered at the full Council meeting held on 16 June 2020 can be found using the following link Covid-19 - Update Report and Position Statement

 

David Trethewey, Corinne Edwards and Louise Cadle – 11.25am – 25 minutes

Minutes:

David Trethewey, Director, Partnership and Corporate Services, reported that the Council had responded very quickly and effectively to the Covid-19 outbreak.  It had been necessary to adapt very quickly and to adopt new innovations and solutions.  The Compassionate Communities hub has been very successful and is an excellent example of partnership working.  Business grants have been administered very quickly.  The pandemic has had a profound effect on the Council’s finances and a recovery plan will be considered by the Cabinet in July.  There is currently a deficit of £42m which will have a large impact going forward.

 

Louise Cadle, from the CCG gave a brief presentation which covered:

 

·  Summary of timeline.  We are currently at week 21 of a major incident response.  The NHS is now on Alert Level 4. 

·  Revised B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire response arrangements.

·  Key priorities

o  PPE (Personal Protective Equipment.

o  Testing – there are mobile testing centres at Bristol Airport, Swindon and Salisbury.

o  Anti-body testing – around 29,000 NHS staff will be tested for anti-bodies.

o  Health and wellbeing

o  Care homes

 

Corinne Edwards, Chief Operating Officer, gave a presentation regarding the CCG response to the Covid-19 pandemic which covered the following issues:

 

·  Overview of how to re-start the system

o  Adopt a common set of design criteria across B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire.

o  Co-ordinate plans at B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire level where appropriate.

o  Build on the energy and joint working in each locality.

·  Key areas of work e.g. restarting referrals.

·  Key challenges

·  Progress being made

·  B&NES locality hub and working

·  Role and purpose of community hub – this has been very successful

o  ensure we remain prepared for COVID and;

o  ensure the re-start and restoration of services

·  How health and care partners in the area have responded so far

 

The following issues were then discussed:

 

·  It was important to be prepared in case of a second spike of infections. 

·  A helpful mutual aid arrangement for PPE has now been put in place with links across the South West region.  It is not ideal to work with a “just in time” arrangement.

·  Will Godfrey stated that this was a very helpful presentation.  He queried how many people in the area had been discharged from hospital to a care home from April onwards.  He felt that it was important to ensure the correct balance between regional structures and maintaining a strong focus on individual localities.

·  Corinne Edwards confirmed that the Health Protection Board retained a focus on each locality.

·  Cllr Appleyard asked what action was being taken to prevent domestic abuse at this time and to provide support for those experiencing both abuse and isolation.  He also acknowledged the support provided to care homes by both B&NES Council and the CCG.  Corinne Edwards stated that the CCG is very mindful of the possibility of an increase in domestic abuse cases.

·  Lesley Hutchinson confirmed that the Community Safety and Safeguarding Partnership are considering issues relating to domestic abuse  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Covid-19 Local Response - Presentation Slides - Appendix 4 pdf icon PDF 2 MB

10.

Local Outbreak Management Plan

To consider and sign off the Local Outbreak Management Plan. (Report to follow).

 

Bruce Laurence – 11.50am – 30 minutes

Minutes:

(Note: At this point Dr Andrew Smith left the meeting).

 

The Board considered a report which set out details of the B&NES Covid-19 Local Outbreak Management Plan.

 

Bruce Laurence, Director of Public Health, presented the report highlighting the following issues:

 

·  There has been a huge decline in air traffic at local airports showing the huge impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had.

·  The Plan provides a framework for managing local outbreaks.  However, there is still a lot that is unknown about this disease and it will be important to adapt.  B&NES has a strong history of planning and partnerships and so is in a good position to deal with an outbreak.  The Plan has been prepared under a short timeframe and is likely to evolve over time as more information and data become available.

·  There have been 330 cases of Covid-19 in the B&NES area and 89 deaths, 50 of which occurred in care homes.  The area has the seventh lowest rate in England out of 150 local authority areas. About 95% of the population still have no immunity to the disease and little is currently known about immunity or how long it lasts.  There are inequalities both in cases and outcomes.

·  There is no certainty about future outbreaks.  It is important not to become complacent as the lockdown is slowly released.

·  Nationally about 1 in 1,700 people currently have Covid-19 but this figure is likely to be lower in the B&NES area.

 

Will Godfrey thanked Bruce Laurence and his team for preparing this report.  He noted that the messages around Covid-19 are complex narratives and that it will be very important to avoid complacency over the next few weeks.

 

Kate Morton stressed the importance of not losing sight of the long-term consequences of the pandemic and to be prepared for the work and services that would be required to deal with this.

 

Bernie Morley stated that the report was very helpful and that he would share it among his colleagues at Bath University.  He asked whether a mobile testing facility could be made available at the University when all the students return in the autumn.

 

Cllr Rob Appleyard thanked officers for producing this complex document in such a short period of time.

 

A copy of the presentation slides is attached as Appendix 5 to these minutes.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)  To endorse the Covid-19 Local Outbreak Management Plan as a framework plan for B&NES and to recommend it for approval by Cabinet.

 

(2)  To support further work on developing detailed planning that will underpin this outline plan.

 

(3)  To endorse the roles of the Covid-19 Health Protection and Local Outbreak Engagement boards and agree to receive updates from these boards as required.

 

(4)  To agree that members of the Board use their influence to further the aims of the plan in their different organisations.

 

(5)  To support, in general, the use of appropriate resources to enable the effective implantation of the plan (but to note that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

Covid Local Outbreak Management Plan - Presentation Slides - Appendix 5 pdf icon PDF 300 KB

11.

Director of Public Health Annual Report 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 3 MB

To consider and endorse the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2019/20.

 

Bruce Laurence – 12.20pm – 15 minutes

Minutes:

The Board considered the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2019/20.

 

Bruce Laurence, Director of Public Health, stated that he would welcome any comments regarding the report which could be sent to him following the meeting.

 

RESOLVED: To endorse the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2019/20.

12.

Date of Next Meeting

To note that the next meeting will take place on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 10.30am.

Minutes:

It was noted that the next meeting will take place on Tuesday 29 September 2020.

13.

Closing Remarks

Councillor Rob Appleyard will close the meeting.

Minutes:

The Chair thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting.