Agenda and minutes

It was AGREED that the minutes of the Adults, Wellbeing & Health Scrutiny & Improvement Committee held on 11 September 2023 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a true record.

None noted.

Would Members please bring their copy of the Cabinet Workbook with them to the meeting (these papers will follow)

Eston Pool

The Assistant Director, Health and Communities, advised that the report would be considered at the meeting of the Growth Scrutiny & Improvement Committee taking place on 19.10.23; NOTED.

The Domestic Abuse Strategic Lead provided Members with an update on the service, which highlighted the following points:

·         A definition of domestic abuse and updates to the Domestic Abuse Act 2021

·         Local context, taken from police data between August 2022 and July 2023. Information provided included the top 5 Wards for crimes and incidents, a breakdown of data by type of abuse and information from the Multi-Agency Children’s Hub.

·         The local picture in relation to adult social care.

·         Current service provided by Harbour.

·         Support offered by other service providers.

·         Domestic Abuse Act duties on local authorities and Domestic Abuse Act funding

·         Progress made so far and a performance overview.

The following comments and questions were noted:

·         A Member noted the use of the word ‘perpetrator’ and asked if it could be termed differently to encourage people to engage with the service.

·         A discussion took place regarding Ward figures, and the Domestic Abuse Strategic Lead advised that the figures provided by the police may look different to the Harbour figures, which capture people who access the service. It was also noted that there are potentially hidden victims in rural areas, which highlights the importance of awareness raising.

·         A Member queried the link between domestic abuse and substance abuse, and Committee noted that substance abuse can be a trigger for domestic abuse, which is itself a form of control.

·         A member questioned the outcome for people who are referred to the service but are not offered accommodation. The Domestic Abuse Service Lead advised that a database of accommodation is available and can be accessed via Harbour Services. There is the potential, however, for people to be re-housed outside of their local area, which can cause huge disruption for them and any children.

·         A Member asked about how we move to a situation where people feel comfortable talking about domestic abuse, and Members were advised about the importance of awareness raising, and the ongoing training for frontline staff who might be able to identify signs of domestic abuse, including police officers.

·         Members noted the need to increase the number of dispersed properties available to both male and females.

·         Committee discussed potential cultural issues, both within rural communities ethnically diverse communities.

·         The Domestic Abuse Service Lead advised Members that they would report back to Committee on the issue of obligatory training for police officers on coercive behaviour as a form of domestic abuse.

·         A member asked what could be done about the number of repeat victims, and Committee were advised that services need to be available to support victims of abuse whilst also focusing on the actions of the perpetrator and raising awareness in the community.

·         Members noted that financial abuse was part of the statutory definition of abuse and would be managed by Harbour services.

·         Members discussed engagement with schools and the work Harbour undertakes with children and adolescents; NOTED.

The Assistant Director – Adult Social Care (Operations) provided a presentation for Members, which included the following points:

·         In 2022, (TSAB) Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board requested the review of TATI procedures, following a Safeguarding Adult Review for ‘Molly’.

·         This review has now been completed and the new HRAP (High Risk Adult Panel) procedures have been developed, which will replace TATI.

·         The purpose and function of HRAP

·         A description of the referral process.

As part of the ensuing discussion, the following issues were addressed:

·         The culture of openness and practice of data sharing was discussed, and Members were advised that good working relationships had been developed.

·         A Member commented on the experience of service users, who often ‘ping pong’ between service providers.

·         The Assistant Director – Adult Social Care (Operations) advised that further developments would be reported to Committee in 6 months’ time; NOTED.

The Director of Operations, Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, provided a verbal update in response to the following question, which was raised at a meeting on the Adults, Wellbeing & Health Scrutiny Committee in April 2023:

Further information requested relating to Quality Metrics outlined in the TEWV Quality Account reported at the 17.03 meeting of the Tees Valley Joint Health Scrutiny Board. A Member was concerned that Quality Metric 1 (Percentage of patients who reported ‘yes, always’ to the question ‘Do you feel safe on the ward?’) had fallen from 64.66% to 54.025, against a target of 88.00%.

·         Feedback as part of the Friends and Family Test gave a 91% positive rating, with the trust ranked 27^th nationally, putting it in the top third of Trusts.

·         Focus groups undertaken amongst lived experience groups to discover what ‘feeling safe’ means. Feedback showed that:

o   Number of staff present in communal areas had an impact. Increased Healthcare Assistant capacity had been implemented.

o   Accessing leave and engaging in community-based activities was helpful.

o   There should be a focus on providing meaningful activities on the ward.

o   Confirmation that patients are able ti access their room and are in control of this access.

·         The above findings are being used to develop the Feeling Safe Improvement Plan; NOTED.

The report was NOTED.

A representative of the Crustacean Deaths Collaborative Working Group provided an update on work undertaken to date; NOTED.

The Assistant Director – Adult Social Care (Service Development and Integration) advised the Committee that, further to a meeting with the Chair and Vice-Chair, Home Care services had been identified as a priority area. A scope and project plan were discussed, and Members noted that other topics would remain on the work programme for potential future review.

It was AGREED that a review Home Care services be taken forward, as outlined in the Scope and Project Plan.

None noted.

See attached Action Update for further details.