Minutes ADASS OP Network 06/06/08
Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
Minutes of the Meeting of the Older People Policy Network
Held on
Friday 7th March 2008 - 10am – 1pm
at
Room B1 Age Concern, Walkden House, 10 Melton Street, London, NW1
1.0 Apologies:Jenny Owen
Mira Haynes /
Action By
2.0 Attendance:Dwayne Johnson – Joint Chair [DJ]
Dawn Warwick – Joint Chair [DW]
Kim Maslyn – Secretary
Christabel Shawcross [CS]
David Roberts [DR]
Derek Law [DL]
Elaine Yardley [EY]
Ged Taylor [GT]
Helen Sumner [HS]
Ian Anderson [IA]
John Weeks [JW]
Margaret Sheather [MS]
Olive Carroll [OC]
Penny Furness-Smith [PFS]
Rita Lally [RL]
Simon Williams [SW]
3.0 Guests in Attendance
Graham Barker – Stroke Association
Joe Korner – Stroke Association
Welcome and Introductions
Dawn welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made.
Dawn confirmed that Ged was the Network’s new rep for BGOP.
Dignity In Care – Warrington’s Beacon Status - Helen Sumner
Helen circulated briefing papers on the process used in Warrington when making their application for Beacon Status. When they read the papers that needed to be completed for the application Warrington believed they could make a good application as they would be building on current practice and would be able to explore the links between dignity and the Personalisation agenda. This was very different from the inspection process, at the end people really appreciated the opportunity of identifying what was going on in the Authority.
The process included visits from the assessors and multiple visits were avoided by holding a provider event providing an opportunity for the assessors to ask questions of the whole market. 5 people from Warrington were then invited to discuss the application in London. Warrington have produced a DVD exploring dignity as a journey, a journey Warrington is still on.
D – Developing Capacity, ensuring that best use is made of all the information available to the Authority. Making sure complaints and other feedback is fully tied in. It is important to hold providers to account, working with CSCI, focusing on outcomes for service users. Enhanced rates would only be payable to providers who met all 38 of the minimum standards.
I – Involvement. Involving service users in planning.
G – Giving a lead. Being more open about expectations and the need to raise standards. Opening up induction programmes and training to all providers.
N – Noting detail. Never ignore poor practice; Warrington introduced dignity audits in their own homes before it was usual practice.
I – Individualisation
T – Training with providers.
Y – “Your Story” – taking the time to listen, talking with people to find out what makes them tick.
S – Service User involvement at all levels in the commissioning process.
H - ??? activity and participation for older people, especially in the arts. Imaginative schemes have been developed which have a progressive universalism which improves quality of life and has IT programmes that promote exercise.
A – Acting on intelligence
R – Raising Awareness at all levels – members are the corporate carers.
I – Improving on poor practice – an on going activity.
N – New approaches and new partners, promoting new ideas that give dignity a platform that runs with Ivan Lewis’ campaign.
G - ??
Dawn thanked Helen for sharing her experience and congratulated Warrington on the excellent work they had done.
RL – Asked if self funders were able to be involved in the programme? Warrington are looking at getting information out to everyone so they will have a choice.
CS Asked about the gap between strategy and practice – trying to get the information out to front line workers so they contact users and see how helpful this has been in promoting dignity, working across the whole council.
SW a recent inspection had raised issues around front line staff and they were addressing this through additional training.
DL – Funds an independent group for providers as the basis of providing training.
4.0 Stroke Strategy – Graham Barker and Joe Korner
DW welcomed Graham and Joe to the meeting.
Graham and Joe said that the Stroke Strategy published last year looked at the funding of stroke services in the community and the long term support of those who had experienced a stroke.
75% of those who have had a stroke are older many younger adults who experience a stroke find that the available services are not aimed at their age group.
The transition between the hospital and the community can be traumatic for the individual. There are few advocates to support someone in navigating through the maze of services. Having raised the profile of stroke services the DoH would like to be seen as an exemplar. Attempts to bridge the gaps in services have not always been successful, the expectation that health will reach out into the community should be seen as a positive step. The cash is being ring fenced for additional services.
The Stroke Association wants to explore how the cash should be spent it needs to be used to as the basis for services that will continue beyond the initial 3 year funding. They are interested in how they can work together with others to build the future – what approach would be the most beneficial to develop services?
EY At the National Steering Group the issues of funding was discussed and it was clear that there was some resistance to the idea that the cash should be passed to local authorities. How do we influence the NHS on inreach services from their Provider Arm – there was a real danger of PCTs being led by the acute trusts – advice on how to channel the monies would be helpful.
The Stroke Association believes that the cash is safe as it is ring fenced for 3 years.
If we do not work with PCT providers we will miss an opportunity to make positive use of the resources that have been made available.
MS In Gloucestershire the SHA is using a sub regional network. It is clear from their work that there is an understanding that the investment of millions in clinical treatment is not going to be helpful.
30 stroke networks are being set up by the DoH – social care needs to be at the heart of these, the role of the SHA will be crucial. It was felt that there is a real danger of too many meetings and not enough progress – we know we need rehabilitative services and must draw together a good evidence base.
Planned reviews were discussed at 3 and 6 months. Discharge is sometimes delayed because of the unavailability of services in the community. When planning services housing and transport need to be considered. Small services are vital to the prevention agenda as is psychological support.
Communication is important and it was agreed that a note should go out in the ADASS Bulletin. It was felt that the membership of the stroke network groups needs to be broadened.
DW Thanked Joe and Graham for their contribution.
5.0 OP Netwrok Funding – Letter from Peter Hay
PFS is working on a safeguarding project that will need funding of £12.5K through the Regional Leads.
6.0 Updates / Information Sharing
CSCI OP Service Improvement Board
Last meeting was on 4th April 2008 and it discussed:
· FACTS Review
· Long Term Funding
· Consultation on CQC
Full details were sent out with the minutes. The position on whether or not to regulate Day Care needs to be followed up. Dwanye to follow up on this.
Please Note: Dwayne has investigated the issues surrounding day care regulation and within the consultation the DH are proposing NOT to regulate day care services. In their consultation response ADASS have raised their concerns about not including these services in future regulation activity.
ADASS Older People’s Work / Business Plan – All
The leads for the different work streams were confirmed as follows:
System redesign Margaret Sheather
And Improved social care
And well-being – CSED and the
Future of Community Equipment
And assistive technology
Audit Commission and
OP Issues Rita Lally
Direct Payments choice and
Control, Personalisation for OP Ged Taylor
Urgent Care Simon Williams
Dementia Care Jenny Owen /
Christabel Shawcross
Stroke Elaine Yardley
Care Closer to Home CSIP James Reilly
Working with DWP on policy
Development Lorna Payne
Link Age Plus Olive Carroll
Opportunity
Age Steering Group Dwayne Johnson
Quality of Provider Services Ian Anderson
For Older People Ged Taylor Jan Douglas
Lorna Payne and Olive
Carroll
Dignity in Care Steering
Group (Help the Aged) Kim Maslyn
Review of No “Secrets” Dwayne Johnson
Safeguarding Lead Penny Furness-Smith and
Teresa Bell
Research Lead Teresa Bell
Inter Agency Groups Dawn Warwick
Older People Service
Improvement Boards Kim Maslyn
PFS suggested that we might revisit the list and present the programme to reflect the national agenda, including the DAZI review and the transformational agenda. The issues around social care in the DARZI review are:
· Prevention
· Transformation
· Dementia
· Regulation
RL is happy to be involved in the work on continuing care.
/ DJ
7.0 National Dementia Strategy
The strategy is due to be published for consultation on 19th June 2008.
Changes have been proposed to give greater local flexibility, however there is pool of opinion that believes there needs to be stronger prescription of services based on examples of good practice and provided with adequate funding.
8.0 All Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Services for Older People – Dwayne Johnson and Dawn Warwick
A copy of the evidence given by ADASS to the Committee was sent out with the papers. In brief, the Committee is looking at the following:
· Intergenerational Agenda
· Connectivity with the Business
· Cost – Who Pays
· Market segmentation
The report will influence the Green Papers on the future of Social Care.
9.0 Safeguarding – Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne has circulated a briefing note with the papers for this meeting.
Dwayne thanked Penny and Teresa for taking on the lead on this work. Dwayne will continue to lead on the consultation on the review of “No Secrets”. CSCI are reviewing the approach and methodology in Independence, well being and choice.
Safeguarding is a major theme of the ADASS conference in September.
The Network placed on record their thanks to Dwayne for a job well done.
10.0 Prevention Pack for Older People
This has been written by Alan Johnson and was launched at a conference recently. To be on the agenda for the next meeting. / KM
11.0 Any Other Business
None / DJ
12.0 Date of the Next Meeting
Friday 5th September 2008 – 10am to 1pm
at
Room B1 Age Concern, Walkden House,
10 Melton Street, London, NW1
Last Meeting for 2008 Confirmed as:
5th December 2008
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Minutes ADASS OP Network 06/06/08
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