Agenda item

To receive a verbal update from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing and the Director of Public Health.

Adult Social Care

1.         Mr Gibbens gave a verbal update on the following issues:

·         Lyn Romeo, Chief Social Worker at the Department of Health had visited Kent County Council

·         13 October 2015 - The annual Kent Learning Disability Partnership Awards at County Hall. Awards were made to businesses and services which have gone above and beyond in supporting and improving the lives of people with learning disabilities

·         14-16 October – He had attended the National Children and Adult Services Conference in Bournemouth. Mr Alistair Burt, MP - Minister of State for Community and Social Care had spoken at the conference.

·         10 October – Attended the Canterbury and Coastal Rethink Carers’ Support Group as a part of a series of events to mark World Mental Health Day

·         10 November – attended the South East Mental Health Commissioning Network in Guildford

·         17 November - Kent Dementia Awards had been held at County Hall.  Particular reference was made to the Dementia Café being run at the Oasis Academy, Sheerness.

2.         Mr Ireland gave a verbal update on the following issues: 

·         Advocacy Contract Award

The advocacy services had been re-tendered following the Care Act 2012 and had been awarded to SeAp (Support, Advocate, Empower, Promote)

·         Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Service Tender

In January 2015 this committee had considered a proposal to end grants and commission a community mental health and wellbeing service.  Following a range of engagement and co-production events with key stakeholders a decision was made to end grants and commence a tender process.  A public consultation in May indicated that the vision for the service should be to provide a holistic offer of support for individuals living with mental health and wellbeing needs in Kent.  Organisations that had achieved a minimum of a 50% quality score following a pre-qualification questionnaire were invited to complete an Invitation to Submit an Outline Solution and organisations that had expressed an interest in becoming delivery partners were invited to complete information for strategic partners to take forward.  The final tenders would be evaluated in December and the contract awards made in January 2016.  A report on the outcome would be presented to Cabinet in March

·         Visit to teams operating from Kroner House

Mr Ireland said he had visited a number of teams based in Kroner House including the Central Referral Unit, the Out of Hours team, the Autism team, the Shared Lives team and the Mental Health Temporary Cover team.  He said it was useful to see the teams in operation.

·         14-16 October – Attended the National Children’s and Adult Services Conference.  Mr Burt MP had made his speech to the conference before the announcement relating to the Comprehensive Spending Review and this had limited what he could say.  Mr Ireland had however asked a question about the difficulties of recruitment and retention of care workers which was one of only three answered by Mr Burt.

He responded to comments and questions as follows:

·         The authority worked with voluntary organisations and expressed concerns when any organisation became too dependent on a single source of funding especially where that funding came from a public sector organisation. 

·         He had only learned earlier in the morning that Invicta Advocacy was closing.

Public Health

Mr Gibbens gave a verbal update on the following issues:

·         Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)

A joint workshop had been held in September which had highlighted many of the big issues related to the future of social care. The JSNA had been agreed 3-4 years ago and was now being refreshed and would be considered by both the Adult Social Care and Health Cabinet Committee and the Children’s Social Care and Health Cabinet Committee prior to its agreement and adoption.

·         Public Health England Conference

Attended this conference and heard Jane Ellison, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Public Health speak about the “Everyone Active Every Day” initiative to encourage people to remain healthy physically and mentally.  He said the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board had made a decision to focus on reducing obesity and had asked each local health and wellbeing board in Kent to develop plans to tackle obesity in their local areas.

·         Smoke Free Play Areas

In Ashford a pilot scheme for smoke free play areas had been successful.  Mr Gibbens encouraged Members to consider allocating some of their Member Grant money to assist such schemes in their areas.

In response to comments and questions he confirmed that:

·         it was not illegal to smoke in play areas and the schemes could only advise people not to smoke.

·         the Minister of Health would like to bring forward legislation banning smoking at school gates.

Mr Scott-Clark gave a verbal update on the following issues:

·         Conferences

He attended the Public Health England Conference in Warwick and the Directors of Public Health Conference in London.

·         Public Health Transformation Programme

A public consultation as part of the Public Health Transformation Programme was underway and Members were asked to encourage their constituents to respond.

·         Drug and Alcohol Service

Invitations to tender for delivery of the service in West Kent had been issued and a report about the award of contract would be presented to the committee at its next meeting on 14 January 2016.  The contracts for services in East Kent had been extended.

Congratulations

Mr Smith said the efforts of Theresa Grayell, Democratic Services Officer, had been recognised nationally and she received the Democratic Service Officer of the Year Award from the Association of Democratic Services Officers (ADSO).  The committee congratulated Miss Grayell on her achievement.

The verbal updates were noted.