Agenda item

Report from the Director of Adult Social Services and Community Commissioning is attached.

Adrian Crook, Director of Community Commissioning reported on the Adult Social Care Department Quarter 1 and 2 Report for 2023-24.  The report outlined delivery of the Adult Social Care Strategic Plan, preparation for the new CQC Assessment regime for local authorities and provides an illustration and report on the department's performance framework.

Councillor Borada added the report illustrates the high demand on Adult Social Care being felt here in Bury but also across the whole of England, compounded by multiple years where additional funding has not kept pace with demand.

It showed that this demand is causing some pressure with keeping pace with people waiting to see a social worker and those in need of an annual review. Where this is the case it can be seen that Bury is performing on average when compared to Greater Manchester and the North West meaning this effect is being felt widely across our region, not just here in Bury.

Despite this pressure the department is delivering on its improvement plan by not only preparing for forthcoming CQC inspection but also in its priorities to improve services.

Where pressure is seen the department is utilising recent government funding to address these issues, these include reducing waiting lists and a forthcoming plan to reduce the number of overdue reviews. Progress is already being seen in the numbers waiting to see a social worker where overall numbers waiting have dropped to 171 which must be seen the context of 9200 people per year requesting our support compared to 6500 before the pandemic.

Adrian Crook clarified the primary means of public contact to request support, information and advice is through our care, connect and direct office (CAD). A higher proportion of contacts resolved by CAD means that people’s enquiries are being dealt with straightaway and not passed on to other teams.

Local Authorities have a duty to carry out an assessment of anyone who appears to have needs for care and support, regardless of whether those needs are likely to be eligible. The focus of the assessment is on the person’s needs, how they impact on their wellbeing, and the outcomes they want to achieve. Assessments where there was no further action are where there were no eligible needs identified or a person with eligible needs declined services. A lower number means that operation teams are able to focus their time on those people with identified needs.

Adult Social Care services may be short-term or long-term. Short-term care refers to support that is time-limited with the intention of regaining or maximising the independence of the individual so there is no need for ongoing support. Long-term care is provided for people with complex and ongoing needs either in the community or accommodation such as a nursing home. It is preferable to support people in their own homes for as long as it is safe to do so.

Adult Social Care reviews are a re-assessment of a person’s support needs to make sure that they are getting the right support to meet their needs.  Needs may change and new services and technology may give someone more independence and improve their wellbeing. A lower proportion of unplanned reviews means that people are support through scheduled reviews of their support needs rather than when a significant event has occurred requiring a change in support. Support packages should be reviewed every 12 months.

A chart included in the report showed the quality ratings of care homes in Bury compared to the rest of Greater Manchester showing the % of beds rated good or outstanding.  The second chart showed Greater Manchester compared to the other regions in England and the Northwest.  The final chart shows the rating of home care agencies operating in Bury.

The proportion of services users in Bury that are extremely or very satisfied with the care and support they receive, 63.2%, is comparable to the England average and has stayed the same since the previous survey in 21/22. 39.7% of service users have as much social contact as they would like, which is below the England average of 44.4% and has dropped 5 percentage points from last year. This placed Bury 5^th  out of 10 in Greater Manchester.

A Member asked about the inclusion of resident adults living with learning disabilities and it was reported that additional staff have now been recruited  to work on policy and processed involved.

A Member queried why Radcliffe was linked into data figures for Bury West and a discussion also took place on reducing the number of people living in permanent residential care and increasing the number living well at home.

It was agreed:

Members noted the content of the report.