Agenda item

To receive a verbal update from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing and the Director of Public Health.

Adult Social Care

1.            Mr G K Gibbens gave a verbal update on the following adult social care issues:

Local Government Association Children and Adults Annual Conference in Manchester – this had included some good sessions and was an opportunity for the Ministers, Edward Timpson and Justine Greening, to hear at first-hand about the challenges of children’s and adults’ social care work.  He had also attended a useful session on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS).

Social Worker of the Year Awards 2016 – Yasmin Ishaq won the Creative and Innovative Social Work Practice Award for her development of a peer-supported mental health treatment model.

Occupational Therapy Show Awards 2016 – Jane Miller won the Outstanding Senior Occupational Therapist award.

Mr Gibbens requested that Mr Ireland write to Yasmin and Jane on behalf of the committee to congratulate them on their successes.

In response to a question about the lack of clarity in the autumn statement about the expected 2% social care precept, Mr Gibbens advised that the Community Wellbeing Board of the Local Government Association, of which he was a member, was in ongoing discussions with the Treasury about the need to fund adult social care adequately.

2.            Mr A Ireland then gave a verbal update on the following issues:

Social Worker of the Year Awards 2016 - Yasmin Ishaq had undertaken an outstanding piece of work and the award had been a great achievement for her and for Kent.

A view was expressed that the County Council should do more to celebrate staff achievements.

Sustainability Transformation Plan (STP) – this was moving on quickly, and officers and members were both well engaged with it.  The County Council was working with Medway Council in taking this forward. 

Feedback from Association of Directors of Social Services (ADASS) South East Branch meeting - this had been a good meeting, involving a discussion of emergency care. Once national data on this subject had been ratified, it could be shared with the committee.

Adult Public Health

3.            Mr G K Gibbens gave a verbal update on the following adult social care issues:

Smoke-free school gates – this campaign had been very well received publicly and had had much good feedback.  He suggested that Members could support local campaigns in their area by using their Member grants.

Community Pharmacies –funding for these had been reduced on 1 December 2016, but approximately 50 pharmacies in Kent, particularly those in rural and edge-of-town areas, would be eligible to receive a pharmacy access payment, to help them to stay open. He would continue to address the issue with MPs and Ministers.

Kent’s ‘Release the Pressure’ suicide prevention and awareness campaign had won a silver award in the ‘Best Public Sector Campaign’ category in the South East England Chartered Institute of Public Relations Awards. The number of men calling the campaign helpline had increased by 56% and an average of 500 men were now making contact each month. More activity was planned in the new year and the campaign had the support of the Samaritans.

4.            Mr A Scott-Clark then gave a verbal update on the following issues:

Association of Directors of Public Health Conference

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – people at very high risk of contracting HIV could take medicines daily to lower their chance of infection. This could be effective when used as prescribed, and funding to roll it out would be made available. A recent challenge in court, about the responsibility of the NHS to provide PrEP, had resolved that NHS England did indeed hold this responsibility.

NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plan – Kent had worked with consultants on the case for change, especially in the field of employers taking responsibility for encouraging their workforce to adopt healthy lifestyles.

‘Change for Life’ Campaign – he had taken part in media coverage of this campaign.

5.                  RESOLVED that the verbal updates be noted, with thanks.