Minutes:
1. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, Mrs Clair Bell, gave a verbal update on the following:
(a) The Adult Social Care Reform White Paper was discussed at the last Cabinet meeting in April 2022 and since then the Leader and Mrs Bell had written to Kent MPs to share their concerns and to ask for their support for adequate funding and in delaying implementation by six months so that changes could come into effect in April 2024, instead of October 2023. Mrs Bell would arrange for the letter to be circulated after the meeting.
(b) At the beginning of May 2022 Mrs Penny Cole, Mr Jordan Meade (Deputy Members for Adult Social Care) and Mrs Bell visited the Harmonia Village in Dover which offered homes for up to 30 people living with dementia. Each resident had their own bedroom, shared kitchen and lounge and the houses were equipped with technology to enable them to live independently. The village had an onsite team of carers and nurses who were available 24 hours a day, a hub for residents and guest rooms for overnight stays. The village was keen to provide local employment, use local services and link in with the local community. In November 2021 the Harmonia Village won the 2020 award for Best Dementia Care Development at the Building Better Healthcare Awards.
(c) Mental Health Awareness Week took place between 9 and 15 May 2022 and tackled loneliness. Mrs Bell highlighted two support services provided by the Council including Live Well Kent which was a network of community mental health and wellbeing support services managed by charities Porchlight and Shaw Trust, and the Kent Men’s Sheds Programme which was set up to combat loneliness, social isolation, and mental health problems.
2. Mr Jordan Meade, Deputy Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said he visited Faversham’s Men’s Sheds Project on Friday 13 May 2022 and was impressed by the significant partnership working, particularly with Canterbury Christchurch University who had provided work placements for Occupational Health students. Other areas of partnership working included social prescribing from local GP practices, and the delivery of peer-to-peer support. Mr Meade said users of the Men’s Sheds Project said the project had turned their lives around and Mr Meade encouraged Members to visit the Kent Sheds’ website - Mens sheds | Kent Sheds | Kent.
3. Mrs Bell and Mr Meade responded to comments and questions from the committee, including the following:
(a) Asked whether there were any plans to expand Harmonia Village, Mrs Bell said the project had been driven by individuals following a visit to the Netherlands and Belgium, and they hoped to be able to expand the project within Kent in the future.
(b) Asked if there was an ideal age group for Men’s Sheds, Mr Meade said they welcomed residents of all ages although most were aged 45 or over. Faversham’s Men’s Sheds Project was working hard to encourage younger men to get involved.
(c) Asked whether it would be helpful for Members to write to their MP regarding the Adult Social Care Reform White Paper, Mrs Bell said raising awareness of the need for more funding and challenging the implementation timescales would be helpful.
4. The Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, Mr Richard Smith, then gave a verbal update on the following:
(a) The Kent and Medway Listens Project was a county wide engagement listening programme relating to mental health and wellbeing and was led by the Council’s Mental Health Team on behalf of the Integrated Care System (ICS). Feedback from the event would reflect on the pressures of the last few years and a Better Mental Health Wellbeing Plan would be produced.
(b) Mr Smith and colleagues attended the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) Spring Seminar 2022 which provided workshops focused on the social care reform and included opportunities for shared learning and provision of peer-to-peer support to other local authorities across the country.
(c) The Kent and Medway Safeguarding Adults Board Strategic Plan, which highlighted the Council’s safeguarding priorities, was currently in draft form and out for consultation.
(d) Mr Smith reminded Members of the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee Away Day which was taking place on 8 July 2022.
RESOLVED that the verbal updates be noted.