Issue - meetings

To receive a report which sets out the details of the review of current legal arrangements supporting the partnership working between Kent County Council and Kent and Medway Partnership Trust to deliver mental health social care and health services across Kent.

Ms Stone (Transformation Project Manager) was in attendance for this item.

1.          Ms Stone introduced the report which set out details relating to the review of the current legal arrangements supporting the partnership working between Kent County Council and Kent and Medway Partnership Trust to deliver mental health social care and health services across Kent.

Mrs Southern then responded to comments and questions from Members, including the following: -

a)    Mrs Southern said that many productive changes were being made in relation to mental health social care and health services and emphasised the importance of integrated working.

b)    Mrs Southern talked about the effectiveness of partnership working within social care and health and the need to work seamlessly with individuals in mental health. She suggested that a progress report be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee, Members of the Committee supported this.

c)    Mrs Southern referred to the Cabinet Member decision which had been taken in July 2017 (17/00053 - Direction of future provision of social care and support to adults with mental health needs) and briefly explained the importance of the decision-making process.

d)    Mrs Southern drew Member’s attention to the background documents that were listed within the report and explained the rationale behind each stage of the journey.

e)    Mrs Southern said that robust processes were in place in relation to confidentiality within mental health social care and health services and explained how information could be shared across social care systems.

f)     Mrs Southern provided further information to Members in relation to The Forensic Service and explained that social workers undertook forensic training which allowed them to work with individuals with complex needs that had been discharged from acute care hospitals.

2.          Mr Gibbens (Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health) reiterated the importance of mental health services and the need for a progress report to be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.

3.          RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, to

a)    approve the new legal framework to support the partnership arrangements for the provision of mental health social care and health services in Kent; specifically, approval for Kent County Council to terminate the existing Kent County Council and Kent and Medway Partnership Trust Section 75 Agreement (based on mutually agreed termination between Kent County Council and Kent and Medway Partnership Trust) and approval for Kent County Council to enter into a Service Level Agreement with Kent and Medway Partnership Trust; and

b)    delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, or other nominated officer, to undertake the necessary actions to implement the decision,

be endorsed.