Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Health and Public Service Reform is attached.

The Committee considered the Adult Social Care Performance Report. Members were reminded that the report had been circulated in advance and were expected to have reviewed its contents before the meeting.

Councillor Tariq, Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Health and Public Service Reform, introduced the report. Adrian Crook was invited to provide any additional comments and highlighted that Quarter Four had been a particularly positive period and represented the next cycle of the Council's Business Plan. It was noted that assessment completion rates had reduced and that further improvement was required, although performance remained at 96%.

Members also noted the outstanding CQC judgements relating to Killalea and the integration of Adult Social Care and NHS services.

Councillor Martin referred to the performance information on page 83 relating to occupational therapy assessments. Whilst the report indicated that assessments were generally being completed within six months, one case highlighted a waiting time of over 500 days. Councillor Martin sought assurance regarding the action being taken to address such delays.

In response, Adrian Crook advised that the target was to reduce waiting times to below 50 days. He explained that Occupational Therapy Disability Services were working to a specific action plan to address the issue. It was noted that all referrals were currently treated as being of the same level of complexity, and it was hoped that the actions being implemented would significantly reduce the median waiting time.

Councillor Zaman queried whether the data reflected unmet need or whether the service was successfully managing demand.

Adrian Crook responded that there was no evidence to suggest significant unmet need. He noted that the number of people progressing through the service remained high and that Bury was ranked as the 34th most effective authority in the country. Furthermore, issues relating to unmet need were not being identified through casework activity.

Members discussed the impact of extended waits for occupational therapy assessments and suggested that further information be included in future reports outlining what support was available to people facing longer waits, including practical adaptations such as additional bathroom facilities where appropriate.

Councillor Simpson raised concerns regarding social worker caseloads and asked how manageable workloads were across the workforce. Adrian Crook advised that caseloads were monitored closely, alongside staff wellbeing, recruitment and retention. He explained that it was important that staff felt workloads were fair and manageable and that one-to-one meetings and supervision arrangements were in place to identify and resolve workload issues. Workforce wellbeing and capacity remained a key area of focus.

Members requested that workforce issues and social worker caseloads continue to be considered through the Committee's work programme.

The Committee also received an update regarding engagement work undertaken with older residents. It was noted that discussions had taken place with the Bury Older People's Network and that progress was being made through a dedicated project examining issues affecting older people, including challenges facing those at risk of homelessness. Members heard that there remained a wide range of issues and challenges relating to social  ...  view the full minutes text for item 140

Report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Health and Public Service Reform is attached.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Health and Public Service Reform presented a report regarding the Quarter 4 reporting for Adult Social Care, including delivery of the Adult Social Care Strategic Plan, preparation for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Assessment, and the department's performance framework. Thanks were extended to staff in Killelea House, which had achieved an Outstanding rating in the recent CQC inspection.

In response to Members’ questions, it was noted that the Care Act assessment waiting list had been reduced from 83 to 68; and work was in place to reduce this further. Waiting lists were reviewed regularly and governed by the Waiting Well protocol, with individual care needs triaged at each stage of the journey. With regards to complaints, these were varied in subject and significance, but still represented a low number compared to number of residents served.

Decision:

Cabinet noted the report.

Reasons for the decision:

N/A

Alternative options considered and rejected:

N/A