Minute
North Lanarkshire Council · 21 February 2023
Back to Adult Care and Social Work Committee — 21 February 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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ADULT CARE AND SOCIAL WORK - 21 FEBRUARY 2023 92 21 February 2023 at 2 pm. A Meeting of the ADULT CARE AND SOCIAL WORK COMMITTEE PRESENT Councillor M. McCulloch, Convener; Councillor Boyd, Vice-Convener; Councillors Barclay, Baudo, Brennan, Burgess, Bustard, Cairns, Costello, Goldie, Hughes, Jarvie, Kelly, Keltie, McCluskey, B. McCulloch, McKendrick, McPhilemy, L. Stubbs, Toner, Williams, Wilson and Woods. ALSO PRESENT In accordance with Standing Order 64 Councillor Campbell attended as substitute for Councillor Jones. CHAIR Councillor M. McCulloch (Convener) presided. IN ATTENDANCE Chief Officer, Health and Social Care; Chief Officer/Head of Service (Adult Social Work Services); Chief Social Work Officer (Education, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice); Business Finance Manager; Adult Protection Co-ordinator, and Democratic Services Manager. APOLOGY Councillor Jones. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST IN TERMS OF THE ETHICAL STANDARDS IN PUBLIC LIFE ETC. (SCOTLAND) ACT 2000 1. There were no declarations. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF SOCIAL WORK OFFICER 2021/22 2. There was submitted a report by the Chief Social Work Officer (Education, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice) (1) advising that the Chief Social Work Officer of each local authority is required to provide an annual report; (2) attaching, as an Appendix to the report, the North Lanarkshire Chief Social Work Officer report for 2021/22, providing information on the delivery of statutory functions and performance in improvement activity across the range of social work services over that year; (3) explaining that the report also provides information on the wider governance and planning of social work provision within North Lanarkshire, including its key role in local partnerships, on both the national and local challenges impacting on the delivery of social work service delivery and demand, and (4) highlighting that the report reflects Social Work's contribution to the Programme of Work, underpinning the "Plan for North Lanarkshire" and "Delivering for Communities" framework. Decided: (1) that the annual report for 2021/22 be approved, and (2) that it be noted that approval of the report would also be sought through the Education, Children and Families Committee.
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ADULT CARE AND SOCIAL WORK - 21 FEBRUARY 2023 93 HOME ASSESSMENT TEAM/DISCHARGE WITHOUT DELAY PROGRAMME UPDATE REPORT 3. There was submitted a report by the Chief Officer/Head of Service (Adult Social Work Services) (1) highlighting that, in October 2022, the Scottish Government had made a request to prioritise Home First initiatives and to progress at pace; (2) advising that, to address the request and demand, it had been deemed necessary to accelerate the provision of Home assessment, prioritising University Hospital Wishaw given the pressures at the site; (3) informing that, in order to develop this approach at scale, there had been a substantial redirection of resources to the Home Assessment Team (HAT) within the Service; (4) outlining the objectives of the HAT within North Lanarkshire, along with the progress to date and future plans, and (5) detailing an update on the workforce and recruitment campaigns, with the intention for fully operational teams in Wishaw and Cumbernauld localities to be in place by mid February. Decided: (1) that the strategic direction of HAT and the roll-out of HAT across North Lanarkshire be approved, and (2) that the contents of the report be otherwise noted. EQUIPMENT AND ADAPTATIONS SERVICE 4. There was submitted a report by the Chief Officer/Head of Service (Adult Social Work Services) (1) providing an update on the current position of the Equipment and Adaptations Service (EAS); (2) highlighting several challenges which had been faced by the Service following the pandemic; (3) advising that, despite the challenges, the EAS had continued to prioritise those most at need; (4) setting out a refresh of governance arrangements, including a Service review, to increase the routine monitoring of performance and the offer of increased support to the Service across key partners; (5) informing of the requirement to seek an alternative solution for an IT system following the change of the current electronic stores management system "Managing Integrated Community Equipment Service" (MICES), which would have the identified service requirements, and (6) recommending that future reports be submitted to the Committee entailing any proposed changes to the Service. Decided: (1) that the refreshed governance arrangements be approved; (2) that the Service review, and that any future reports entailing any proposed changes be submitted to this Committee, be approved, and (3) that the change of the current electronic stores management system "Managing Integrated Community Equipment Service" (MICES), previously approved at Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG), be noted. ADULT SUPPORT AND PROTECTION: SOCIAL WORK ANNUAL REPORT 2021/22 AND THE ADULT PROTECTION COMMITTEE BIENNIAL REPORT 2020/22 5. There was submitted a report by the Chief Officer/Head of Service (Adult Social Work Services) providing an overview of two key Adult Support and Protection Reports, namely (a) Social Work Annual Report 2021/22, and (b) Adult Protection Committee Biennial Report 2020/22 (1) detailing the background relative thereto, and (2) enclosing within the Appendices a copy of each of the reports for information.
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ADULT CARE AND SOCIAL WORK - 21 FEBRUARY 2023 94 Arising from discussion thereon, it was agreed that mental health training be provided for Elected Members on how best to assist constituents seeking assistance. Decided: (1) that the Social Work Annual Report 2021/22 be noted, and (2) that the Adult Protection Committee Biennial Report 2020/22 be noted. MAINTAINING A POSITIVE BALANCE OF CARE 6. There was submitted a report by the Chief Officer/Head of Service (Performance Planning and Quality Assurance) (1) reiterating the Health and Social Care Partnership's commitment to ensure people are supported to live full and active lives in their own homes and localities, minimising the use of hospital and other care settings; (2) advising of a range of key metrics used to compare the Council's performance across other Scottish Local Authorities, and (3) setting out within the report a range of statistical comparisons. Decided: that the balance of care within North Lanarkshire be noted. REVENUE AND CAPITAL BUDGET MONITORING REPORT - ADULT SOCIAL CARE - PERIOD 9: 1 APRIL 2022-9 DECEMBER 2022 7. There was submitted a report by the Chief Officer/Head of Service (Performance Planning and Quality Assurance) providing a summary of the revenue financial performance of the Health and Social Care Partnership, North Lanarkshire (Adult Social Care and Housing) and the capital financial performance of the Social Work programme (1) incorporating the period 1 April to 9 December 2022 (accounting period 9), and (2) including the projected outturn forecast for the financial year ending 31 March 2023, with major outturn variances highlighted and explained as per the Council's approved Financial Regulations. Decided: (1) that the Revenue Financial Outturn position be noted, and (2) that the Capital Financial Outturn position be noted. ADULT SOCIAL CARE PERFORMANCE REPORT - QUARTER 2 2022/23 8. There was submitted a report by the Chief Officer, Health and Social Care providing an update on the performance of key areas of activity within Adult Health and Social Care for the period 1 July to 30 September 2022 (Quarter 2), and (2) highlighting, within Appendix 2 to the report, areas for improvement and planned actions. Thereon, the Chief Officer, Health and Social Care provided a verbal update on Operation Flow, the purpose of which is to create space in hospitals and facilities for commencing upcoming improvement works (1) informing of the "Fire Break" in hospitals which is to enable appropriate discharge across all facilities within the Health Board area; (2) advising that similar operations are being undertaken within other Health Board regions and are showing positive outcomes; (3) noting the focus on the principles of Discharge Without Delay such as ensuring patients have a planned date of discharge from early in their journey to minimise the lengths of stay and reduce deterioration, and (4) intimating that, by maximising the use of the Home Assessment Team and the Re-Ablement Service, there would be a
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ADULT CARE AND SOCIAL WORK - 21 FEBRUARY 2023 95 more co-ordinated approach supporting those who may require a care package in the community, with assessments for ongoing care being completed once the individuals are back in their own home. Decided: (1) that the areas for improvement and planned actions, as detailed within Appendix 2 to the report, be noted; (2) that the performance of key areas of activity, as detailed within Appendix 1 to the report, be noted, and (3) that the oral update by the Chief Officer, Health and Social Care in respect of Operation Flow be noted. CONTRACTS AWARDED BELOW COMMITTEE APPROVAL THRESHOLD 9. There was submitted a report by the Chief Officer (Assets and Procurement) providing, within an Appendix to the report, details of two contracts, which had been awarded by him under delegated authority, for works over £50,000 but less than £500,000 in value during the period 1 October to 31 December 2022. Decided: that the report be noted.