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.

Fair Pay Agreement

The Fair pay agreement process in adult social care consultation was launched on 30th September and will close on the 16th of January 2026. The fair pay agreement is part of the government plan to Make Work Pay policy and is part of the intention is to build a national care service.

The ASC Negotiating Body will be established as a public body using powers provided by the Employment Rights Bill. It will bring together trade unions and people representing employers to negotiate on pay, terms and conditions and related matters.

In the consultation there is a recognition that achieving fair pay in ASC will come with a cost and £500m will be made available to manage the pressure for the sector.

Exactly what the fair pay agreement will cover will be determined by the ASC Negotiation Body which will be makeup of unions, providers, people by experience and the local authority commissioners.

Anyone may participate in this consultation. The Council plans to submit an official response. Commissioners are consulting with providers to include their perspectives, though many providers will also reply independently.

Better Care Fund Update

The Better Care Fund (BCF) is a national programme designed to integrate health, social care, and housing services, ensuring person-centred care and better outcomes for people and carers. It pools resources from the NHS and local authorities under Section 75 agreements, promoting collaboration to reduce hospital admissions, improve discharge processes, and support independence at home.

In B&NES, the BCF plays a vital role in supporting our local health and care priorities and underpins local strategies to improve health and wellbeing outcomes.

Delivery of work is overseen by the Health and Wellbeing Board, working with the Integrated Care Alliance and partners across health, social care, and the voluntary sector and we are in the middle of a 1-year plan.

Long COVID / Post-COVID syndrome

The most common symptoms of Long COVID include extreme tiredness (fatigue), shortness of breath, difficulties with concentration and memory, joint pain and aching muscles.

There's currently no cure for long COVID and the condition is still being researched. Multidisciplinary COVID services can offer treatments and resources that may help ease and support self-management of symptoms.

HCRG are commissioned during 2025-26 to provide a Long COVID Community Assessment and Rehabilitation Service for patients registered with GP surgeries in B&NES, Swindon or Wiltshire. This specialist service provides assessment, signposting and short-term rehabilitation for adult patients who are experiencing new and long-lasting symptoms of COVID infection, suspected COVID infection or following a virus, which are significantly impacting how they are able to function in day-to-day life.

Dedicated national funding for the service ends in March 2026 but patients with long covid will continue to be supported by community teams according to their needs.

Councillor Bharat Pankhania referred to the Fair Pay Agreement and stated that Care Workers do deserve this recognition. He added though that he was concerned as to the costs that would be passed onto the Local Authority should private enterprises raise their prices.

Councillor Born replied that the Council would not expect to feed the profits of the organisations that provide such care, but said it was not unreasonable to expect some degree of price increase and that this would be a matter for discussion through this process.

The Director of Adult Social Care added that she does expect to see some increase in costs, but did not expect the Local Authority to pay much more.

Councillor Pankhania asked if the accounts / profits of the care organisations were able to be seen by the Council.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that an Open Book Policy is in place and that they do also benchmark across other Local Authorities. She added that should an organisation request a percentage increase then this would be discussed directly with them. She said that they have worked hard in recent years to drive down costs.

Councillor Lesley Mansell said that the Council must ensure that this work aligns with its own equalities criteria. She asked what part the Trade Unions will play in this process.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that equalities issues would be taken into account as part of the consultation process and explained that the ASC Negotiation Body would comprise representation from Trade Unions, providers, people by experience and the Local Authority commissioners.

Councillor Liz Hardman asked if the likely increase in costs had been considered as part of the current budget setting process.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that any changes were likely to come into effect from 2028 / 2029, but they were beginning to model on what may happen in the future.

Councillor Joanna Wright asked that the Panel see the official response to the consultation from the Council.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that she would share this with the Panel via email once it had been drafted.

Kevin Burnett asked if there was a timeline in place for the proposals relating to Newton House and residential respite.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that one was being worked on with the providers and would possibly be ready to share in January. She added that the key elements identified by the working group remain that the provision should be residential and within B&NES.

Councillor Michael Auton referred to B&NES Dementia Strategy Update and asked if the Ageing Well Network was part of the multi-agency steering group mentioned within the update.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that they have been very much part of this work and apologised that they were not listed within the update.

Councillor Mansell asked for it to ensured that equitable access to dementia support would be available across the whole of the Council.

Councillor Born said that this was one of the primary concerns of the strategy, that it should suitable across all parts of the Council. She added that the Council were working on becoming a Dementia Friendly Authority with Age UK (B&NES).

Councillor Pankhania spoke of the merits of maintaining an active lifestyle, the importance of being active from an early age and for schools to have access to sports fields.

The Director of Public Health & Prevention replied that her team work alongside the Green Infrastructure team to protect and, where possible, expand these areas. She added that a Sports Field Strategy Survey was ongoing and the results of that would feed into the Local Plan.

Kevin Burnett referred to the Community Support Contract Awards and asked if this had led to the savings being achieved as hoped.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that they have worked closely with the 3^rd sector on these contracts to take into account the local needs and requirements. She stated that they have achieved the planned savings (£802k) and that no services have been cut.

Councillor Mansell asked for assurance that the contracts would be culturally competent.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that they have worked with 3SG with regard to enabling the contracts to be culturally sufficient. She added that regular feedback on the contracts will be sought and said a Quality Assurance process was in place.

Councillor Hardman referred to the Vocational Hub and asked how people could access the services of the Hub, what the level of demand was and any challenges that it faces.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that they offer a range of employment services and would like to put together a fuller offer, if possible, in the future. She said that many local businesses are willing to take part and that people are referred following a Care Act Assessment or via the voluntary sector. She proposed to bring an update to the Panel in September 2026.

Councillor Mansell asked if training and support is offered to the employers that take part in the provision of this service.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that the businesses involved do receive support from the Council.

Councillor Mansell asked if the Virtual School, Youth Connect and Bath College were involved with this work.

The Director of Adult Social Care replied that yes, they do work alongside all three organisations as part of this service.

Councillor Mansell asked how the B&NES Suicide Prevention Strategy is evaluated.

The Director of Public Health & Prevention replied that the strategy had recently been updated and that a multi-agency action plan was currently being finalised and offered to bring this to the Panel in the early part of 2026. She stated that the strategy is monitored on a quarterly basis.

Councillor Pankhania commented that the update did not give enough detail of the measures in place locally. He said that he was concerned with the escalation that can take place between self-harm and suicide. He added that in settings such as the Accident & Emergency department at hospitals an intervention should take place if self-harm has been identified, and that in his view mental health services should be contacted immediately.

Lucy Baker, Director of Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence, BSW ICB replied that Mental Health Liaison Officers are based within the emergency department at the Royal United Hospital and also a representative from Bath Mind.

She added that the Community Mental Health Framework in B&NES promotes a strengths-based, preventative approach to working with individuals and communities.

Councillor Pankhania asked if this provision was in place at the hospital 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Lucy Baker replied that the provision was in place until 8pm each day when an on-call service would then commence. She added that if patients were deemed to be of significant risk they would remain in hospital at least overnight.

Councillor Pankhania asked if an audit of people who have presented and been referred to these services could be undertaken.

Lucy Baker replied that this should be possible and would then seek to share it with the Panel.

The Chair proposed that a report on the Suicide Prevention Strategy and the requested audit be pencilled in for their January meeting.

Councillor Wright asked if the audit could detail whether patients were care experienced.

Councillor Hardman referred to Oral Health and asked what training was being given to staff working with children and older people.

The Director of Public Health & Prevention replied that staff working in nurseries and care homes have received training on how to clean teeth well.

Kevin Burnett asked if any feedback had been gathered from schools on a similar project recently undertaken by them.

The Director of Public Health & Prevention replied that she was unsure and would seek further information.

Councillor Pankhania stated that it was his view that good dental care for children is vital and suggested the ICB should look to provide mobile dental clinics.

Laura Ambler replied that she would ask colleague Victoria Stanley to provide an update to a future meeting.

Councillor Pankhania referred to the national pandemic preparedness exercise - Exercise Pegasus. He asked how evidence would be analysed and any actions implemented.

The Director of Public Health & Prevention replied that debriefing sessions were due to take place and that she expected national scrutiny of the exercise.

Councillor Hardman asked that the findings be shared with the Panel.

Councillor Pankhania referred to Long COVID and said that it was real issue for those affected by it. He explained that there was a need to prepare for further cases and to also minimise future infections.

Lucy Baker replied that a Long COVID Service continues to be commissioned, with funding available until March 2026. She added that there is a reduced prevalence and that when funding ceases patients will continue to be supported by community teams according to their needs.

Kevin Burnett commented that it was his view that schools feel that COVID has gone away and that messaging should be put in place that preventative measures should still be taken where possible.

Lucy Baker replied that she would assess what advice is in place currently for schools and said that the NHS no longer require testing to be carried out for COVID.

Councillor Hardman asked if community support would be adequate.

Lucy Baker agreed to provide further data and service details in a future report.

Councillor Mansell said she would welcome a further report as she had personally worked with people who have / have had Long COVID.

The Director of Public Health & Prevention said that the importance of ventilation during the winter months is recognised and would discuss with colleagues regarding an awareness message to schools.

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