Agenda item

This report provides an update to the 3 Conversations Approach which is being implemented across Adult Social Care.

Discussion

The Three Conversations Approach was being implemented across Adult Social Care. Three Conversations was an approach to support frontline staff to have three specific conversation with individuals in order to establish their needs and find ways to support people to live independently. The approach had been tried and tested within other local authorities. Conversation 1 was about listening to and connecting with people to establish their aims and the resources available to support these. Conversation 2 involved more intensive working to reflect changes to the situation of the client and also to support reablement. Conversation 3 considered long term support needs.

A Test for Change had taken place during the previous year in the ME4 and ME5 postcodes. This showed that the majority of conversations undertaken  were Conversation 1 and also suggested that there were distinct advantages to the Three Conversations approach, although there were significant complexities associated in rolling out Three Conversations across Medway. Views had been sought from service users and staff. 

There had been a restructure of Adult Social Care in September 2017. This had included moving towards working as part of a three locality model. This connected with Medway’s Local Care model and involved social care staff working closely alongside health colleagues. Two new Community Link Worker posts had been created. The role of the link workers was to co-ordinate community resources and strengthen links with the voluntary and community sector. This included close work with the Walderslade Together (WALT)and wHoo Cares (Hoo Peninsula Cares CIC) community interest companies.

The next steps would include work with the Programme Management office to ensure that the rollout of the Three Conversations model was developed. There would be a focus on the co-design of services with staff involved at every stage of the process. Developments would also include the re-design of forms, streamlining of processes and upskilling staff to ensure that they can work in multi-disciplinary strength based way. Further Tests for Change were planned with one having just started. This involved Assistant Practitioners working alongside colleagues answering calls in the Customer Contact Centre. Tablet computers were currently being rolled out to staff. This would ensure they were able to access information when out in the community.

In response to a Committee Member who asked whether engagement was taking place with carers and who also expressed concern that Council carer visits were sometimes cut short due to them being caught in traffic, it was confirmed that engagement was taking place with carers through the Provider Forum as well as directly with service users and their carers. Work was due to take place in relation to the commissioning of homecare to look at how services could be provided in a different way.

A Member questioned why the Test for Change covered postcodes ME4 and ME5 but the statistics presented in the report only appeared to cover ME4. Officers clarified that the Test for Change work had been referred to as the ME4 team but that the results covered both postcodes.

A Committee Member asked what work was being undertaken to ensure that staff felt supported to deliver the new model. She emphasised the importance of the new link workers being able to make effective links to and to work with the voluntary sector rather than people simply being signposted to voluntary organisations. The Member also shared her personal experience of an Annual Review that had been undertaken for her mother. She was disappointed that the person undertaking the review did not have local knowledge or any access to records. 

Officers advised that a significant amount of engagement had been undertaken with staff and that staff were able to report concerns anonymously. A staff  engagement group met once a month and there were fortnightly management meetings to discuss issues raised. Assessments were being streamlined, whilst still ensuring that statutory duties were complied with. The service was working to ensure that, where possible, the same member of staff worked with a particular client throughout their journey. The concern raised in relation to some staff undertaking reviews not having local knowledge would be looked at.

The Assistant Director of Adult Social Care had introduced ‘Ask Chris’ sessions for staff to share concerns. He also attended an Engagement Forum and had attended a number of team meetings, workshops and introductory sessions with staff since starting in the role. It was a priority to increase the number of  staff employed by the Council rather than them being agency staff. It was also noted that all social care staff were expected to engage with the voluntary sector rather than this just being the role of the community link workers. Fully rolling out and embedding the required service changes would take time due to the challenging nature of the work.

In response to a Member who felt that the new model needed to be rolled out across the Council, officers said that work would take place with other departments to ensure that the changes were well understood and that the importance of close working with the voluntary sector and with health colleagues was well understood. In response to a concern raised by another Member that holding the 1^st conversation by phone would not always be appropriate, the Committee was advised that a face-to-face follow up would take place if appropriate. Where an individual was signposted to another organisation this would be followed up a couple of weeks later.

Decision

The Committee noted and commented on the report.