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.

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

12 March - Spoke at the Transforming Adult Social Care Forum in London – this was linked to the Active Lives initiative, an excellent programme which Kent should seek to expand.  Briefings by Penny Southern’s team could be arranged for any Members who wished it.

18 March - Attended launch event for the Take Off Charity in Canterbury – the Take Off charity ran networking events for people with mental health problems, based on preparing and enjoying food. The simple concept of cooking and eating together could give much needed enjoyment, company and moral support.

15 April - Attended Governors visit to South East Coast Ambulance Service 111 Centre in Ashford – this visit had been enlightening and he had been very impressed to see how the 111 system worked, at one of the two South East centres.

New Division - Disabled Children, Adults with a Learning Disability and Mental Health - Disabled Children’s Services, Adults Learning Disability and Adult Mental Health Services had come together in a new division on 1 April 2015. Penny Southern would be the Director responsible for the new division, called ‘Disabled Children, Adults with a Learning Disability and Mental Health’. Mr Gibbens said he was very pleased that this closer alignment would further improve the support for disabled young people becoming adults, and said that it also had the full support of the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health. The problems experienced by this group were a nationwide challenge which should be helped in Kent by the creation of the new Division.

2.            Members welcomed the creation of the new division, as the problems faced by young people, particularly those in care and leaving care, in the transition period from children’s to adult services had long been a concern of the committee.

3.            In place of the Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, Mr M Lobban, Director of Commissioning, then gave a verbal update on the following issues:-

Introduction of the Care Act on 1 April 2015 – most elements of this had now been introduced, with the remainder being required to be introduced in April 2016. Good communications were essential to help those affected by the changes to eligibility criteria, extended carers’ rights and advocacy services to understand the new arrangements.

Public information had been particularly effective in relating the changes. A leaflet had been issued to 15,000 service users to reassure them that the services they received would not be affected by the changes, and subsequent queries had been fewer than had been expected.

The level of resource required to introduce and run advocacy services was expected to present a challenge. The ‘Advocacy for All’ group had written to the County Council say how pleased they had been with the way in which the County Council had introduced and explained the changes.

The County Council had asked the Local Government Association to undertake a ‘deep dive’ study of its processes and had received very good feedback as a result.

The excellent work done by staff and partners in making this happen smoothly was particularly to be welcomed.

Transformation – the design phase had now ended, and an update on transformation work would be made to the Commissioning Advisory Board on 15 May.  Mr Lobban suggested that all Members of this committee be invited to attend and an invitation was subsequently issued.

4.            He responded to comments and questions, as follows:-

a)    one speaker said that attendees at a local Senior Citizens’ Board had reported that they found the publicity available to be very helpful and they felt they had a good understanding of the Act and its changes; and

b)    asked if the Local Government Association (LGA) deep dive had produced any recommendations, Mr Thomas-Sam explained that the study had looked in particular at the information the County Council issued and the extent to which the Council worked with its providers, as the Act affected NHS services as well as those delivered by the County Council. One area in which, the LGA had suggested, other local authorities could learn from Kent’s best practice was the extent to which the information used for self-assessment could be accessed online, making the process much faster.

5.            Mr G K Gibbens then gave a verbal update on the following issues:-

9 March - the Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control had been signed by the County Council Leader, the Head of Paid Service and the Director of Public Health.  The World Health Organisation had endorsed the declaration.

11 March - Attended the No Smoking Day - Charlton Athletic ‘Kick the Habit’ Roadshow in Canterbury – smoking remained a major public health issue to be addressed. Canterbury had recorded a wide disparity in life expectancies and the main cause of this was smoking.  Mr Gibbens had used some of his individual Member grant money to support anti-smoking campaigns, and he reminded Members that they too could use their grant money to support community initiatives to address this and other public health work.

25 March - Spoke at the ‘Tackling HIV Stereotypes’ Impress Conference in Canterbury

6.            Members made the following comments:-

a)    one speaker said he had been involved in 2014 in a campaign with the Darent Valley Hospital to encourage expectant mothers to stop smoking;

b)    another speaker added that parents needed to be aware of the risk of smoking in terms of fire risk at home, and suggested that the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Service be approached to become involved; and

c)    asked what action the signatories to the declaration on tobacco control would take to follow it up, as Kent had a particular issue with cheap, illegal imports of cigarettes from Europe, Mr Gibbens said he hoped to be able to work with Trading Standards colleagues to address this as it had a particularly heavy impact on young people.  He suggested that an update report on work to address tobacco control be made to a future meeting of this committee and this was added to the work programme. Mr Scott-Clark added that joint work was ongoing between the public health team and the Growth, Economic Development and Transport Directorate to address illegal imports.

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

Broadstairs Town Shed – this mental health support network project was now available to both men and women.  Committee Members were encouraged to visit and view the work of local Shed projects in their divisions.

Porchlight– a recent meeting between the public health team and the Porchlight homelessness charity had strengthened links and joint working.  Porchlight had good support from GPs and an impressive record of helping the homeless. 1,500 people accessed their services last year and 89% of these had reported positive outcomes in terms of being better able to manage their mental health problems and having increased self-esteem.

8.            He responded to comments and questions, as follows:-

a)    a recent community engagement day at a Shed project in Dover had shown what excellent support work the projects did, and the extension of the original men’s project to include both men and women was welcomed;

b)    Porchlight’s work was also excellent in helping the increasing number of people sleeping rough.  The charity made weekly reports on its work to the housing service at Dover District Council; and

c)    asked how the services of Porchlight were viewed by GPs around the county, Mr Scott-Clark explained that GPs were very keen to support it. 

9.            RESOLVED that the verbal updates be noted, with thanks.