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 Services Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 2 March 2022 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

The Director of Adult Social Care and Health Integration will provide the panel with a verbal update regarding the integration of health and social care.

The Director of Adult Social Care and Health Integration provided Members with an update regarding the integration of Health and Social Care; the following points were made:

• Discussions regarding the establishment of the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) had been continuing.  Significant operational work had been taking place around continuing healthcare and negotiations held around how this would be funded through Local Authority and NHS channels.  Consultation work was also underway in relation to Section 117 aftercare arrangements, and various technical issues pertaining to the ICS were also being explored by sub groups.
• The Chief Executive of the Integrated Care Board (ICB) for the ICS had recently met with Stockton on Tees Borough Council’s Director of Adults and Health (Public Health and Environmental Health).  The Chief Executive had been invited to attend a future meeting of North East ADASS, an Association that brought together the region’s 12 Directors of Adult Social Care.

During the discussion that followed, a Member queried the current COVID-19 position.  In response, the Director indicated that he felt the NHS continued to be under remarkable pressure.  There continued to be a large volume of cases within local communities, and deaths continued to occur nationally.  As people began to return to a sense of ‘normality’, it was felt that national guidance and testing arrangements were scattered and in a state of fracture (Adult Social Care within the Council had a commitment to provide testing for staff).  The situation remained serious and the Director expressed concerns regarding the level of uncertainty at present.  It was felt that increased focus ought to be being given towards the high number of COVID-19 cases currently within local communities.

The Chair thanked the Director for the information presented.

NOTED

Representatives from VCS organisations will be in attendance to provide the Scrutiny Panel with information regarding their experience of working through the Covid-19 pandemic; the work undertaken with the Local Authority; and potential next steps for the recovery phase.

Representatives from various VCS organisations had been invited to attend the meeting to provide the panel with further information regarding the current topic.  Present at the meeting were Kim May, Operations Manager for Streets Ahead for Information, and Jenny Bryson, Regional Services Manager for Recovery Connections.

The representative for Streets Ahead for Information provided the following details to the panel:

·        With regards to the present COVID-19 situation, it was felt that things were returning to a state of ‘normality’, but exactly what that entailed had caused confusion for people.

·        Streets Ahead for Information provided a one stop service for residents to receive advice and support.  It was indicated that since the start of the pandemic, the organisation had worked far closer with other VCS partners to help support residents’ needs, which had become significantly more complex.  Membership of the COVID-19 Champions Network had brought VCS organisations together and encouraged them to share information and work together, which had been very useful.

·        A variety of work was taking place in supporting residents, with particular reference being made towards the cost of living crisis and the impact that this would have on vulnerable groups.

·        One of the VCS’ strengths was the ability to provide support to ‘hard to reach’ groups; the example of holding two vaccination sessions in a community hub and successfully reaching out to individuals, who would never have been contacted previously, was provided.

·        Streets Ahead for Information had received sustainability grant funding during the pandemic to assist with projects, which included providing people with tablets to remain connected and able to access support.  It was explained to Members that many residents in the Newport and Gresham areas were not readily connected to digital services, either because they did not want to be, did not know how to be, or did not have accessibility: broadband accessibility was an issue.  A further project involved the employment of an Outreach Officer to door knock and check on peoples’ wellbeing.  The panel heard that following the announcement of the first national lockdown, some individuals took to their homes and had not re-emerged.  Work was currently taking place to reintegrate these individuals back into local communities.

·        Street Wise was a monthly newsletter and web information source that was produced by Streets Ahead for Information in collaboration with Middlesbrough Council and Cleveland Police.  The newsletter, which informed about a wide range of Newport issues, was delivered to every residence in the area, circa. 3500 homes.  Generally comprising 4-8 pages, the resource had been acknowledged as an excellent way of reaching residents, as technology was not always available or the most appropriate method.  It was indicated that language barriers had posed an issue in some instances.

·        COVID-19 flyers had been produced to provide information to residents in respect of such matters as current guidance and regulations; vaccination advice; and reminders that Streets Ahead for Information was available for other support services, such as collecting prescriptions and running errands.  It was highlighted that as a member of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21/53

The Scrutiny Panel will be asked to consider, discuss and agree the terms of reference and next steps for the review.

Members were invited to consider, discuss and agree the terms of reference that had been proposed for the review; the Chair conveyed these to the panel.  These were as follows:

a)     To understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on local communities, the Local Authority, VCS organisations and how services are delivered.

b)     To examine how the Local Authority has worked with the VCS during the pandemic and how support has been provided.

c)      To explore effective strategies and projects to further develop support provision in a post-pandemic environment.

Members agreed the terms of reference as proposed.

Members discussed progress of the review to date and potential next steps.  Consideration was given to effective strategies and the ways in which the Council could support organisations in delivering services.  Matters discussed included the benefits of both in-person and electronic contact in reaching out to vulnerable individuals and groups; holding partnership / collective meetings for organisations to come together and participate in discussion; the role and size of VCS organisations and the importance of ensuring that all became involved in collective activities, irrespective of their size; and the impact of administrative tasks on resources and how these could be undertaken in future.

A short discussion ensued with regards to funding, in particular funding from the National Lottery and how this was allocated.  A Member made reference to an assessment undertaken several years previously which looked at amounts allocated to the Tees Valley.  Members suggested that information pertaining to the distribution of funding and how the Tees Valley had been supported could be considered.

Members discussed the use of technology and the effectiveness of this, particularly in relation to some ‘hard to reach’ groups.  Consideration was given to Council expenditure in respect of electronic devices, such as tablets and laptops, and achievement of value for money in this regard.  The panel also considered potential ways in which the Council could support the VCS, including administrative support; provision of an IT hub in central buildings; and provision of meeting rooms and facilities.  The remit of the Scrutiny Panel was noted, with the promotion of health and wellbeing forging the link between potential recommendations and the VCS sector.

AGREED that the terms of reference be agreed as follows:

a)     To understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on local communities, the Local Authority, VCS organisations and how services are delivered.

b)     To examine how the Local Authority has worked with the VCS during the pandemic and how support has been provided.

c)     To explore effective strategies and projects to further develop support provision in a post-pandemic environment.

The Chair will provide a verbal update on matters considered at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 23 March 2022.

The Chair provided a verbal update on the matters that were considered at the Overview and Scrutiny Board (OSB) meeting on 23 March 2022.

NOTED