Issue - meetings

(Mr N Sherlock, Public Involvement and Performance Manager, was in attendance for this and the following item)

(1)       Mr Sherlock introduced the Draft Annual Plan and explained that all POCs had the opportunity to see and comment on the whole Plan before the final draft Plan went to the County Council on 19 June 2008.  In discussion, and in Mr Mills’, Mr Sherlock’s and Miss Highwood’s responses to questions put by Members, the following points were highlighted:-

(a)       Kent’s Active Lives for Adults (ALFA) Strategy aimed to give as much control as possible to as many people as possible but the challenge of this was that people would need a range of services from which to choose;

(b)       Kent was a national leader in delivering Telehealth and Telecare, having been one of only three local authorities to bid successfully for a Whole System Demonstrator (WSD).  Although Kent had looked at Telecare systems already in use in Lothian and Northern Ireland, no other local authority had developed Telehealth and Telecare to the extent that Kent now had;

(c)        projects relating to ALFA were those being delivered by “Invoke” under the Government-funded Partnerships for Older People Projects (POPPs), including community matrons and a care navigator system delivered via Age Concern;

(d)       the workforce training for care scheme was a critical part of the development of ALFA as it supported public confidence in reliable and consistent services.  Mr Mills explained that he chaired the Skills for Care sub regional committee. Workforce training is available county-wide and could be delivered in providers’ premises;

(e)       when LINks are established later in 2008 they will have the power to consult and require a response from KASS on social care issues;

(f)         the WSD could be used to engage GPs and practice nurses to address patient care pathways and identify support needed to maximise patients’ recovery and support needed for carers;

(g)       maximising the take up of benefits for older people was key to improving their quality of life and making the best use of KCC funded services.  Work was going on to help identify and address this; and

(h)        the LAA had shown up a disparity in the reporting of indicators nationally and there was ongoing discussion with partners about how performance should be quantified and reported.

(2)       RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the information given in the report, and in response to questions from Members, be noted, with thanks; and

(b)       further information and update reports be submitted to the POC on the issues listed in paragraphs (a), (c), (d), (f) and (g) above, and on the evaluation of the seven Brighter Futures projects.