Adult Social Care and Health Select Committee Minutes

Date:
Tuesday, 14th January, 2020
Time:
4.00pm
Place:
JIm Cooke Suite, Stockton Central Library, Stockton on Tees TS18 1TU
 
Please note: all Minutes are subject to approval at the next Meeting

Attendance Details

Present:
Cllr Clare Gamble (Vice-Chair), Cllr Kevin Faulks, Cllr Lynn Hall, Cllr Mohammed Javed, Cllr Paul Weston, Cllr Bill Woodhead MBE
Officers:
Emma Champley, Gavin Swankie, Angela Connor, Judy Trainer, Gary Woods, Marianne Sleeman (MD)
In Attendance:
Peter Smith (Healthwatch)
Apologies for absence:
Cllr Evaline Cunningham, Cllr Jacky Bright, Cllr Luke Frost
Item Description Decision
Public
ASH
47/19		 EVACUATION PROCEDURE
Preamble
 
ASH
48/19		 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Preamble
 
ASH
49/19		 SCRUTINY REVIEW OF CARE HOMES FOR OLDER PEOPLE
Preamble
AGREED that the final report be approved for submission to Cabinet.
ASH
50/19		 CARE QUALITY COMMISSION (CQC) UPDATE - STATE OF CARE ANNUAL REPORT
Preamble
AGREED that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Update - State of Care Annual Report item be deferred to a future Committee meeting.
ASH
51/19		 SCRUTINY REVIEW OF HOSPITAL DISCHARGE
Preamble
AGREED that the draft scope and project plan of the review be approved.
ASH
52/19		 WORK PROGRAMME 2019-2020
 AGREED that the Adult Social Care and Health Select Committee Work Programme 2019-2020 be noted.
ASH
53/19		 CHAIRS UPDATE
Preamble
 
4pm - 5.10pm

Preamble

ItemPreamble
ASH
47/19		The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and the evacuation procedure was noted.
ASH
48/19		Cllr Hall declared a personal non-pecuniary interest in relation to agenda item 3 (Scrutiny Review of Care Homes for Older People) as she had a relative currently residing in The White House Care Home.
ASH
49/19		Consideration was given to the draft final report of the Scrutiny Review of Care Homes for Older People. The main findings and subsequent recommendations were highlighted as follows:

• The report’s conclusion recognised the importance of strong leadership and management in improving quality care, though acknowledged the challenges around staff turnover.

• The Council’s quality assurance work and the introduction of the Well Led Programme had led to improved CQC ratings across the Borough, and the recommendations within the report sought to build on this work.

• Continuing to improve leadership and management via involvement in the Well Led Programme and participation in the Care Home Leadership and Peer Support Network was a key recommendation. The importance of personalised care, maintaining appropriate staffing levels, and promoting adult social care careers was also highlighted, as was care homes working towards Dementia Friendly accreditation.

Discussion on the final report was noted as follows:

•Retention of Care Home managers had been identified as an issue, but the Local Authority were doing everything possible to support managers in their role. Ultimately, the care homes themselves are responsible for who they employ.

•Members requested future data on CQC-rating benchmarks and how Stockton-on-Tees care homes were comparing to those regionally and nationally.

•Members asked if there was any more the Council could do to encourage providers to join the Well Led Programme as it had had clear benefits (referenced by the CQC in their inspections). It was hoped that a second programme (lasting 4/5 days across a number of months) could be confirmed within the next few weeks as some care homes had already expressed interest in future participation.

•Whilst leadership is vital, the success of a care home is down to the team as a whole - all staff need to be made to feel valued. Issues in relation to staff turnover can be seen on a national level, but it is crucial that staff really get to know the people who reside at a care home in order to provide personalised care.

•The recent achievement of The White House Care Home in receiving an overall ‘outstanding’ grade following their latest CQC inspection was highlighted, and it was agreed that this success should be included in a future edition of Stockton News.

• Healthwatch would continue to carry out ‘enter and view’ visits to care homes. On a positive note, Members were informed that one care home that had previously refused such a visit had now requested one.
ASH
50/19		The Committee was informed that the CQC representatives who were scheduled to attend this meeting to provide an overview of the CQC State of Care Annual Report could no longer be present. This item would therefore be deferred to a future Committee meeting.
ASH
51/19		Consideration was given to the scope and project plan for the Scrutiny Review of Hospital Discharge.

With a focus on those discharged back to their own home (not care homes), this review would aim to:

• Examine the discharge process from local hospitals who provide treatment for the Borough’s adult residents, and the wider communication with relevant partner organisations.

• Ascertain the key issues around discharge from both a Trust and patient perspective to ensure a safe and sustained return home following hospital input.

• Explore how carers are identified when needing hospital treatment and the measures required for ensuring the people they care for are supported during their stay in hospital (and potentially for a time following their discharge).

• Determine if any improvements can be made to current policies and procedures.

In addition to the Local Authority, a number of contributors had been identified, including North Tees and South Tees Trusts, CCG, TEWV, the Ambulance Service, Home Care providers and Eastern Ravens.

Committee discussions were noted as follows:

• Whilst acknowledging the focus on people who are being discharged to their own home as opposed to a care home, Members considered whether the review should include the Rosedale Centre - an establishment where people can be discharged to on a short-term basis before returning home. It was felt that although the process around short-term placements could be looked at as part of this work (particularly since other care homes across the Borough also provide assessment beds), the review should maintain its focus on discharge to a person’s own home. It was subsequently suggested that Rosedale and other short-term accommodation may instead be a potential topic for a future scrutiny review.

• Five Lamps, a local provider of home care, are involved in a ‘Home Sooner Safer Project’ - would be beneficial to receive more information on this.

• Healthwatch had recently completed an ‘enter and view’ report on A&E, and this could be factored into the review.
ASH
53/19		The Chair informed Members that the next Tees Valley Joint Health Scrutiny Committee meeting would take place on the 17th January 2020, and an update would be provided at the next Committee meeting.

  • Contact

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    Municipal Buildings
    Church Road
    Stockton-on-Tees
    TS18 1LD

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