Minutes:
1. The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, Mrs Clair Bell, gave a verbal update on the following:
(a) The Council’s 2023/24 budget for adult social care and public health was being discussed to identify where savings and changes could be made whilst providing necessary services to vulnerable residents.
(b) World Mental Health Day took place on 10 October 2022 with the theme ‘making mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority’. Live Well Kent and Medway provided mental health and wellbeing support services and was delivered on behalf of the Council and the NHS by two charities - Porchlight and Shaw Trust. Mrs Bell said these charities had seen an increase in demand for help due to the cost-of-living crisis.
(c) Mrs Bell said ‘Release the Pressure’ was a support helpline for people who needed immediate help and people could text the word ‘Kent’ or ‘Medway’ to 85258 to speak to a trained and experienced volunteer. An empty shop window in Fremlin Walk, Maidstone had been used to advertise the ‘Release the Pressure’ service until January 2023.
(d) On 11 October 2022 Mrs Bell hosted an online webinar in partnership with Cantium and Cognitive Publishing, to tackle digital inclusion. The webinar had over 200 virtual attendees and showcased Kent and Medway’s Public Health Digital Inclusion Project and the Council’s Empower Care Digital Inclusion Project.
(e) Mrs Bell was hosting a meeting at the end of November 2022, with the support of the LGA, with adult social care colleagues from local authorities across the Southeast region. The meeting would discuss common issues and challenges and share best practice.
2. The Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, Mr Richard Smith, then gave a verbal update on the following:
(a) Mr Smith said a main focus recently was on the Council’s financial situation and the local and national pressures on adult social care.
(b) Mr Smith said the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee away day on 11 November was a positive and helpful day. Mr Smith provided a brief overview of the day which included stories from people with experience of adult social care services and the challenges they faced, an overview from the Monitoring Officer on the role of the Director of Adult Social Care and Health and the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee, and a high-level look at the budget for Adult Social Care.
(c) Mr Smith attended the National Children and Adult Services Conference 2022 and said themes included the enormous pressure on adult social care, the challenges in the marketplace and how providers were supported, integrated care boards, the impact of social care reform, Care Quality Commission (CQC) assurance, and co-production.
3. Mr Streatfeild said the Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee Away Day had been useful and productive, and the Chair thanked all those involved in facilitating and delivering the event.
4. Asked how the Council’s financial situation compared to other local authorities, Mr Smith said surveys were being carried out by the Association of Directors for Adult Social Services and the autumn survey showed the scale of the challenges that local authorities were facing, for example, assessment waiting times and time taken to put care packages in place.
RESOLVED that the verbal updates be noted.