Agenda item

1.            The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, Mrs C Bell, gave a verbal update on the following issues:-

‘Knock and Check’ campaign – this encouraged people to knock regularly at the door of an elderly or vulnerable neighbour, to have a brief chat and offer help with daily tasks such as shopping.  This excellent initiative tied in with the work of the Select Committee on Loneliness and Social Isolation and other projects to encourage community spirit during lockdown. Members were asked to share and spread this campaign in their local areas.   

Domestic Abuse – this was being addressed by a campaign in which the County Council collaborated with district colleagues, the police and fire services, to form the Kent Domestic Abuse Support team.  This offered contact, sanctuary, emergency assistance and therapeutic support and was being managed by a commissioning officer with allocated funding of £1.7m.  So far it had supported 1,800 people.  An online conference entitled ‘Domestic Abuse – It’s Everyone’s Business’, starting on 25 November, would run until 10 December.  Mrs Bell had pre-recorded a message to be included in the content of the conference.

KARA Service – Mrs Bell showed two slides which illustrated the KARA service, which aimed to help and support people with very little knowledge of the online world to use it effectively to maintain contact with their family, friends and care professionals during lockdown and covid-19 restrictions. The service was working well, had many referrals and had activated 40 devices a week since the start of the second national lockdown, to help ease isolation.  Mrs Bell said how proud she was of the team running it. The slides showing the KARA service would be circulated to all Members of the committee after the meeting.

2.            The Corporate Director for Adult Social Care and Health, Mr R Smith, gave a verbal update on the following issues:-

Infection Control Grant – this was being delivered through much work by commissioners and providers. 90% of the grant was discretionary and had been used to support the voluntary sector, working with the Care Alliance, to protect vulnerable people.

Feedback from Adult Social Care and Health Directorate Management Team Live Event – this had offered an opportunity to link with staff teams and support wellbeing and equality.  Looking after staff was vital, to ensure they could look after Kent’s vulnerable people.  

Update on Day Services – these remained closed but reviews conducted by telephone checked people’s needs and how these might be met in some other way, as part of the Making a Difference Every Day (MADE) programme. A review was being undertaken of how the most vulnerable families could be supported to look after elderly and vulnerable relatives at home while day services remained closed. Local authorities were working through very difficult and unprecedented times and faced a number of challenges, for example, managing discharges from hospital.

3.            Asked about shortages of PPE which seemed to be identified in the winter plan, Mr Smith advised that he had not been made aware by service providers of any supply problems but undertook to look into this and provide information to Members outside the meeting.

4.            The verbal updates were noted, with thanks.