Minutes:
a) Mrs Foster thanked Directorate staff for their support during her first seven weeks as Cabinet Member and paid tribute to her predecessor for her work. She also welcomed Helen Woodland as the new Corporate Director for Adult Social Care and Health.
b) Mrs Foster reported on visits undertaken to a number of Adult Social Care services, including Cliftonville Library, where refurbishment works had included a Changing Places facility to improve accessibility and inclusion for residents with disabilities.
c) Mrs Foster outlined a visit to Westview Integrated Care Centre in Tenterden, highlighting the rehabilitation, physiotherapy and reablement support provided to people following discharge from hospital. She praised the dedication and compassion of staff working within the service.
d) Mrs Foster also updated the Committee on a visit to Milton Haig day service in Gravesham, outlining the support available to approximately 50 people from Gravesham and Dartford and highlighting the organisation’s commitment to apprenticeship and staff development opportunities.
e) Mrs Foster drew attention to recent awareness campaigns including Carers Week, Learning Disability Week and Loneliness Awareness Week. She highlighted the valuable contribution of unpaid carers across Kent and reported on a carers’ coffee morning hosted at Sessions House to recognise and thank carers for their support.
f) Finally, Mrs Foster welcomed activity undertaken as part of Learning Disability Week, including the “Do You See Me” exhibition held at Sessions House, and the work of the Learning Disability Partnership Board in promoting inclusion and reducing barriers for people with learning disabilities.
a) Mr Henderson highlighted public health messaging relating to the period of extreme heat being experienced across Kent and encouraged residents to take appropriate precautions, remain hydrated, check on vulnerable neighbours and plan activities safely during hot weather.
b) Mr Henderson reported on visits undertaken with his Deputy Cabinet Member to local drug and alcohol recovery services, including Change, Grow, Live and the Forward Trust. He highlighted the positive impact of these services and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting their delivery, particularly in coastal communities where levels of need remained high.
c) Alcohol Awareness Week was highlighted, alongside activity promoting the “Know Your Score” campaign, encouraging residents to better understand alcohol consumption and access support where required.
d) Finally, Mr Henderson reported on a forthcoming meningitis B vaccination programme for eligible students preparing to attend college and university, stressing the importance of reducing the risk of infection and providing reassurance to young people and their families.
a) Dr Ghosh reinforced the public health advice relating to hot weather, emphasising that prolonged temperatures above 30 degrees presented health risks for all residents.
b) Dr Ghosh provided an update on the refresh of the Health and Wellbeing Board, including planned consideration of revised terms of reference, the Neighbourhood Health Plan and updates relating to the Marmot Coastal Region Programme.
c) Dr Ghosh informed Members that the Council was currently undergoing a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inspection and advised that activity had progressed positively, highlighting the collective efforts of officers across the authority.
d) Ashford, Faversham and Sevenoaks had been accepted into the UK Age Friendly Communities Network. Multi- agency work was ongoing to support people to age well and live a good later life.
e) Dr Ghosh advised that a new Postural Stability replacement service had been introduced. The service would be delivered through Forever Active Kent (Active Kent and Medway), with 20 providers commissioned to deliver three evidence-based 12-week programmes annually over a three-year period.
f) Updates were provided on the launch of the Parent and Infant Relationship Service (PEARS) and developments in emotional wellbeing and mental health services delivered in partnership with the Integrated Care Board (ICB).
g) On mental health, Dr Ghosh outlined that Kent was becoming a national leader in trauma-informed work, highlighting the launch of a new healing-centred systems leaders programme, stakeholder engagement events, and the development of an annual Public Health Report focused on mental health.
h) Dr Ghosh advised that a new Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Strategy 2026-2030 was progressing through final governance arrangements prior to publication and outlined local suicide prevention activity taking place in Thanet.
i) Finally, Dr Ghosh reported on developments within the One You Kent service, including the transition to a new provider in East Kent, as well as wider work on prevention, hospital discharge pathways, hypertension and health inequalities.
a) Ms Woodland reflected on her first days within the authority and thanked Members, officers and partners for the warm welcome she had received. She advised that significant progress had been made within Adult Social Care since the previous Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection and highlighted the dedication and commitment of the workforce.
b) Ms Woodland outlined ongoing work with health partners to improve hospital discharge pathways and strengthen integrated working across the system.
c) Ms Woodland reported on extensive commissioning and procurement activity across Adult Social Care, including efforts to improve quality, value for money and ensure services remained sustainable and fit for the future.
d) Finally, Ms Woodland highlighted increasing demand pressures within Adult Social Care, stating that these reflected national trends and reinforcing the importance of prevention and early intervention activity.