Agenda item

This report details the areas covered by the Portfolio Holder for Adult Services. The areas within the portfolio are listed each time a Cabinet Member is invited to attend any of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees to be held to account. 

Discussion: 

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Services responded to Members’ questions on the following:

• Medway Mile – He confirmed the success of the Medway Mile which had been popular with both young and old alike and following a question he undertook to report back to the Committee on whether lung function tests had been undertaken by the Public Health team during the event.

• Future of adult mental health social work team – In view of the success of the move in-house of the adult mental health social work team he confirmed he had no plans to move the service away from the local authority at present.

• Robert Bean Lodge, Nelson Court and the Balfour Centre – He confirmed that he had visited Robert Bean Lodge and Nelson Court and he felt they were working well and staff had responded to the new challenges.  In relation to the Balfour Centre, Medway Community Healthcare was continuing a service there although he could not guarantee this would continue indefinitely.

• Sexual health service – He explained the reasoning behind relocating the service to the town centre where it historically had started.  He stated that one of the previous locations was under utilised and the lease on another was expiring so the opportunity was taken to site the service in a more central position to ensure easier access.  He agreed with the view put forward that the service needed to be aimed at older people as well as for younger people.  A suggestion was made that the impact of good sexual health and attitudes towards sexuality on people’s general health might be useful as a future agenda item.

• Day services – concern was expressed about the declining offer of day services in the community.  The Portfolio Holder undertook to look into any specific concerns that may be raised with him.

• Dementia – there was an assurance given that dementia services were a high priority and reference was made to the dementia training event held in the past week.  The Portfolio Holder felt it would be useful if this training were to be rolled out to all officers within the Council.  There was concern expressed that not all nursing homes were able to cope adequately with the growing demand for places for dementia patients.  He undertook to discuss this matter further with the Deputy Director, Children and Adults to see whether there was anything further which could be done.

• Board of governors – further to a question the Portfolio Holder undertook to look into ways in which he might be able to share with the Committee any feedback in relation to progress at the Hospital as he was a Council appointed representative on the governing body.

• Extra care housing – in response to a question he stated that there were currently three flexicare housing schemes in operation with a further three being planned and referred to the success of the schemes.

• Monitoring of joint commissioning – confirmation was given that both the Council and Clinical Commissioning Group actively monitored outcomes of joint commissioning.  He did offer to talk to the Councillor who raised concerns outside of the meeting.

• Changes to the smoke free policy – it was stated that the changes to the Council’s own smoke free policy were mainly relating to the introduction of e-cigarettes.

• Breastfeeding – reference was made to the Medway Breastfeeding Network and the number of volunteers that were being recruited as peer mentors.  The Director of Public Health was requested to provide this information after the meeting. The Portfolio Holder referred to a successful meeting held earlier in the year, which he had attended at which around 30-40 young mothers were present.

He also took the opportunity of thanking officers for their support and commended the work of the Health and Wellbeing Board.