Agenda item

To inform the Forward Plan

The Panel received a service presentation by David Watts, Executive Director of Adults, Communities & Wellbeing on behalf of the Assistant Director for Safeguarding, Wellbeing and Provider Services, Zakia Loughead.

The presentation initially provided an overview of the service leadership and support structures, the Panel noting that one of the five direct reports to the Assistant Director was the Chief Principal Social Worker (CPSW), a statutory role for the authority under the Care Act, who acted as a conduit between the front-line social work force and the Director of Adult Services. The CPSW was encouraged to challenge the Director on decision-making that could potentially have a negative impact on the workforce.

Reference was also made to the other four reports to the Assistant Director; service managers for the Out of Hours Service, Prevention and Occupational Therapy, Provider Services and Quality Performance.

The meeting heard that the key priorities across Safeguarding, Wellbeing and Provider Services were as follows:-

• Greater access to better quality Adult Social Care
• Value and support carers and volunteers
• Continue to provide support for Adult Risk Management Panel, Multiple Exclusion Homelessness, Multi Agency Risk Abuse Coordinator alongside the safeguarding agendas
• To develop a recruitment strategy in line with the ‘new ways of working’ that creatively demonstrates avenues of recruitment to improve intake of new staff. To develop and deliver a ‘New Ways of Working’ strategy that ensured the right approach to managing people, technology and  operational premises.
• Invest in and value staff to become an employer of choice
• Provide good quality and efficient services valued by those receiving them
• Deliver on the Transformation Plan

The meeting heard that the vision for the service as a whole was to provide high quality Adult Social Care services and to ensure that practice and standards met statutory requirements, with all professionals working together to deliver “Making Safeguarding Personal” to shape and promote the safety of local residents. A series of key commitments to deliver this vision were detailed to the panel.

Members received details of the expected outcomes for the services as below:

• Confidence in providing a fully staffed day-time Approved Mental Health Practitioner rota
• Improvement in KPIs for Safeguarding and Provider services
• This includes improvement/achievement of KPIs
• Leadership development – coaching in practice
• Recruitment to hard-to-fill posts
• Operating safe services
• Ensure professionals work together to deliver Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) to promote and secure the safety of local residents.
• Application of safeguarding procedures in practice, MSP framework in place, auditing case work by Safeguarding and Quality Service Manager.
• Develop and embed a culture which delivers positive results through support, guidance, robust challenge, disciplined execution, and continuous improvement
• Provide strategic leadership and direction for the delivery and development of Adult Services and provide assurance that the best possible outcomes are being delivered for people who use services and family carers.
• Preparation for Care Quality Commissioner Assurance

The meeting received details of the projects across provider services, with specific reference made to Thackley Green, operation of which had been with the Council since July 2023, with exploration of opportunities to develop it into the most pro-active and supportive service possible. Also referenced were the latter phases of the transformation programme, including day services and younger adult services and a review of job descriptions to better reflect the activities being carried out by staff.

Members noted the development of services at Pine Lodge - Phase 1, Deprivation of Liberty Service review and development of the Shared Lives Service. Disaggregation of services relating to Visual Impairment and Approved Mental Health Practitioner were reported as progressing.

An overview was provided to the meeting detailing the role, work and specific key priorities of the Safeguarding and Quality team, Community Therapy, Approved Mental Health Professional Service, Provider Services and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding Service.

Achievements made during 2022/23 across the aforementioned services areas were detailed to the meeting as follows:

•       Successful disaggregation of Shared Lives Service which was now fully NNC lead

•       The Specialist Support Team for Younger Adults rated ‘Good’ in all areas by the Care Quality Commission in April 2023

•       Successful closure of Beech Close Care Home, where all residents had been successfully relocated and settled into alternative, more suitable, accommodation

•       Principle Social Worker 2022-2023 report competition

•       Significant reduction in the Deprivation of Liberty Service backlog

•       Successful implementation of the new Cygnum Upgrade for the use of Provider Services, Community Therapy and Reablement teams in ASC in April 2023

•       Strengthened relationships and successfully collaborative working with NNC and Northamptonshire Safeguarding Adults Board

Members asked questions, and made comments in relation to the following aspects of the service areas’ operations:

·       The closure of the National Autistic Society in Irthlingborough and subsequent loss of support

·       Single point of contact to allow members to report relevant concerns from residents as above

·       Provision of day services as close to service users as possible

·       Enabling support services

·       Provision of examples of co-production

·       Spot checks of service providers to ensure quality of service

·       Waiting times for adaptations in homes

·       Re-use and recycling of adaptive equipment

·       Use of AI technology in Assistive Technology

The Chair thanked the Executive Director of Adults, Communities & Wellbeing for the presentation and stated that the Council needed to increase promotion of the positive news regarding service area operations, while noting that there were always improvements to be made. The Chair also thanked the manager of Provider Services and offered congratulations to the whole team from the Panel for the work they had undertaken.