Agenda item

Medway’s Council Plan 2022/23 sets out the Council’s three priorities. This report and appendices summarise performance in Q3 2022/23 on the delivery of the programmes and measures which fall under the remit of this committee which are: People.

This report also presents the Q3 2022/23 review of strategic risks.

Discussion:

Members considered a report on the Council Plan 2022/23 and also the Quarter 3 2022/23 review of strategic risks.

The following issues were discussed:

·         Performance Indicator ASCGBT001 (% of long-term packages that are placements) –the Assistant Director Adult Social Care advised that a deep dive to examine what was behind the increase in people going into residential or long-term nursing care showed that the majority were patients who had been discharged from Medway hospital. The Council was working to find placements in residential care. A review of the placement would be done to make sure it was the most suitable for an individual as the Council considered this to be someone’s home.

·         Performance Indicator ASCOF 1C(2i) (Percentage of clients receiving a direct payment for their social care service – the Assistant Director Adult Social Care advised this figure had reduced slightly. This was due to the fact that if a day centre received income over a certain amount, then they were required to pay VAT and if a person received a Direct Payment then the centre could not reclaim VAT and people were having to be moved from direct payments to a commissioned service.

·         Performance Indicator ASCOF 1G (n) (Proportion of adults with a primary support reason of learning disability support who live in their own home or with their family) – Members were advised this had improved by 7% since Q2 but remained red. A point was made that this had been persistently red and what was being done across the Council to help with this was queried, particularly with the planning team to ensure the Local Plan provided for this type of accommodation. The Assistant Director Adult Social Care assured Members the team worked with the planners to discuss types of care accommodation needed and was also in discussions with the housing team on using properties in the community as supported living accommodation.

·         Performance Indicator PH13 smoking (Rate per 100,000 of self-reported 4-week smoking quitters aged 16 or over (cumulative) (Q2 22/23)). The Deputy Director of Public Health commented that the pandemic had significantly affected the number of face-to-face NHS health checks and smoking cessation sessions had moved to be delivered online. Smoking cessation rates were now back up to pre covid levels where the service was provided by the Councill but not where the service was delivered in GPs and pharmacies. The reasons behind that were being explored. A Member commented the figures were disappointing and concern was expressed in the big rise in vaping, especially among young which could lead them to progress to smoke. In any event vaping was still a risk. The Deputy Director of Public Health commented that vaping is useful for people wishing to stop smoking but it was clear it was better not to vape at all. The team was now seeing people using vapes for a long period of time and there was a concern that children were starting to use vapes which may be an entry to smoking cigarettes. The evidence for the latter was starting to build and if it increased then the policy on vaping would change.

In response to a query, Members were advised that if someone stopped smoking and moved to vaping then that would be classed as a success in terms of the Performance Indicator, as this was the approach taken nationally.

Decision:

The Committee agreed to note the Quarter 3 2022/23 performance against the measures used to monitor progress against the Council’s priorities and also noted the amended Strategic Risk Summary as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.