Agenda item

Medway's Council Plan 2017/18 sets out the Council's three priorities. This Committee is responsible for some of the performance measures within the Council priority - Supporting Medway's people to realise their potential. This report summarises how we have performed in Quarter 1 2017/18 for the 9 key measures of success which support this priority.

Discussion

The report was introduced by the Director of Children and Adults Services. The Committee was informed that the ‘3 conversations’ model of practice piloted in Adult Social Care had been completed and was now being rolled out across the service. The model aimed to simplify conversations with service users. More generally, services were being realigned based upon the Medway Model and there was movement towards direct working with GPs in the Primary Care Hub.

An additional £3.9 million of in year funding had been provided as part of an improved Better Care Fund offer. This funding would be allocated to three main areas, Delayed Transfers of Care (DToC), helping to create market stability in the independent care sector and for wider Adult Social Care provision. In relation to DToC, performance had already improved significantly. Work was taking place with health and care services to improve this further.

The Council had provided 2,701 long term service packages for older and disabled people. 858 (31.8%) compared to a target of 28% of these packages were for people in care placements rather than living in their own home. The Council was committed to supporting people to live in their own home for as long as possible.

Performance against the indicator for the percentage of adults with learning difficulties living in settled accommodation was significantly below target. Targeted work in relation to the Accommodation Strategy was taking place to address this. It was recognised that there was the potential for many people currently living in long term residential provision to move into their own accommodation. Review work was being undertaken with this client group. The number of permanent admissions to care homes was reducing. There had only been one admission in the 18-64 age group during quarter 1 and 58 admissions in the 65+ age group.

The Director of Public Health advised that there was evidence that a greater number of cases of flu were likely during the coming winter compared to average. This would place considerable demand on hospital services. An early approach to winter planning was required to ensure ability to cope with demand. The Council had established a seasonal flu task group in response. An action plan had been developed and public health messages spread via the Council’s website. NHS England had advised that staff working in care homes, including those employed by private providers, would be able to access a free flu vaccination. In response to a Member question about the effectiveness of flu vaccinations, the Committee was informed that extensive work was undertaken to try to identify the types of flu likely to be prevalent each year and to develop the vaccination accordingly.

Another Member asked why the target for the uptake of direct payments by Adult Social Care clients had been reduced. The Director of Children and Adults Services advised that the previous target had been considered to not be achievable and had been revised accordingly. It was considered that direct payments amounted to a better model of service delivery. Delays in the undertaking of financial assessments had discouraged people from taking up direct payments. Phone assessments were now being undertaken to speed up the process as an alternative to requiring these to be undertaken in person. Work was also being undertaken on an improvement plan. This would be reviewed and an update provided to Committee.

A Committee Member was concerned that some older people were reluctant to travel to the centre of Chatham because of anti-social behaviour. This had an impact on their health and could lead to increased social isolation. In response, the Director of Public Health advised that the Council was looking at possible interventions to reduce social isolation. He was chairing a Task and Finish Group that included representatives from Kent Police to look at how to create a safe environment. An update would be provided to the Committee.

In response to concern that Red Zebra, who the Council and NHS Medway Clinical Commissioning Group were working with on a funding bid, was not a local 3^rd sector organisation, the Director of Public Health acknowledged the need to work with local 3^rd sector organisations. The funding bid was for up to £500,000, which if successful, would be used for social prescribing and work to reduce social isolation.

Performance in relation to the adult weight management indicator was green and a 4^th annual Medway obesity conference was being planned. However, there was a national trend of increasing obesity and addressing the issue would require a long term plan.

A Member was concerned that Medway Maritime Hospital’s smoke free policy had not been as successful as claimed as staff were regularly smoking in the hospital grounds which was leading to litter and noise nuisance. The Committee was advised that the hospital was aware of the issue and that disciplinary measures were being considered for staff who continued to smoke within the hospital grounds. The Public Health team had recently visited the hospital with 22 referrals to the stop smoking service having been made as a result.

Decision

The Committee considered the quarter 1 2017/18 performance against the measures of success used to monitor progress against the Council’s priorities and requested that further information be provided to the Committee in relation to direct payments / financial assessments and in relation to the Task and Finish group looking at anti-social behaviour.