Agenda item

The Cabinet Member will update the Select Committee on any relevant issues. Select Committee members may ask questions on the update provided.

On this occasion, on the conclusion of the update officers will give a briefing and show a video regarding the ‘Three Conversations’.

Councillor Vic Pritchard, Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Health & Wellbeing addressed the Select Committee. A copy of the update can be found on their Minute Book and as an online appendix to these minutes, a summary of the update is set out below.

‘Three Conversations’- Update on local progress

At the November 2017 meeting, Committee members were provided with a brief introduction to our ambition to improve social care practice, by adopting the ‘three conversations’ approach and changing the way we support people.

Since then, the programme has developed significantly and is gathering pace. A governance structure is in place, and the first two collaborative design sessions were successfully attended by over 30 stakeholders.

Locally, it was decided to rename this programme ‘Strengths Based Social care’ as its main aim is to define people’s strengths and work with them to identify how they can be supporting through local networks, rather than automatically aligning them to existing support packages

On a fortnightly basis, stakeholders from the Council and CCG’s commissioning team, IT, Finance, Performance, Legal, Social Care practitioners from Virgin Care and AWP, Virgin Care transformation team colleagues and community champions are coming together to take part in the ‘Making It Happen’ group.

The current priority is to identify a number of ‘innovation sites’ to test the new approach locally. Virgin Care staff are enthusiastic at the prospect, and a number of teams have put themselves forward to be part of this exercise. Innovation sites for AWP will also be identified in the coming weeks with a view to have all test sites ready by March.

To date, feedback has been positive with practitioners looking forward to spending less time tied up with bureaucratic processes, community champions eagerly anticipating a shift to truly personalised social care and commissioners curious to see the wider impact on social care practice and budgets.

The Select Committee were then shown a video regarding the ‘Three Conversations’ from Cornwall Council.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson asked how the model would work for a resident she knew who receives dialysis treatment and has an 86 year old partner.

The Council’s Principal Social Worker and Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Lead replied that support would be in place to look at all arrangements regarding the needs of the resident in question. She added that essence of the model is to have timely conversations and to engage with people directly.

Councillor Peter Turner commented that he welcomed the recent Government appointment of a Minister for Loneliness.

The Director for Integrated Health & Care Commissioning said that a key priority following the review of Community Services through Your Care, Your Way was tackling isolation and loneliness. She added that it isn’t just older people or people living in more rural areas who experience loneliness it can be younger people including those living in B&NES urban locations.  The changes in progress and planned from the Your Care, Your Way review  including ‘Three Conversations’ will help to tackle loneliness and isolation.

She added that a more collaborative approach between commissioners and providers of services as well as those individuals participating in Three Conversations was anticipated and that community partners, such as AWP and Virgin Care were very engaged in this approach.

Councillor Pritchard commented that national recognition for the issue of loneliness was welcome.

Dr Orpen also confirmed from his perspective as a GP it is important to recognise that it is not solely a rural problem and that is also an issue for young people.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson said that she would also like to see the voluntary sector have a role in this new model.

The Principal Social Worker and Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Lead said that a great way for the teams to find out about the communities they serve would be to meet with local Councillors as they would be a great source of information. She asked therefore for members of the Select Committee to raise the subject of the ‘Three Conversations’ with their groups in anticipation of future involvement.  Select Committee members confirmed that they would welcome this involvement.

Community Services: Virgin Care Update

All aspects of robust contract management mechanisms continue to be effective in ensuring safe and efficient delivery of services. In the main, services are performing in accordance with requirements of the contract and expected activity levels. There remain pressures that were present prior to transfer to Virgin Care in April 2017 around Continuing Health Care and Social Work. Agreed action plans are now in place for both services and expected improvement trajectories are being met resulting in improved performance in both areas. 

Further local management capacity is now in place following the appointment of Virgin Care B&NES Managing Director and the new Head of IT now also established. This has provided further assurance to Commissioner that progress against key transformational plans will continue at pace, particularly in relation to the delivery of an Integrated Care Record and Care Co-ordination.  Significant progress is also being made towards the transformation of Adults Social Care through the three conversations model as set out in this briefing.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson said that she wished to raise the matter of items such as Zimmer frames and crutches being returned to the Community Equipment Service on Radstock Road and then subsequently being dumped into a skip and not being reused.

Councillor Pritchard replied that it may be the case that some of the equipment is bespoke, but agreed it was a little strange that some items cannot be used again.

The Director for Integrated Health & Care Commissioning said that a review of Community Equipment is underway as referenced within the Council’s Operational Plan and this review includes stock management and recycling. She added that it can on occasions there are some items of equipment that cannot be recycled because they are either custom-made and it is not economically viable to reuse them in another property, for infection control reasons, or because they have worn away, but there are also very many items which can be recycled and improvements in the amount of community equipment that is recycled can be made.

Councillor Jackson suggested that organisations such as the Red Cross or a refugee charity be contacted to see if they could use any discarded items.

Councillor Pritchard said that it would be worth looking into the matter.

Councillor Jackson asked why the Healthwise Referral Scheme was not available at a centre within the Somer Valley.

The Director for Integrated Health & Care Commissioning said that she was not aware of the scheme but thought it may be a lack of an appropriate local leisure facility.

Councillor Pritchard said that he would investigate the matter on her behalf.

The Chair thanked Councillor Pritchard for his update on behalf of the Select Committee.