Report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Services

This report provides an update on the key developments across Health and Social Care in Manchester relating to Adult Learning Disability services.

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Services that described the key developments across Health and Social Care in Manchester relating to Adult Learning Disability services.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·      Policy and Strategy, namely developments surrounding the recently approved Manchester Local Care Organisation (MLCO) Commissioning Strategy for Adult’s with a Learning Disability (2023 – 2028), and Housing Needs Analysis for Adults with a Learning Disability and Autism (2023 – 2033);

·      Recommissioning and Transformational activity including the developments surrounding the ‘My Way, My Life’ programme;

·      Health Care, including local developments surrounding the NHS Greater Manchester and Manchester University Hospitals Foundation Trust Transforming Care agenda and NHS Learning Disabilities oversight group; and

·      Preparation for Adulthood, also known as Transition.

The report was accompanied by a video presentation that highlighted key developments over the last 12-18 months across a range of areas including housing, social care, and health. This video was recently presented at the recent Greater Manchester Learning Disability conference and captured a range of views from citizens with lived experience.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

·      Recognising and welcoming the work undertaken by Manchester People First;

·      Noting the theme of the importance of staff being caring and kind had been identified during engagement events with Learning Disabled citizens as part of the process of drawing up a new Learning Disability strategy; and

·      What was being done to ensure that vulnerable citizens with a learning disability and/or autism did not remain in hospital under the care of the Mental Health Act for any longer than they need to be.

The Head of Strategic Commissioning (Adult Learning Disability & Autism) stated that the Housing Needs Assessment had been used to plan for future Learning Disability housing need. He advised that findings of this Assessment were described at section 3.2.5 of the report. In summary, approximately 430 additional places of supported accommodation, general needs accommodation and shared lives services would be needed in the city over the next 10 years. There would need to be a structured programme of work to deliver the housing requirements of adults with a Learning Disability, working with strategic partners including Strategic Housing, Registered Landlords and the Adult Social Care Market Providers.

The Head of Strategic Commissioning (Learning Disability and Autism) advised 90 of those places would be needed to provide new accommodation for citizens within the current Manchester City Council in-house provision, to ensure existing citizens had access to better quality and efficient accommodation types. He also advised there was a significant programme of work underway over the next 3 years or so to review the range of in-house services, and to ensure that the in-house service accommodated citizens with more complex needs, which may mean that some citizens with lower level needs may need a more independent offer.

The Head of Strategic Commissioning (Adult Learning Disability and Autism) also commented that he was proud to inform the committee of the launch of the new Manchester Local Care Organisation Adult Learning Disability and Autism Commissioning Strategy (Plan), which had been produced with people who had lived experience. This set out the Council’s commissioning strategy (plan) for Adults with a Learning Disability over the next five years.

The Adult Social Care Assistant Director, Complex Needs informed the Committee that an oversight group had been established to regularly review citizens with a learning disability who were admitted to hospital to ensure they were in the correct care setting and to plan for their appropriate transfer of care. She stated that the integration of Health and Social Care supported this partnership approach to ensure the best outcomes for the citizen. She stated that the individual would be supported once discharged from a hospital setting to prevent them from being readmitted. 

The Adult Social Care Assistant Director, Complex Needs described that a value-based approach to staff recruitment had been developed, adding that this involved asking questions that explored the values of candidates and explored their lived experiences. She stated that people with lived experience contributed to interview panels, and this had been a very positive development.

The Committee heard from Andy Needle and Richard Hughes from Manchester People First, a self-advocacy group for adults with a learning disability. Mr Needle commented that the inclusion of people with lived experience being involved with the recruitment of staff to ensure the correct values were demonstrated was a very important and welcome development. He further acknowledged the importance of the publication of the easy read version of the Action Plan.

The Executive Member for Healthy Manchester and Adult Social Care paid tribute to all the staff working within the Learning Disability Team.

The Committee expressed their gratitude to all guests for attending the meeting and contributing to the meeting.

Decision

To note the report.