Dignity and Respect

in Health and Social Care Services for Older People Working Party

Minutes of the Meeting held on 11th June 2008

The Meeting commenced at 11.00am and concluded at 1.00pm

Present:

Councillor Mrs Lewis – Chairman (Bournemouth Borough Council)

Councillor Bulteel – Vice-Chairman (Borough of Poole)

Bournemouth Borough Council:

Cllr Mrs Rey

Borough of Poole

Councillors Mrs Lavender and Meachin

Bournemouth and Poole Teaching Primary Care Trust:

Angela Schofield

Older People’s Strategy Group Representatives:

Patricia Casserley (Bournemouth Older People’s Strategy Group) and Angie Warren (Poole Older People’s Strategy Group)

In attendance

Louise BateLINks, Support Officer, Health and Care

Barry BullDevelopment Officer, Health and Care

Neil Smurthwaite:Head of Community Care Services, Bournemouth Borough Council

Eileen Dunnachie:Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI)

Joy Reynolds:Strategic Director, Bournemouth and Poole PCT

Members of the public present:0

1.APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mrs Cooper (Bournemouth Borough Council), Ken Hockey and Heather Craven of the Bournemouth and Poole Teaching Primary Care Trust.

It was just explained that a number of officers supporting the Working Party were also unable to attend due to a Meeting at the Primary Care Trust which has been arranged and which clashed with this Meeting. These included Jan Thurgood, Strategic Director, Borough of Poole, John Dermody, Head of Adult Social Services (Commissioning), Borough of Poole, Mark Sharman, Health and Care, Sarah Peters, Heath and Care.

2.DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Councillor Bulteel declared a personal interest as an employee of Leonard Cheshire Homes.

3.MINUTES

In confirming the Minutes the Chairman and the Working Party concurred that an excellent job had been done by Liz Strothard in preparing a clear, concise Agenda and a set of Minutes which were a true reflection of the last Meeting.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the last Meeting having been previously circulated be taken and read, confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

4.THE QUALITY OF RESIDENTIAL, NURSING AND HOME CARE IN POOLE AND BOURNEMOUTH

The Chairman introduced Eileen Dunnachie, Business Relationship Manager of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and invited her to present her Report on the above.

Ms Dunnachie gave a detailed Powerpoint Presentation (slides appended to these Minutes) and drew out the following points:-

  • The key responsibilities of the Inspectorate and explained that its remit did not cover day centres.
  • The organisation aimed to make services better for the people who used them.
  • Inspection frequencies depended on risk ratings with “excellent” services inspected once every 3 years.
  • Lay people extremely valuable to the service.
  • Management of facilities extremely important, likewise training of staff.
  • No evidence that specialist homes for dementia performed better than non-specialist.

The Chairman thanked Ms Dunnachie for her presentation and invited questions.

Questions

It was queried whether any of the statistics collected by the Inspectorate gave the number of residents in a particular care setting? It was explained that this could be achieved by returning to each individual report and adding up the figures. Assistance to fund this information could be given from contractors monitoring undertaken by the officers of Bournemouth and Poole.

In response to a query regarding the training available to individual Managers together with the costs, this was to be provided to a future meeting as its importance was recognised.

Clarification of a number of issues raised could be found by reference to the powerpoint presentation (enclosed).

5.DRAFT WORK PROGRAMME

The Chairman introduced the draft Working Programme which the Working Party considered in detail and made the following amendments:-

  • The time frame was extended to November 2008
  • General Practitioners/Surgeries was added to the Health and Social Care at home item
  • Carers, it was agreed was an important topic which would require to be addressed separately
  • Training and education was an important issue which the Working Party needed to address

The Work Programme was amended and each session extended to a half day on dates and topics to be addressed as follows:-

10th July – Hospital settings 9.30a.m. to 2.00p.m. – Venue Bournemouth Borough Council Offices.

Of the six providers to be invited to give evidence:-

The Royal Bournemouth, Poole Hospital, Alderney, Wimborne Hospital, Kings Park and the Harbour Hospital; witnesses were to be asked how dignity and respect was being addressed within their services in the following areas from this Working Party’s Terms of Reference as follows together with the questions:-

  • Respect: (shown to you as a human being and as an individual, by others and demonstrated by courtesy, good communication and taking time);
  • Privacy: (in terms of personal space; modesty and privacy in personal care; and confidentiality of treatment and personal information);
  • Self-esteem, self-worth, identity and a sense of oneself: (promoted by all the elements of dignity, but also by ‘all the little things’ – a clean and respectable appearance, pleasant environments – and by choice and being listened to);
  • Autonomy: (including freedom to act and freedom to decide, based on opportunities to participate and clear comprehensive information);
  • Kindness and Understanding
  • How high was this on the Organisation’s agenda?
  • How were these issues addressed in the Trust and how was leadership demonstrated?
  • How was the impact and outcome measured?
  • How were equality and diversity and cultural diversity issues addressed through the Organisation in relation to the above for service users?

Joy Reynolds offered to advise the Clerk as to whom to contact at each hospital and was to provide a background report. A letter would be sent inviting the witnesses to attend the July session detailing issues the Working Party would be addressing.

Specific questions were to be asked of the providers to assist with scrutiny of the services as follows:-

“What do you understand by abuse of older people?

What and how important is privacy for older people?

How are staff supported to ensure this happens?

The Ambulance Service was to be invited to give written evidence.

The Working Party recognised that these were all key challenges and that service providers wanted to continually improve their services. The Working Party wanted the service providers to identify any major obstacles to service improvement, recognising funding was a major issue and was to query with the service providers how the Working Party could assist in removing any barriers to service improvement.

14th August – 9.30a.m. to 2.00p.m. – Venue Poole Borough Council – Residential and Nursing Home Care including ancillary care, District Nursing and Dementia Care for those who purchase their own Social Care and those who receive care services funded by Social Services including direct payments.

18th September – 9.30a.m. to 2.00p.m. – To be hosted by the Bournemouth and Poole Teaching Primary Care Trust in Poole – Venue to be advised – GP’s Health and Social Care at home.

9th October – 9.30a.m. to 2.30p.m. – Venue Bournemouth Borough Council – Carers training and education.

13th November – 9.30a.m. to 2.00p.m. – Poole Borough Council - Meeting to review and reflect on the issues addressed so far to arrange visits and look at best practice nationally and locally.

Following on from this a meeting to reflect and prepare a report for recommendations to the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committees of the Borough of Poole and Bournemouth Borough Council was required and would be arranged.

CHAIRMAN

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