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 G K Gibbens introduced Hattie Oliver from the Kent Youth County Council, who was shadowing him for the day.  He then gave a verbal update on the following adult social care issues:

Launch of Adult Social Care Strategy Consultation

King’s Fund/Nuffield Social Care for Older People – this was looking at how social care would need to change in the future.

29 September – Spoke at Hot Potato Dementia Event in Herne Bay, which was seeking to create dementia-friendly communities. A similar event was planned shortly in West Kent.  

5 October – Spoke at Safeguarding provider event as part of Safeguarding Awareness Week

Kent Learning Disability Partnership Awards – this had been an excellent event, attended by Penny Cole, which celebrated the achievement of people with Learning Disabilities.

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

Statutory Care and Support Guidance published on 26 September had included new regulations and feedback which would build on the guidance issued with the Care Act.

National Survey on the Care Act would seek people’s accounts of personal involvement with the new Care Act and what difference it had made to them.

Consultation on changes to Attendance Allowance – a vital part of local authorities’ push to retain 100% of local business rates would be to use some of this money to enhance attendance allowances.

Adult Public Health

3.            Mr G K Gibbens gave a verbal update on the following public health issues:

Child Obesity Plan

Parliamentary Select Committee report on Public Health post-2013 reforms

13 September – Attended Public Health England Conference at Warwick University in Coventry - at this, there had been much support for the campaigns for smoke-free play areas and smoke-free school gates.  Mr Gibbens added that he would be using some of his Individual Member Grant to help promote these locally.

20 September – Attended roundtable at The King’s Fund about the role of pharmacies as a community asset.The National Pharmacies Association had attended all the Party Group conferences in the autumn to promote the role of community pharmacies. In response to questions, Mr Gibbens explained that:

·         the issue of community pharmacies would be included in local launches of the Health and Social Care consultation, and would be taken forward as part of this; and

·         previous representations about community pharmacies made to the Minister and the Department of Health had received good responses, and there would be a fund made available to support pharmacies in rural and urban fringe areas.  A response from the new Minister was currently awaited. 

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

Introduction of new Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr Allison Duggal

Diabetes Wellness (DWELL) programme – this work would seek to establish the link between type 2 diabetes and wellness, and assess the impact of lifestyles upon diabetes.  £1.6m of European funding for this would be made available over four years.

New Health Profiles published on 16 September – these would become part of standard performance indicators.

World Mental Health Day had taken place on 10 October - as part of this, the County Council would be promoting its ‘Release the Pressure’ campaign.  So far during this campaign, there had been a 56% increase in the number of men calling the helpline, and much support had also come from the media and public.