Chief Officer Report
Argyll and Bute Council · 27 March 2024
Back to Argyll and Bute HSCP Integration Joint Board (IJB) — 27 March 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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1 Integration Joint Board Agenda item: Date of Meeting: 27 March 2024 Title of Report: Chief Officer Report Presented by: Fiona Davies, Chief Officer The Integration Joint Board is asked to: • Note the following report from the Chief Officer Introduction I would like to welcome you to my Chief Officer Report for March 2024 and this month I have included an update on the 2024-2028 Carers Strategy, how the national audiology review links in with our local audiology team and details of the locality health information profiles which have been recently published by the Public Health team. We have also been continuing to highlight some of the excellent work carried out by staff across the HSCP including the services provided by our Technology Enabled Care Team, the Power of Attorney campaign and the work carried out by our smoke free advisors and the services they offer for the public. We have also had a really fascinating link up with ‘The Broons’ comic strip characters to highlight health and wellbeing advice on the importance of physical activity and exercise, when clinically appropriate, for people who are in hospital. As usual I have also included some of the key updates recently announced by the Scottish Government including proposals for the minimum unit pricing rise, a consultation on proposals to restrict the promotion of food and drink high in fat, sugar and salt and also the legislative progress of the National Care Service Bill. As this is my last IJB as Chief Officer I would like to say thank you to the members of the IJB and to everyone across Argyll and Bute who made me feel so welcome when I joined the HSCP in 2021. It has also been a real pleasure meeting and working with HSCP colleagues, members of our local communities and all our key stakeholders. We have an amazing team in Argyll and Bute who work tirelessly to deliver a high standard of health and social care for the people who use our services. We also have vibrant and dedicated communities all across the HSCP and having met with
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2 many of them I know that they are passionate about the health and social care services that the HSCP delivers locally. I am looking forward to continuing to work on behalf of the people of Argyll and Bute as Chief Executive of NHS Highland and I look forward to continuing to meet many of you over the coming months and years. I am also delighted that Evan Beswick has been appointed as Interim Chief Officer and he will take up post on 1 April. Evan is known to many of you as the HSCP’s Head of Service for Primary Care and has been a great asset to the organisation and I wish him well in his new role. Thank you and best wishes. HSCP Updates Interim HSCP Chief Officer I am delighted that following a competitive recruitment process Evan Beswick has been appointed Interim Chief Officer for the HSCP and he will take up post on 1 April when I start my new role as Chief Executive of NHS Highland. Evan is currently the HSCP’s Head of Service for Primary Care and has 13 years of experience in operational and strategic management roles across the North of Highland and Argyll and Bute. Evan has already been a great asset to the HSCP team and I would like to welcome him to his new role. You can find out more about Evan and his appointment here. Recruitment to the HSCP Chief Officer substantive post will take place in due course. Service Updates 2024 -2028 Carers Strategy The HSCP unpaid care team of Kirsty Mackenzie and Mags Todd have carried out an extensive engagement programme with unpaid carers alongside aligning the new HSCP strategy with the national carers' strategy. The draft strategy to increase and improve support to unpaid carers was introduced at an IJB development session in February 2024 and formally agreed at the Strategic Planning Group on 14 March 2024. A full launch and publicity campaign is planned and there is also a leaflet going out to every home with the council tax letters to help identify unknown carers. Much of the material contained in this leaflet aligns to what carers told us during the engagement programme that they wanted more information on.
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3 National Audiology Review and HSCP Response In 2022 a national review of Audiology Services was announced by the Scottish Government. This extensive review contained multiple recommendations that are being evaluated and implemented by an HSCP short-life working group. There are also links to the national implementation programme to support progress. We would also like to take this opportunity to recognise the hugely valuable role that our small but dedicated audiology team play in delivering an excellent quality of service to their patients which has been nationally recognised with a number of awards. Locality Information Profiles Over the course of 2023 a range of health information profiles have been published for the four administrative areas of Argyll and Bute. These have been produced by Public Health and cover adult health and wellbeing; child health and wellbeing; and demography and deprivation. The profiles can be viewed here The profiles were developed by the Public Health Intelligence Team, NHS Highland, to provide communities and community planning partners with locally relevant and consistently presented public health data. They highlight health and social inequalities and show changes in key indicators over time. This local level information can provide evidence for planning, priority setting, funding applications and complements community knowledge and professional judgment. The Argyll and Bute Public Health team ran a series of webinars in January and February 2024 in each Locality on how to use the children and adult profiles. This was done in conjunction with the Council's Community Development team. Included in these webinars was a presentation from Public Health Intelligence clarifying how to interpret the data and a presentation from Community Development on how to use the profiles e.g. as evidence for funding bids, to identify gaps, project planning etc. National Updates National Care Service Bill Legislation which will see the introduction of a National Care Service for Scotland (NCS) has passed Stage 1 in Parliament with MSPs voting for the general principles of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill. Further information is available here. Improving the Nation’s Diet The public is being asked for views on proposals to restrict the promotion of food and drink high in fat, sugar and salt. The consultation, which will run for 12 weeks, will outline the detail of proposed regulations aimed at creating a food environment which better supports healthier choices. Further information is available here.
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4 Minimum Unit Pricing Rise Plans to continue setting a minimum price per unit of alcohol and to increase it by 15p will go before the Scottish Parliament for approval. As part of a ‘sunset clause’ when Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) legislation was introduced in 2018, it will end on 30 April this year unless Parliament votes to keep it. A price increase is required to counteract the effects of inflation and 65p has been selected as the Scottish Government seeks to increase the positive effects of the policy. If Parliament agrees, it will take effect on 30 September 2024. Further information is available here. Good Food Nation Plans Published Ensuring everyone in Scotland can access nutritious, sustainable food is at the heart of new plans to transform the country’s food system. The Good Food Nation Plan sets out the ways in which the Scottish Government will work with businesses and organisations across society to help connect people to locally produced, high- quality food. Further information is available here. News Argyll and Bute Telecare Service keeps you safer at home The HSCP’s Technology Enabled Care (TEC) team are continuing to provide technology and services to provide care and support to those individuals who require it locally. These services can range from Telecare to simple devices that monitor vital signs to systems that allow remote consultations with healthcare professionals. The Telecare service is an innovative solution that enables individuals to live independently in their homes while helping to support their safety and wellbeing. In Argyll and Bute Telecare services are available to people of all ages who may be vulnerable, have a disability or a long-term health condition. The Telecare service is designed to offer peace of mind to individuals and their loved ones, knowing that they have access to immediate help when needed. It also enables people to stay living independently in their homes for longer and can help reduce the need for hospitalisation or admission to care homes. Further information on the service and how to contact them is available here. Power of Attorney A power of attorney is a legal document which allows you to plan for the future. It's drawn up when you have the capacity to do so. It gives another person, known as the attorney, the authority to deal with aspects of your affairs. This could relate to financial/property matters and/or personal welfare. There are two types of power of attorney:
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5 • Power of attorney relating to your financial/property affairs is known as a 'continuing power of attorney' and may be given with the intention of taking effect immediately and continuing on you becoming incapable. Or you can decide you only want it to begin if you become incapable. • Welfare power of attorney allows someone you have appointed to make welfare decisions for you, and these powers cannot be exercised until such time as you have lost the capacity to make these decisions. The HSCP has been working with other agencies and stakeholders across Argyll and Bute to promote the power of attorney scheme and to highlight the importance of it. You can view the full press release here. Quit Smoking and Embrace a Smoke-Free Life If you are a smoker and looking to quit, the HSCP is here to help you every step of the way. Our smoke-free advisors can provide you with the support and guidance you need to quit smoking. Being smoke-free is not an easy task but with the right support and resources it is possible. Choosing to stop smoking is a significant step towards a healthier lifestyle. With the appropriate help and support, anyone can successfully become smoke-free. Smoking is a habit that can cause serious health problems. The HSCP has advisors throughout Argyll and Bute who will provide a flexible service to help, advise, encourage and support you at every step of your journey to stop smoking and tailor a unique stop smoking programme for you. Further information on the services we provide and how to contact our advisors is available online here. Braw Initiative to Tackle Deconditioning The HSCP, in conjunction with NHS Highland and the team behind The Broons legendary characters, have joined forces to launch an educational 'deconditioning' comic strip for Scotland’s ageing population. The information has been presented in a captivating format that is likely to be identifiable to all ages, but particularly older people and their families. The purpose of this resource is to prevent, recognise, and reduce deconditioning by providing engaging and accessible health and wellbeing information. Deconditioning is a term that refers to the physical and functional decline experienced by older adults who are hospitalised. This decline is primarily caused by a lack of physical activity and exercise. Further information on the comic strip and the campaign is available online here.
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6 Cowal Heartstart Team The Cowal Heartstart Team are pleased to introduce 8 new qualified instructors to their team and they now have a total of 16 skilled instructors committed to providing life-saving and first-aid training courses. Heartstart works in close partnership with the HSCP to emphasise the importance of imparting life-saving skills to the local public, schools and workplaces. This successful training program has been providing services for over 26 years thanks to the unwavering dedication and commitment of Heartstart volunteers who deliver the courses. All of the 16 instructors have undergone rigorous training and are now equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to empower members of the public, schools and workplaces with basic emergency life support courses. Further information is available here.