Report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Services

Better Outcomes, Better Lives is the adult social care transformation programme. It is a long-term programme of practice-led change, which aims to enable the people of Manchester to achieve better outcomes with the result of less dependence on formal care.

The report provides an update on progress and the impact of the programme since June 2021, when the committee last had an update. 

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Services that provided an update on progress and the impact of the programme since June 2021, when the committee last had an update. 

Better Outcomes, Better Lives (BOBL) was the adult social care transformation programme. It was a long-term programme of practice-led change, which aimed to enable the people of Manchester to achieve better outcomes with the result of less dependence on formal care.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         An introduction and background, noting that the programme was key to delivering the savings set out in the 2021/2022 budget agreed by the Council in March 2021;

·         Describing the six key workstreams the programme was structured around;

·         Describing what would feel different for residents who received our adult social care services in the future;

·         Describing the aspirations for what social care would feel like after the Better Outcomes Better Lives programme was complete in 2024;

·         What would feel different for families and carers;

·         What would feel different for staff;

·         Information on Communities of Practice;

·         The approach to Strengths-based reviews that were designed to identify if a person's needs had changed and if the support being provided might need to be altered as a result;

·         Improving the short term offer;

·         Better use of Technology Enabled Care (TEC);

·         Improvements to reablement;

·         The eight priorities within the commissioning plan Commissioning Plan which set out how the approach to commissioning would support integration between health and social care services in the coming year;

·         Case studies; and

·         Next steps.

The Committee then heard from Elizabeth Garrett, Social Work Consultant; Dave Bradley, Health Development Co-ordinator and Winifred Laryea, Senior Social Worker who in turn spoke of their professional involvement and benefits realised from engaging in the Communities of Practice, described as weekly meetings, held in teams, which gave practitioners a space to learn, reflect, share experiences as well as enable peer support and challenge.

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

·         Supporting the Better Outcomes, Better Lives approach;

·         Welcoming the opportunity to hear from frontline workers and practitioners, noting that it gave Members an assurance that this approach was embedded across teams;

·         How was the impact and outcomes of the Better Outcomes, Better Lives approach to be assessed;

·         Clarification was sought as to the data sets presented within the report;

·         Were the outcomes for residents recorded and reported;

·         Could the Top Level Report that was referred to that was designed to give an overarching view of performance across the directorate be shared with the Committee;

·         The importance of encouraging people to access help and support and not to be put off from doing so, with reference to people delaying accessing primary care during the pandemic or only being able to access services online; and

·         Welcoming the frank and honest testimonies of staff and encouraging report authors and guests to describe scenarios when mistakes had been made and the lessons learnt.

In response to the comments and questions asked, the Deputy Director of Adult Social Services stated that the outcomes of BOBL would be assessed and reported using a variety of indicators, including the outcomes of the Communities of Practice, Learning Logs and budgets. She further advised that work was ongoing to refine the Liquid Logic system to capture and record resident outcomes. She further provided clarification as to the data sets and years used to explain the difference in the figures provided within the report, adding that the BOBL was the best approach to deliver Adult Social Care both in the short and long term.

The Deputy Director of Adult Social Services reassured the Members that the improved online presence, so that people were empowered to help themselves, when appropriate, would not replace the frontline contact, but rather be an addition. She further added that the improved online offer would also be an additional resource for staff and help support staff access appropriate advice and information.

The Deputy Director of Adult Social Services stated that consideration would be given as to how the information within the Top Level Report could be meaningfully circulated to Members.

The Executive Member for Health and Care stated that she had had the opportunity to visit a range of teams and meet with staff and witness their work. She described that she was assured that this approach was embedded across the teams and was beneficial to both staff and residents in receipt of the services.

Decision

The Committee recommend that an update report be considered at an appropriate time that included and the voice of the practitioner and service users.