Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

An Apology for absence had been received from Councillor Hughes.

Councillor Clarke had attended as substitute.

To receive details of any changes in membership.

There were no changes in membership.

To receive declarations of interest by members of any interests on respect of items on this agenda, and to consider any dispensations.

Members may however, also decide, in the interests of clarity and transparency, to declare at this point in the meeting, any such disclosable pecuniary interests which they have already declared in the Register, as well as any other registerable or other interests.  

Councillor Clark declared an interest in relation to agenda item number 7 as he received a support package from the ICB.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

RESOLVED: - That the press and public not be excluded during the consideration of any items on the agenda.

To note the Health and Adults Scrutiny Committee Terms of Reference as set out in the Westmorland and Furness Council Constitution.

RESOLVED:- To Note the Terms of Reference for the Health and Adults Scrutiny Committee.

To consider a report from the Director of Adult Social Care on the current Adult Social Care Position.

The Director of Adult Social Care, Cathy Whalley provided a presentation on the Adult Social Care Position.

The presentation detailed a national horizon scan of upcoming issues and

changes, and focussed particularly on the forthcoming start of the Care

Quality Commission’s Assurance Framework. There were some updates on the Commissioning and Procurement services that supported Adult Social Care.

The committee enquired into the amount of Social worker vacancies.

Cath informed the committee that 10% of Social Worker jobs were vacant at that time and they had been hiring agency workers to stand in.

The committee also discussed mental health services and potentially bringing a report to a future meeting regarding this.

Amanda McGlennen presented the assurance framework to the Committee, The Framework was evidence based and would look at national and local performance data, outcomes achieved for people and face to face interviews. It would look at the organisation as a whole not just ASC and how it supported people in Westmorland and Furness and as such would need support across the Council and with their partners and stakeholders.

Sharon Simmons presented the Committee with a commissioning and procurement update. She reported that a number of key contracts and services needed to be reviewed, redesigned and recommissioned – focusing on developing the market and ensuring sustainability.

The committee were also informed of the homecare AQP framework, The current Cumbria wide framework was in place until March 2023 with Cumberland as the Host and Initial work to have a new Westmorland and Furness framework in place for April 2024 had started.

RESOLVED: - To Note the Adult Social Care Position report

To consider a report from Dr David Levy outlining the background and future priorities for the Lancashire & South Cumbria Integrated Care System.

Dr David Levy presented a report outlining the background and future priorities for the Lancashire & South Cumbria Integrated Care System.

The ICB was established on 1 July 2022 as a result of the Health and Care Act 2022 and it took on the NHS commissioning functions as well as some from NHS England, The ICB was accountable for NHS spending and performance within Lancashire and South Cumbria.

The ICB had four key aims:

• improving outcomes in population health and health care

• tackling inequalities in outcomes, experience and access

• enhancing productivity and value for money

• helping the NHS to support broader social and economic development.

The Integrated Care Partnership was also established as a statutory committee. The partnership saw health and care partners work together by agreeing joint priorities and a joint health and care strategy. Westmorland and Furness Council was a statutory member of this partnership as are a range of health,local government, the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector, education organisations, local businesses and Healthwatch.

The committee were informed of the integrated care partnership priorities as well as being presented with the NHS join forward plan.

Jane Scattergood updated the committee on the South Cumbria Place-based

partnership development and presented the draft interim governance structure for 2023/24.

RESOLVED: - To note the Lancashire & South Cumbria Integrated Care System –

Scene Setting report.

To consider a report from the Strategic and Scrutiny Advisor on the Forward Plan of Key Decisions, the draft work programme for consideration and the draft Scrutiny Toolkit for consideration and feedback.

David Stephens presented the forward plan and work programme.

He reported that the relevant items from the current Forward Plan of Key Decisions, 1 June 2023 – 30 September 2023 had been attached as an appendix to the report.

Members had been asked to consider the excerpts from the Forward Plan identified as relevant for the Health & Adults Overview and Scrutiny Committee and decide whether they should be reflected in the Committee’s work programme.

Future iterations of the Forward Plan could be used to identify potential areas

for scrutiny activity or where further information sharing was required.

The committee discussed the Forward Plan.

The draft Work Programme had been attached as an appendix to the report. This was an initial draft for consideration based on the recommended topics for consideration proposed by the previous Cumbria Health Scrutiny Committee and CCC Adults Scrutiny Board, it was for the Committee to discuss and further develop.

The committee discussed the draft work programme and it was agreed that the follow issues be discussed at the next committee meeting in September:-

-       Public Health - To provide Scrutiny of the alignment of policies and procedures to streamline and improve provision throughout the area of public health and protection

-       Safeguarding Adults at risk from abuse and neglect – It was agreed that Safeguarding would be a standing item on the agenda.

-       Winter Pressures – Incorporating the UHMBT Clinical Strategy it was agreed that a report would be provided outlining the current priorities and pressures within the Adult Social Care service in the authority area.

Cath Whalley advised she would present an update on winter awareness at the committee meeting in September.

The committee also agreed they needed to prioritise other issues such as Mental Health Services and NHS Dentistry Provision.

It was questioned why there had not be any representation from North Cumbria, which included Eden.

David Stephens advised that there would be an update on the North Cumbria ICS at the next meeting and potential joint health scrutiny arrangements with Cumberland were being explored.

The draft Scrutiny Toolkit had been developed to enable and support effective scrutiny for Westmorland and Furness Council. It would be discussed and presented to the Corporate and Overview and Scrutiny Committee at their meeting in June.

The draft had been attached as an appendix to the report, feedback collected from the Committee would be included in the paper for Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED: -

1.         To Note the Cabinet Forward Plan.

2.         To Note the work programme and agree that reports on Public Health,

Safeguarding Adults and the Adult Social care position be reported at the next

Committee meeting.

3.         To Note the draft scrutiny toolkit

To Consider any urgent items of business

Councillor Bell requested that deep dives be set up for certain topics, including direct payments and assistance technology.

The committee agreed they would look into this.

RESOLVED: - To note the request.