Agenda item

To receive verbal updates from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health.

1.          Graham Gibbens (Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health) gave a verbal update on the following issues:

a)    Diocese of Canterbury Safeguarding Meeting

The Diocese of Canterbury recently held a meeting at which they discussed the Diocesan’s current focus on safeguarding issues relating to vulnerable adults and children.

b)   ESTHER Inspiration Day

The ESTHER Inspiration Day took place on 21^st March 2019 and was well attended. ESTHER was a Swedish person with long term health conditions who had to tell her story to professionals 23 times. Sweden developed a more person-centred approach that Kent would be adopting and was being developed across Kent. The Inspiration Day focused on looking at different ways in which support could be provided to individuals in a person-centred way and how an ESTHER approach and way of thinking could make a difference to service users.

c)    Visit to Canterbury Oast Trust

Mr Gibbens, Mrs Southern and the Chairman of Kent County Council recently visited Canterbury Oast Trust, a charity supporting people with learning disabilities in Kent and East Sussex.

d)   Community Hub Operating Centres (CHOCs) and Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings

Mr Gibbens and the Leader of Kent County Council attended events relating to the development of Local Care facilities across Kent, plans to establish more MDT’s in Kent in the future and how individuals could work together to ensure the best outcomes for Kent’s residents.

e)    Wayfarers Care Home, Sandwich

Mr Gibbens referred to the consultation which had been launched on 15^th May 2019 by Kent County Council in relation to the future of Wayfarers Care Home in Sandwich and confirmed that the consultation would end on 24^th July 2019. A progress report would be brought to the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee meeting on 17^th July 2019, and a further report would be brought to the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee on 27^th September 2019 detailing the proposal and consultation outcomes.

2.          In response to a question, Mr Gibbens talked about the conversations that had taken place between Kent County Council and the Ministry of Justice over recent months in relation to ex-offenders and said that Kent County Council were working closely with district councils in Kent to ensure that ex-offenders were well supported  and had access to secure and stable accommodation.

3.          Anne Tidmarsh (Director of Adult Social Care and Health – Partnerships), on behalf of the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, gave a verbal update on the following issues:

a)    Esther model of care

Ms Tidmarsh reiterated Mr Gibbens’ comments in relation to the ESTHER Inspiration Day and reminded Members that whilst the Swedish model of care, Esther, strived to improve patient care for the elderly, it was relevant to any individual with a long-term condition or complex need.

b)   Kent County Council’s Adult Social Care and Health restructure

The senior restructure within the Adult Social Care and Health directorate within Kent County Council which focused on business need had been completed.

c)    Kent Registered Managers Conference

Mrs Southern opened the first Kent Care Sector Registered Managers conference of 2019 on 2^nd April which was an event held for registered managers in the care sector. Two conferences took place in 2018, and Kent County Council would be hosting a second conference in Autumn 2019. Ms Tidmarsh said that the conference on 2^nd April 2019 had been very successful and well attended and talked briefly about key focuses and emerging themes.

4.          RESOLVED that the verbal updates be noted.