Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Chair will draw attention to the emergency evacuation procedure as set out under Note 5.

The Chair drew attention to the emergency evacuation procedure.

Councillor David Harding had sent his apologies to the Panel, Councillor Anna Box was present as his substitute for the duration of the meeting.

Councillor Bharat Pankhania had sent his apologies to the Panel, Councillor Michael Auton was present as his substitute for the duration of the meeting.

Councillor Joanna Wright had sent her apologies to the Panel.

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

(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 4.4 Appendix 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 Officeror a member of his staff before the meeting to expedite dealing with the item during the meeting.

Melissa Hillier (ReMind UK) & Ruth Lane (ForgetMeNot Club) addressed the Panel on the subject of a Dementia Strategy, a summary of their statement is set out below.

‘Background

Within the local Ageing Well Network, discussions have been held regarding the need for Bath and North East Somerset to have a Dementia Strategy.  Following further research the only strategy currently available is the Mental Health Commissioning Strategy but nothing that relates specifically to services for people living with dementia.

BaNES has an estimated 2700 people living with dementia (with only 40% of these with a diagnosis) and this is due to increase by 36% by 2030 to over 3670.

Proposal

For 3SG group members to support the Council in the coordination of a Dementia Strategy for the area.  The working party will have representatives as follows:

• NHS Adult Care representatives.
• BaNES Council representatives.
• Local housing representatives.
• Local service providers.
• ICB Board representative
• HCRG Care representative
• GP representative

We are here today to ask that the Children, Adults, Health and Wellbeing Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel approve in principle the need for the production of a dementia strategy for local residents and agree that the Council will take a leading role in this process. 

Aim

We would like to produce a strategy which will outline what people living with dementia in BaNES can expect from all services from diagnosis through to end of life care.

The strategy will ensure that anyone, despite where they live within BaNES, can receive the same approach for dementia services.  It will give guidance to all service providers and a clear pathway from diagnosis to end of life for people living with dementia.  The strategy itself will also help us focus on the gaps in service provision, and aid future commissioning of services.’

The Chair asked if both ReMind UK & ForgetMeNot Club were part of 3SG.

Melissa Hillier replied that they were and that she was the Vice-Chair of 3SG.

Kevin Burnett asked if they had seen related strategies from other Local Authorities.

Melissa Hillier replied that both Swindon and Wilshire have a Dementia Strategy and that as B&NES was part of the same Integrated Care Board (BSW ICB) they should be able to use that information as their strategy is developed. She added that the strategy should be co-produced with service users.

The Chair asked that this matter be referred to the Cabinet Member for Adult Services and for it to be added to the Panel’s Forward Plan.

Councillor Alison Born, Cabinet Member for Adult Services said that the subject had been raised with her a few weeks ago and that she was in discussions with the Director of Adult Social Care to allocate a lead officer from the Council.

Councillor Liz Hardman asked that the Panel be updated on the progress of this work at their meeting on 16^th June 2025.

Councillor Lesley Mansell said that she agreed with the need to have a B&NES Dementia Strategy, that it should  ...  view the full minutes text for item 100.

The Panel confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting as a true record and they were duly signed by the Chair.

The Cabinet Member(s) will update the Panel on any relevant issues. Panel members may ask questions on the update provided.

Councillor Alison Born, Cabinet Member for Adult Services addressed the Panel and highlighted the following points from her update.

Statutory Services

We are approaching the one year anniversary of the transfer of ASC statutory services back to B&NES Council. In order to minimise disruption, no changes were made to services at the point of transfer but managers have been working with practitioners over the past year to review and revise operational practices and to improve training and development.

Adult Regulated Services

As part of our continual improvement journey, an organisation called Care for Quality has been invited to undertake another round of mock inspections of services in late April/early May and the CQC action plan continues to be reviewed with the management team on a monthly basis.

Community Partners - Community support related to adult social care

Responsibility for commissioning these services transferred from HCRG to B&NES council on April 1^st 2025. The council has worked with community partners to complete due diligence processes and negotiate bridging contracts and grant funding agreements for 2025/26. Most of these contracts and agreements have been issued for signature and several have been signed by providers. A small number of contracts are in the final stage of negotiations, aiming to finalise as soon as agreements have been reached.

Finance

Adult Social Care is projecting delivery of its savings targets for 2024/5 and a break-even position at year end. This is particularly noteworthy given the increased activity and complexity the service has faced, especially in Mental Health (MH), Older Persons (OP), and Learning Disabilities (LD). Congratulations to all involved as this will ensure that the service starts the new financial year from a position of strength.

Public Health

·  New public health contracts - The new public health contracts for Drug and Alcohol Services (Turning Point), Wellness services (Everyone Health) and Public Health Nursing Services (HCRG Care Group) began on 1st April 2025.

·  Health protection issue in K&A Canal, Widcombe - The health protection team have recently responded to concerns from members of the public about an apparent mass poisoning of fish in Widcombe Section of the Kennet and Avon Canal.

·  Leisure Services - Summer opening hours have started at Royal Victoria Park Golf with the course now open 7 days per week for Foot Golf (12 holes) and pitch and putt golf (currently 9 holes but due to increase to 18 once Green treatments are completed). Progress is also being made on the Adventure Golf Course at Dragonfly Leisure centre in Midsomer Norton with the course due to open later this month.

Councillor Liz Hardman referred to the Carer’s Strategy and asked that if amendments are to be made to it they should be shared with the Panel.

The Director of Adult Social Care agreed and said that some fantastic co-production had taken place, and that the delivery plan was ongoing.

The Chair suggested that an update be provided to the Panel as part of their June meeting.

Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102.

The Panel will receive an update from the B&NES, Swindon & Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (BSW ICB) on current issues.

Laura Ambler, Director of Place for Bath and North East Somerset, BSW ICB addressed the Panel and highlighted the following areas from within the update.

Transfer of community-based care services to HCRG Care Group

Community-based care services across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire are now being provided by HCRG Care Group.

Since 1 April, the group has taken on the day-to-day running of the services, and partnered with the NHS, local authorities and charities to transform the way in which community care and support is provided across the region.

Patients have been advised that there will be no immediate changes to current services, and care will continue to be provided as before.

Future of Integrated Care Boards

Over the last few months, both NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have been discussing closer working and avoiding duplication. Work is now under way to reform the NHS to best support the frontline to deliver for patients and drive the government’s reform priorities.

Changes are expected to take place, at pace, over the coming months. As part of the need to make best possible use of taxpayers’ money to support frontline services, NHS England has informed us that the running and programme costs of ICBs will need to be reduced by around 50 per cent.

While these plans are currently at an early stage, it has been confirmed that ICBs will continue to exist and work around developing a new ICB model, which outlines future functions and responsibilities, is already under way.

Eligible groups urged to come forward for vital Covid-19 booster vaccine

Local people who are most at risk of falling seriously ill from Covid-19 have been urged to book an appointment to receive their spring booster vaccine.

All adults aged 75 and over, as well as those over the age of six months and living with a weakened immune system, are eligible for the free vaccination. Older adults living in care homes will also be offered the vaccine within their place of residence.

Having the booster vaccine is seen as the most effective form of protection for people who are more susceptible to the effects of Covid-19, especially as immunity from previous vaccinations fades over time.

Patient survey aims to find out why people visit A&E

Patient visits to accident and emergency departments within local hospitals rose by 5.6 per cent during 2024, mainly due to a rise in the number of walk-ins.

Over the next three months, BSW ICB will be working with local Healthwatch groups, along with hospitals in Bath, Swindon and Salisbury, to conduct the Big A&E Survey. Face-to-face questionnaires will be handed out at all three A&Es in BSW, with a digital survey also being launched across social media.

This survey will explore why patients choose accident and emergency departments and their awareness of other treatment options, while also looking for any health inequalities and service gaps.

The findings will be analysed and shared with system  ...  view the full minutes text for item 103.

Councillor Alison Born, Cabinet Member for Adult Services introduced the report to the Panel. She explained that the CQC published their report for B&NES on 30th January 2025, assigning a rating of Requires Improvement.

She said that prior to the final report being published a factual accuracy and completeness review was undertaken by the ASC Leadership Team on the draft CQC report.

She said that 75 points of factual accuracy and 69 completeness points were submitted to CQC on 27th November 2024. She informed the Panel that for factual accuracy 56 points were accepted/partially accepted and for completeness points 20 were accepted/partially accepted. The rating for B&NES remained unchanged even though CQC accepted the majority of the changes.

She stated that she was pleased that the CQC had recognised that B&NES has kind, dedicated and passionate staff.

The Director of Adult Social Care addressed the Panel and said that an Improvement Plan was now in place and that due to the Requires Improvement rating B&NES has been assigned a Care and Health Improvement Advisor (CHIA) from Partners in Care (Southwest Region) who partner with the Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.

She said that it is recognised that waiting lists are too high and they expect resources to be put in place to alleviate this.

She added that it was likely that the CQC would seek a follow up review in 2026.

She stated that she was adamant that B&NES has great staff and said that they had received compliments from Community Partners.

Councillor Liz Hardman thanked both the Cabinet Member and the Director of Adult Social Care for their assurances. She asked what work was being done to address the waiting lists for Occupational Therapy.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that within one of the new care homes they had a designated space where people could come and see what equipment is now potentially available to them.

Councillor Hardman said it was good to hear that an Improvement Board is in place and that a list of priorities has been set. She asked if there was a timescale to report on any progress made.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that they have to submit the Improvement Plan by 30^th April and that a further timeline will be provided in the next report to the Panel.

Kevin Burnett asked if B&NES was the only Local Authority to have issues with the new methodology of the inspection process and if any further review of the process was planned.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that the process was now complete as they have been informed that they have no grounds for a review.

She confirmed that the Cabinet Member had written to Sir Julian Hartley, CQC Chief Executive on three separate occasions but no response had been received to date.

The Cabinet Member added that she felt that other Councils have had a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 104.

Councillor Alison Born introduced the report to the Panel said that she recognised how important the provision of respite care was. She gave an assurance that Newton House would remain open until a needs assessment had been carried out. She added that the Council was working with a representative of three of the current families to help shape what will be needed in the future. She informed the Panel that the intention is to submit to them a further report in June that will contain clear recommendations for the next steps.

The Director of Adult Social Care said that an all age strategy on respite care would ultimately be arranged and that they would provide the families with regular updates. She stated that there is no intention to stop the current service without an alternative being in place.

She explained that three options were currently being considered:

1.  Continue the current service provided by Dimensions.

2.  Establish an internal service.

3.  Go out to market for the service to be provided.

She said that officers have been tasked with developing an options appraisal and to then share this with representatives of the families. She added that once their feedback had been received the options appraisal would be shared with everyone. She stated that she expected two meetings to take place with family representatives, one in April and one in May. She said that the quality of the provision and the resources involved would be key in making a decision.

She said that a timetable of meetings would be put in place and stated that the Council will continue to fulfil its duties under the Care Act.

The Chair asked for confirmation that the services provided at Newton House will not be stopped immediately in January 2026 should alternative provision still being sought.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that she believed that additional time would be given by the current provider if required.

Kevin Burnett asked if the options being considered were comparable to the current provision.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that it was clear that this needs to be a local service within B&NES and that if needed discussions about an alternative site would take place.

Councillor Hardman asked if she felt that the needs of the families were being taken into consideration.

Wendy Lucas replied that she felt their needs were understood, but concerns remain over the timeline. She said that their children have complex needs and that it would likely take months for all parties to be sure that the provision is right, should it have to change.

She explained that for a previous change in provision it took her child six months to feel comfortable. She added that parents / carers would need to be able to visit / access the site at short notice and therefore the location must be within B&NES.

She said that she was aware that the provision must be cost effective and acknowledged that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 105.

Councillor Paul May, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services introduced Rachel Hale, Director and CEO of B&NES Parent Carer Forum to the Panel. He thanked her, Olwyn Donnelly and Sarah McCluskey for their work on this matter and said that he intends to take a similar report to the Cabinet at some point in the future.

Rachel Hale addressed the Panel and explained that the Parent Carer Forum works with both Children and Adult Services and meets with them on a monthly basis.

She said that work relating to the promises began with assessing the support required for children and young people with SEND.

She informed the Panel that several groups of young people have reviewed the promises, including students from Chew Valley School. She said that a Makaton version of the promises was also available.

She stated that the intention is for the promises to be adopted by all areas of the Council.

The Head of Education Commissioning added that the promises have been shared with colleagues working in Health and that it was important to make them visible to all young people.

Kevin Burnett asked what the intended age range for the promises was.

Rachel Hale replied that for young people with SEND this was considered to be up to the age of 25. She added that there was also a Participation Toolkit that was available and said that the promises had been co-produced from the earliest point possible.

Kevin Burnett asked how the implementation of the promises would be monitored.

Rachel Hale replied that discussions between Councillors and officers were required to take place on how to maintain the levels of participation. She added that a lot of co-working is already taking place and said that buy-in regarding the promises was required from all Heads of Service.

Councillor May added that a Memorandum of Understanding was also being drafted.

Councillor Lesley Mansell welcomed the report and said that it was important for the work to be recognised across the Council. She asked what consultation had taken place with young people in Radstock.

Councillor May replied that Youth Connect South West (YCSW) were involved in the review of the promises and that this included the Youth Hub in Radstock.

Councillor Mansell said that the responses to the issues raised during this process were positive and asked for an Equalities Impact Assessment to be carried out to raise further awareness and to assure that all factors have been taken into account.

Councillor May replied that the report had been raised with the Equalities Team and felt that the report had addressed any issues. He reiterated his intention to take the report to a meeting of the Cabinet and said that a report on implementation of the promises would come to a future meeting of the Panel.

The Chair asked that this be submitted to them later in the year.

Rachel Hale stated that work had been carried out within their resources and said that they have a good working  ...  view the full minutes text for item 106.

This report presents the latest workplan for the Panel. Any suggestions for further items or amendments to the current programme will be logged and scheduled in consultation with the Panel’s Chair and supporting officers.

The Chair introduced the item to the Panel and asked for suggestions for future reports to the Panel.

Councillor Ruth Malloy suggested the subject areas:

·  Review of local services re: Neuro Diversity

·  Home Education (Diagnosis / Help with Mental Health issues for C&YP)

The Chair suggested that the Panel could receive a whole item on Children’s Mental Health.

Councillor Liz Hardman asked for an update on Free School Meal – Auto Enrolment.

The Chair suggested that this subject forms part of the Cabinet Member Update.

Chris Batten asked for the Panel to updated on the work of the Music Service.

The Panel RESOLVED to note their current workplan and these proposals for future reports.