Agenda and minutes

Councillors: M Brain and R Long.

To receive declarations of interest from Members.

There were no declarations of interest.

To answer any questions, if any asked by any resident of the Borough pursuant to Standing Orders.

Mr John Doherty, a local resident, made a deputation, querying the support available for adults and older residents who had neuro diverse and autistic spectrum conditions within the Borough.

The Chairman provided a response, detailing how the Health sector and Council provided a range of information, advice and support for residents who had neuro diverse and autistic spectrum conditions. As part of the response, it was outlined how, across the Health sector and Council, they were developing a new Strategic Vision for Autism across Birmingham and Solihull and it was proposed for this to be reported to the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

To receive the minutes of the previous meeting held on 8^th July 2022.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 8^th June were presented.

  RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th June be approved as a correct record.

To seek comments from Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board on the draft Day Opportunities Strategy 2022 to 2027.

The Assistant Director for Commissioning presented the report, inviting the Scrutiny Board to consider the draft Day Opportunities Strategy 2022 to 2027. It was emphasised how the pandemic demonstrated it was critical to have good quality, resilient day services that supported residents and gave them a choice of activities that aligned with their interests. It was explained how the revised strategy focused upon ensuring the services in place in the future reflected the changing landscape across the Borough and offered what people in Solihull now needed and wanted.

Members raised the following questions:

·  Members queried whether a comprehensive list of day opportunities could be provided to Councillors, to help promote the range of options available.

·  The Assistant Director for Commissioning detailed how they used the Community Advice Hubs to promote the opportunities and share information. It was emphasised how the pandemic impacted upon the delivery of face-to-face day opportunities – as part of the ongoing restoration of services, there would be focus upon maintaining a comprehensive, continuously updated record of the opportunities available across the Borough.

·  Members queried the work undertaken with hard-to-reach groups who may not currently benefit from day opportunities.

·  The Assistant Director for Commissioning detailed how there would be continued focus upon increasing awareness and understanding of the choices available, as well ensuring services were flexible, accessible and met the needs of all different groups. She detailed how they would look to engage and promote opportunities through service providers, such as GP’s and community nurses. It also explained how they would continue to engage with Faith and community groups.

·  A Member highlighted how the Strategy stated ‘day opportunities are needed to support people who might display a range of distressed behaviours due to their needs.’ They requested for this statement to be amended to read ‘people who experience distress.’

·  Members queried the day opportunities available for people with neuro diverse conditions and autistic people.

·  The Assistant Director for Commissioning explained, as outlined in the deputation response, Adult Social Care provided support to adults with neuro diverse needs and autistic people where they met the Care Act eligibility criteria, and worked with people to meet their eligible care and support needs. She also detailed how they were looking to support and stimulate local opportunities for people with a diverse range of needs, either through direct funding from the Council, as well as through people who chose to take a Direct Payment and use that to fund day services and activities. There was also focus upon ensuring awareness and understand of peoples’ different needs and making adaptations and changes, where necessary, to support inclusion.

·  A Member flagged up how the evidence available indicated that, relative to ward populations, there was an under-representation of people accessing day opportunities from some wards, such as Blythe, Knowle and St Alphege.

·  The Assistant Director for Commissioning, explained how she could provide a more detailed breakdown on the levels of demand and volumes of people accessing day opportunities across the Borough. The Head of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

To update Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board on progress towards the development of the Adult Social Care 5-Year Directorate Plan.

To give an opportunity for Scrutiny Board members to comment on the draft Directorate Plan.

The Director of Adult Social Care presented the draft Adult Social Care Directorate Plan. It was explained how the period of the Plan would cover a period of significant change for Adult Social Care services, including major charging reform, Care Quality Commission assurance of adult social care duties, implementation of Liberty Protection Safeguards, the introduction of the Integrated Care Systems and changes to national performance metrics.

The Director of Adult Social Care detailed how everyone with a personal or professional interest in adult social care was encouraged to give their feedback via the surveys, by 5^th August.

The Director of Adult Social Care detailed how the Plan would act as an overarching document, under which all related strategies would sit, such as the Carers Strategy and the Day Opportunities Strategy. The values and approach underpinning the Plan were also highlighted and it was explained how these linked with the four council values – open, honest, keeping our promises and ambitious.

The Head of Service Care and Support presented the Adult Social Care Plan on a Page, which outlined the Vision, Purpose, Values and Approach, Enabling Priorities, Resources and Key projects for the Plan. It was explained how the Plan on Page was intended as a short guide, which Adult Social Care staff, partner agencies and residents could use for reference.

The Assistant Director for Commissioning provided further information on the engagement work being undertaken to support the development of the Plan, with an emphasis upon building strong links with Adult Social Care staff, partner agencies, service users and the public. She detailed how they would hold engagement events for the general public, service users and carers. Events would also be held for voluntary and community sector organisations. Webinars would also be held with care provider organisations.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health expressed his thanks to all officers involved in the development of the Plan. He emphasised how the Plan included a comprehensive range of information, reflecting the significant volume of changes that would be introduced for the Adult Social Care sector, and welcomed observations from the Scrutiny Board.

Members raised the following questions:

A Member queried how the Adult Social Care Directorate Plan supported the delivery of the Council’s Environmental Sustainability Plans over the next five years. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health detailed how it was proposed for the Adult Care and Support Environmental Sustainability Plan to be presented at the next scheduled Scrutiny Board meeting in September.

A Member highlighted the facts and figures outlined in the Plan, noting how it detailed the overall number of people living with a disability in the Borough. They queried how this linked with people who had conditions such as dementia – it was queried whether a further breakdown of the different disabilities and conditions residents lived with may be helpful.

The meeting had to be adjourned at this point, due to a power cut at the Civic Suite. A further Health and Adult  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

To update Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board on the Health and Wellbeing Board priorities for the Borough for 2022/2023.

Item deferred.

To consider the Work Programme for the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board.

Item deferred.