Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care.

This report provides the Committee with an update relating to the portfolio of the Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care.

Consideration was given to the report of the Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care.

In response to questions about Adult Social Care waiting lists, Avril Mayhew, Head of Adult Social Care Operations and Deputy DASS, confirmed that the fluctuation in social care referrals was not uncommon during the winter period. However, there were 41 fewer people waiting in the neighbourhood community teams for an annual review. There was a slight increase at the front door, consistent with winter activity. There had been a decrease of 37 people waiting for standard Occupational Therapy assessments but there had been an increase in numbers waiting for complex Occupational Therapy assessments. There were now only six reviews for people with learning disabilities placed outside Camden that were slightly overdue. The next priority was to look at waiting lists in mental health teams.

Councillor Anna Wright, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care, noted that the Supporting People Connecting Communities (SPCC) Accommodation Plan would be launched from April 2024. Chris Lehmann, Head of Adult Social Care Strategy and Commissioning and Deputy DASS highlighted the cross-cutting approach of the plan and commented that a more detailed report would be brought to Committee following the launch.

ACTION: Senior Policy and Projects Officer

In response to questions about the increase in cases of measles, the Director of Health and Wellbeing confirmed that there had not been any cases in Camden yet. The outbreak started in the West Midlands and there were clusters across England. They had unknown links of transmission, making it more concerning. There were clusters in North West London but now in South East London. There was work ongoing on access to vaccinations, building confidence and trust. The work was targeted at young adults and parents. There was a big campaign starting, with coffee mornings across early years and schools settings, and proactive communications through WhatsApp and social media channels. There would be three sessions of the mobile MMR bus, linked to Children’s Centres and early years’ settings. Learning from the previous sessions indicated that the greatest success was achieved when linking to GP settings and using the early years workforce to build confidence and trust prior to the bus arriving. It was also better to hold sessions outside of school holidays. The work would take place over the next four weeks. A report could be provided on the data and uptake from the work in due course.

ACTION: Senior Policy and Projects Officer

The Head of Adult Social Care Operations and Deputy DASS commented that the number of people waiting for a review in the community had been 211 in January 2024. This had now reduced by 41.

The Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care informed the Committee that home adaptations to enable hospital discharge was handled separately to the waiting lists for Occupational Therapy review and assessment. The Head of Adult Social Care Operations and Deputy DASS confirmed that there was a specific hospital social work team attached to each hospital to prioritise arrangements for discharge including care packages and any minor home adaptations.

Jess McGregor, Executive Director Adults and Health, explained in 2018 work had launched looking at supported accommodation in adult social care. The Supporting People Connecting Communities Accommodation Plan had a ten-year horizon and would take a broader whole-council approach to housing.

In response to concerns, there was acknowledgement about the need for Plain English and avoiding corporate-speak in the reports.

In response to questions about the Adult Social Care CQC (Care Quality Commission) Assessment, the Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care stated that the service was still waiting for it to be announced for Camden but it was not expected for several months. Preparation continued in a number of areas and was being approached in a constructive spirit.

It was explained that, while there had been lots of work to support residents to have and maintain a healthy weight over the years, the Cabinet Member had initiated the programme to inject the issue with urgency. Obesity was a major crisis that needed to be tackled.

In response to a suggestion that leaflets on the importance of vaccines be placed in maternity wards, the Director of Health and Wellbeing confirmed that pregnant women received information on the full range of childhood immunisations from their midwife, health visitor and other contact points.

With regard to the SPCC Accommodation Implementation Board, the Head of Adult Social Care Strategy and Commissioning and Deputy DASS explained that membership was at a draft stage. Thinking was ongoing on ensuring diversity and the inclusion of hard to reach groups. It was intended for resident voice to be included within the Board but also within the individual projects making up the programme.

The Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care confirmed that discussions were continuing on the St Pancras Transformation Programme and implications for the Peckwater Centre.

In response to questions about the procurement of the new contract for Integrated Sexual Health Services within the new Provider Selection Regime (PRS), the Director of Health and Wellbeing clarified that the PRS was new legislation. It was responding to concerns that the internal and external market of health care services had not significantly improved health outcomes or service quality and recognised greater collaboration through integrated care systems. There were far-reaching implications for commissioning services as where there was a significant health aspect there would be no need for competitive tendering and local government could commission from current providers. For sexual health services, the current provider was high performing and there was a limited market. The Executive Director Adults and Health highlighted broader implications for the voluntary and community sector.

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted.