Agenda item

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.

Waiting times

In January 2025 there were 122 people awaiting allocation for a Care Act Assessment. The median wait for allocation was 53 days. As of 1st June 2025, there are 112 people awaiting allocation with a median wait of 34 days. Demand for adult social care continues to rise with the service completing 20% more assessments in the first quarter of 2025 than in the previous quarter.

Ageing Well B&NES Programme

The Ageing Well B&NES Programme, which follows the World Health Organisation’s Age Friendly Framework is an initiative, led by age UK, that is supporting B&NES to become an age friendly community. The programme is overseen by a local steering group, of which I am a member and current priorities include travel, health, ageism, raising older people's voice, digital inclusion, and access to public toilets. Specific initiatives include an age friendly transport project (looking at accessibility) and an age friendly volunteering and employers’ project.

The programme has also set up an Older People's Voice Forum to enable older people to share experiences, concerns, and ideas for ageing well policies and initiatives.

The work of the programme is further supported by the Ageing Well Network facilitated by 3SG. The network provides a platform for its members to share knowledge, engagement, drive programme delivery and promote better working together.

Annual Director of Public Health Report

Last year’s B&NES DPH report on Food Security has been chosen as one of the top 5 (out of 67) public health reports in England which is a huge achievement for our public health team, the comms team, other council colleagues and many providers in the Fair Food Alliance, particularly as we are a relatively small authority.

Assurance

The South West DHSC Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is piloting a new approach to providing assurance back to Government ministers of the Public Health Ring-fenced Grant in local authorities. The approach is based on a structured submission of information prior to two in-person meetings. The first meeting is with each local authority involving as a core group the Regional DPH, DPH, Chief Executive, S151 Officer and lead Cabinet Member. The second meeting is with the ICB, involving as a core group the Regional DPH, DsPH, ICB Chief Executive, ICB Finance Officer, Chief Medical Officer and ICB prevention lead. The visits are designed to understand more about the overarching spend of the Public Health Ring-fenced Grant, be supportive in nature, and capture good practice. For B&NES the first of the two meetings took place on 9th June and positive feedback has been received. The date for the second is being confirmed.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment

Legislation requires that every three years every Health and Wellbeing Board assesses the need for pharmaceutical services in its area and publishes a statement of its assessment. The Public Health Team leads this work on behalf of the HWB. In May a public consultation for the 2025-2028 B&NES Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment was launched. This has already been circulated to all PDS members with an invitation to comment on the consultation. The consultation will close at 5pm on Tuesday 1 July 2025.

Councillor Hardman asked if an explanation of an ‘unscheduled review’ could be given to the Panel.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that an unscheduled review will take place if a user’s needs change and therefore the package of care needs to be reviewed. She added that annual reviews are also carried out.

Kevin Burnett asked what successful strategies have been deployed by Adult Social Care to cope with the increased demand for services.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that demand for services continues to be managed by having extra Social Workers and Occupational Therapists in place. She said that the department currently has the ability move resources to where they are needed, but said that this needs to become sustainable. She added that they are beginning to use AI more to record user discussions to speed up the process of compiling reports.

Kevin Burnett referred to the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment and asked for information regarding the criteria to judge whether there is enough provision currently.

The Public Health Consultant replied that the Assessment takes into account a number of factors, including transport and opening times. She said that she would seek further information relating to criteria specifics from the team involved and relay their reply to the Panel.

Kevin Burnett asked if the previously referenced ICB Pharmacy Strategy had been released yet.

Laura Ambler replied that it had not and that the Assessment would be used to inform the Strategy. She added that this work was critical to inform the level of provision required.

The Public Health Consultant added that the analysis will include discussions with Community Pharmacies.

Kevin Burnett referred to the Holiday Activities and Food Programme and asked how many of those who were eligible have taken part.

The Public Health Consultant replied that she did not have the information to hand, but would find it out on behalf of the Panel.

Councillor Paul Crossley stated that the Panel should receive a report on Child Sexual Exploitation / Modern Slavery soon as it had been on their workplan for some time.

The Chair replied that she would request for such a report to come to their July meeting.

Councillor David Harding referred to the upcoming changes to qualification for Personal Independence Payments and asked how these would affect those in receipt of a Carers Allowance. He said that he could foresee this having an effect on A&E, supported living and possibly care homes. He asked if there was an estimate of how many people this was likely to affect in B&NES and the potential increase in costs.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that she did not have that information to hand and offered to supply details surrounding this to the September meeting of the Panel. She said that support on formulating this would be required from colleagues in Public Health.

Councillor Lesley Mansell said that she welcomed the good news in relation to waiting times, but asked if the data could be displayed in a chart to show the progress made.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that a chart to show data could be included in the next Cabinet Member Update.

Councillor Mansell asked if there was a timeline for improvement regarding the backlog of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) waiting list.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that the Council continues to work on streamlining its processes and are training 4 of our social work staff as Best Interests Assessors who will carry out a set number of renewals each year to support waiting list reduction.

Councillor Mansell asked how the action plans, that have been devised as a result of the mock inspections into Adult Regulated Services, would be tracked to ensure that improvements are being made.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that each of the Community Resource Centres has a plan which is monitored and evaluated on a monthly basis.

Councillor Mansell asked if the Holiday Activities and Food Programme was meeting the needs of local disabled children and those from deprived areas.

The Public Health Consultant replied that SEND specific sessions are in place and held by a specialist provider.

The Chair asked if it was known what some of the barriers might be for families not accessing these activities.

The Public Health Consultant replied that she was aware of the following issues. The timing of the sessions being too short - not covering a whole working day, transport – activities being too far away and cost. She added that a deeper analysis is planned to take place and they would ensure that feedback is gained from across B&NES.

Councillor Paul May, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services addressed the Panel and said that in his report to them next month he would have information regarding the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer which offers free tailored support to help young people into work, education and training across Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire.

The Chair, on behalf of the Panel, thanked Councillor Born for her update.