Report of the Executive Director Adult Social Services

This report provides an overview of the Adult Social Care Improvement Programme, including progress to date and upcoming priorities.

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director Adult Social Services that provided an overview of the Adult Social Care Improvement Programme, including progress to date and upcoming priorities.

The Executive Director Adult Social Servicesreferred to the main points of the report which were: -

·                Providing a background and context for the design of the Adult Social Care Improvement Programme, noting that the plan set out the complex, ambitious set of reforms that were needed to integrate services for residents;

·                Detailed information on the various workstreams developed in response to the outcomes of diagnostic work;

·                Information on the Governance and monitoring arrangements;

·                Resourcing and budget arrangements; and

·                Progress to date and upcoming priorities.

A Member requested that the information that was provided to the Performance Board that was referred to within the report was also shared with the Health Scrutiny Committee, commenting that this would enable the Committee to adequately scrutinise improvements and performance.  The Executive Director Adult Social Services confirmed that this would be shared with the Committee and would include information on the agreed reporting metrics. The Executive Member for Adults, Health and Well Being commented that she would welcome the continued challenge from the Committee regarding this important area of work.

A Member commented that whilst she acknowledged the reported roll out of the LiquidLogic system to support the strengths based approach to citizen’s assessment and support planning, this should not replace face to face conversations, stating that these were very important. The Executive Director Adult Social Services acknowledged this comment and sated that examples of how this approach would be used would be provided to the Committee.

The Executive Director Adult Social Services further commented that the feedback from staff on the strengths based conversations / approach had been very positive and well received as a model, and work was currently underway to collate case studies and this would be shared with the Committee. She acknowledged that challenges had arisen around IT systems and data sharing, however this continued to be addressed.

The Executive Director Adult Social Services clarified that the recruitment of the 9 Social Worker Managers was in addition to the 3 that had already been appointed. In response to a Members’ comments regarding a specific incident relating to falls in the home she said she would discuss the specific case with the Member outside of the meeting, commenting that reflective learning was important.

In response to reservations expressed by a Member regarding the use of assistive technology, especially for older residents, the Executive Member for Adults, Health and Well Being provided examples of how this could be used to support individuals and assist health professionals manage health conditions and manage risk in a non-intrusive manner.  She stated that assistive technology was designed to assist health care and not replace health professionals. The Chair noted that a report on Assistive Technology and Adult Social Care was listed on the Committee’s Work Programme.

The Executive Member for Adults, Health and Well Being responded to a comment from a Member by committing to providing information on how this area of work contributed to the Manchester Strategy outcome of a ‘liveable and low carbon city’. She also informed the Committee that future funding arrangements for Adult Social Care would form part of the overall Council’s budget considerations and decisions, noting that publication of the Governments Social Care Green Paper had been delayed again with no indication as to when this would be released.    

A Member commented that she welcomed the upcoming priority listed for the development of more effective integrated hospital discharge services, noting that this was very important to assist people in their recovery and to help them maintain living in their own home. The Executive Director Adult Social Services acknowledged this comment stating that the Manchester Local Care Organisation would work in a multidisciplinary team model to prevent people from being admitted to hospital in the first instance by coordinating care and services in an effective manner.

Decision

To note the report.