Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Adults, Wellbeing & Health Scrutiny & Improvement Committee held on 22 April 2024 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record, and the attendance matrix be noted.

There were no declarations of interest; NOTED.

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

There were no Cabinet reports to discuss; NOTED.

Representatives from Public Health South Tees provided a presentation which outlined the following information:

·       Statistical evidence relating to obesity, levels of deprivation and health outcomes.

·       The implications of obesity for physical and mental health.

·       The local and national context

·       An explanation of the Whole Systems Approach and the Healthy Weight Declaration.

As part of the ensuing discussion, the following comments and questions were noted:

·       A Member queried the intended impact of the Declaration, and how this differed from previous attempts to tackle obesity. It was also suggested that the impact of family dynamics was not prominent enough in the Declaration. Members were advised that issues relating to family should be set in all layers of the Declaration, and that the initiative intended to introduce long term strategic goals with resources aligned over a long-term period.

·       A Member noted that parents now often feel the need to escort children to and from school in a vehicle, impacting on activity levels through the day.

·       A Member commented that financial concerns were often a barrier to progression in sporting activities, and asked if grants would be available to support people who showed sporting potential. Members were advised that the issues raised would be addressed as part of the consultation process.

·       The Committee was advised that a definition of obesity was guided by the National Child Measurement Programme. It was also noted that the Henry Programme was currently operating, although there had been difficulties in securing parental commitment to the programme, with one-to-one school nursing support being more successful.

·       The Committee noted that there was a stigma around accessing the Henry Programme, which the school nursing service was working to overcome.

·       A Member suggested that further work is undertaken in partnership with schools to provide parental learning opportunities relating to healthy lifestyles and healthy eating.

·       A Member asked about the support offered to families who had been referred to the Henry Programme. Committee was advised that they were provided with a point of contact from the school nursing service and links to government websites.

·       Members requested further information relating to the links between obesity, poor dental health and diet, particularly in relation to formative years, and also asked how much information is available for parents during transition stages (ie, primary to secondary school); NOTED.

The Principal Social Worker referred Members to the report, which was described as a statutory responsibility and which outlined the key achievements and developments for 23/24 relating to: learning and development, celebrating practice, networking, future priorities for the service, staff engagement and quality assurance.

As part of the ensuing discussion, the following comments and questions were noted:

·       A Member asked how conscious the Principal Social Worker was of budgetary issues in light of the current financial situation. Members were advised that all work is scrutinised in terms of cost-effectiveness and all options assessed.

·       Members asked about the extent to which local schools, colleges and universities were engaged with, and whether recruits had graduated from the Social Work Academy. The Committee was advised that colleges and universities locally and regionally were visited on a regular basis. Members also noted that the Social Work Academy currently provided training for Childrens Social Workers, but there was potential for Adult Services Academies in the future.

·       A Member asked about effectiveness of the interface between Adult Social Care and Health Services. Members were advised that closer working relationships were in development; NOTED.

The Executive Director for Adults & Communities advised that CQC had requested data sets and self-assessment documents, and that an inspection was expected within 6 -months. A presentation followed which provided feedback following the LGA Peer review. The following key points were noted:

·       The purpose of the Peer Challenge was explained.

·       Key messages were outlined, which highlighted positive staff commitment, supportive leadership and strong relationships. A more robust approach to development of strategic plans and a stronger focus on communities was recommended.

·       The departmental response was outlined, with plans for further development explained.

As part of the ensuing discussion, the following comments and questions were noted:

·       A Member asked what progress had been made towards aligning adult mental health and public health services. The Committee was advised that greater co-location was in progress, in addition to the formation of joint panels to discuss complex cases.

·       A Member suggested that the scrutiny process could be improved with more emphasis on work planning to bring forward relevant topics for deep-dive work. It was also suggested that Members should ensure attendance at committees and task & finish panels.

·       A Member asked what was being done to ensure that commissioned services are person-centred, and Members were advised that there had been learning from public health in terms of the commissioning model, which involved greater partnership working.

·       A discussion took place relating to the difficulty in developing longer-term strategies; NOTED.

The Assistant Directors for Adult Social Care (Operations), Adult Social Care (Commissioning and Social Care Resources) and the Director for Public Health, South Tees, presented the Q4 Performance Update.

As part of the ensuing discussion, the following comments and questions were noted:

·       Members were advised that face-to-face assessments are a standard practice and are available to everyone.

·       A Member asked how care is managed when residents move into the Borough from another area. The Committee was advised that there was an expectation that the local authority the resident was moving from would be in contact to refer the resident into the service. An assessment would follow this process.

·       A Member asked about strategies for recruiting specialist mental health social workers, and Members were advised that, although the role is hard to recruit to, there are currently minimal vacancies.

·       Further to a discussion relating to unpaid carers, Members were advised that information regarding Carers Week would be circulated to the Committee in due course.

·       A member asked about the support available for smaller care providers when completing tender documents. The Committee was advised that, whilst the authority is unable to offer direct support to individual bidders, indirect support is provided via market shaping events and the VCS Infrastructure Organisation.

·       A Member asked about dispute resolution and Members were advised that residents were encouraged to raise any issue directly and quickly for early resolution. The Council can intervene where this is unsuccessful.

·       A Member asked for data relating to leisure centre activity to be further analysed in terms of date; NOTED.

Tees Valley Joint Health Scrutiny – 15 March 2024

The Joint Health Scrutiny Committee update was noted.

The Chair referred Members to the Governance Manager’s report regarding the 2024/25 work programme for the Adults. Wellbeing & Health Scrutiny & Improvement Committee.

The following topics were proposed:

·       Transition from Childrens to Adults Services.

·       Vaping amongst children and young people.

·       Mental health service; NOTED.

There were no updates for discussion; NOTED.

The Action Update was noted.

There were no items certified as urgent.