Agenda and minutes

To receive any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest received at this point in the meeting.

The minutes of the Adult Social Care and Scrutiny Panel  meeting held on 10 February 2021 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

 

Lynn Beevers, Principal Social Worker & Service Lead (Adults) and Christine Walker, Commissioing Officer, will provide further information to the Panel.

 

The Chair welcomed Lynn Beevers, Principal Social Worker & Service Lead

(Adults) and Christine Walker, Commissioning Officer to the meeting.

 

Following the Panel’s meeting on 10 February 2021, the Panel wished to gain further background information in relation to support for carers.

 

Prior to the meeting, the Panel had submitted a number of questions to the service areas and these were addressed in turn:

 

 

1.    Could you provide the panel with the number of Carers in Middlesbrough, including an age breakdown of these carers.

What age is a Carer considered an Adult?

 

Data management teams have been tasked with providing comprehensive info that will be shared once available on:

 

·         Ward

·         Age groups

·         Ethnicity

·         Service area – of the person they care for

o   Mental health

o   LD

o   BAME

o   Physical

o   Dementia

o   Elderly/Frail

o   Parent Carers

 

For information, during the first 9 months of the current financial year the adult social care workforce database records showed that the social care workforce completed 706 Carers Assessments, with a further 1940 assessments offered during that time, but declined by the Carer. However they may take up the offer of an assessment further down the line.

 

Carers Together who currently provide the commissioned support service for adult carers carried out 134 assessments.  These carers presented themselves to Carers Together who, at present carry out assessments for these carers on behalf of the council.  The new South Tees commission will remove this function and all assessments will be the responsibility of the council

 

Carers considered adults at 18yrs

 

 

2.    How are Carers identified and what are is the process for assessment for Carers pre Covid and now?

           

The Care Act 2014 put in-place significant rights for Carers in England including:

 

• A right to a Carers’ Assessment based on the appearance of needs.

 

• A right for Carers’ eligible services to be met.

 

Social Workers receive referrals from Carers’ themselves either directly via the council, from commissioned services and also when undertaking assessments for the cared for person.

 

 

The Panel were made aware that the Council know from national data that

only a small percentage of carers are known to councils. 

Carers may not identify themselves as such, for a variety of reasons, and would be classed as ‘hidden’. Some of the reasons they are hidden include:

 

·         it is part of what they do for their family and/or friends

·         it is normal within their culture to care for family and friends and not seen as exceptional or something they would seek support for from statutory or other services

·         they may be anxious of scrutiny from public authorities for a variety of reasons, unrelated to caring roles

·         they may fear or have experience of a blame culture, where they have been made to feel that they are to blame for the situation of the cared for person or their own circumstances

 

Once a Carer is identified, a Separate Carers Assessment is offered so that the Council can better understand the impact of caring, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20/46

The Panel is asked to consider the draft terms of reference in respect to the review of Support for older carers.

The Panel were presented with the draft terms of reference in respect to the review on support for older carers.

 

However, following agenda distribution and from information presented in the meeting, the Panel Panel learnt that there was to be a large scale South Tees Carers procurement process which would be completed by October 2021. The panel therefore agreed there would be little value at considering the support for carers at this stage and would relook at this issue after the procurement process was completed.

 

AGREED- That the review on support for carers be revisited at a later date.

The Chair will provide a verbal update from the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting held on 11 February 2021.

The Chair provided a verbal update of the issues addressed at the Overview and Scrutiny Board on 11 February 2021.

 

AGREED- That the update be noted.

No items.