Welcome, Introductions and Apologies
Date: / September 20, 2016
Time: / 10.00 – 12.30
Location: / Trelawney Room, County Hall, Truro
Chaired by: / Serena Collins, Commissioning Officer, Education Health & Social Care
PRESENT
Henry Barnes (HB) / National Autistic Society
Alex Bond (AB) / Redruth ALD
Rachel Brown (RB) / Spectrum
Serena Collins (SC) / EH&SC Cornwall Council
Emma Corlett (EC) / NHS Children’s Services
Heather Davison (HD) / Parent Carer Council
Caroline Finlayson (CF) / Cornwall Foundation Trust
Steve Ford (SF) / Volunteer Cornwall
Colin Gameson (CG) / Devon & Cornwall Police
Richard Gittings / Champs Health Promotion
Andrew Gray (AG) / Cornwall People First Trustee
Beryl Hawker (BH) / GP
Dave Hocking (DH) / Cornwall Rural Community Council
Lerryn Hogg / RCHT
Suzanne Leggett (SL) / Cornwall People First (CPF)
Rebecca Jelbert / Outlook SW
Susan Kimber (SK) / National Autistic Society (NAS)
Shelagh Mitchell SM) / Champs Health Promotion
Celia Newcombe (CN) / Note taker, Healthwatch Cornwall
Paul Owen
Henry Scrase (HS) / Cornwall People First
Katie Wheeler (KW) / Champs Health Promotion
Fiona Whitehead (FW) / Parent
Jody Wilson (JW) / Healthwatch Cornwall
Georgia Wright (GW) / Learning Disability Team, Cornwall Council
APOLOGIES
Nicky Abrahams / Cornwall Advocacy
Suzanne Lee / Cornwall People First
Debbie Lewis / RCHT
Nory Menneer / Clinical Lead & Programme Manager, Learning Disabilities, NHS Kernow
Karen Riley / CPFT
Barry Whitehead / Parent
Terry Stanton / Volunteer Cornwall
Rose Taylor / Volunteer Cornwall
- Welcome, Introductions and apologies
- Reports re action list CAP meeting June 28, 2016
Children’s Health Commissioner – Emma Corlett is invited to attend this and future meetings
Isles of Scilly - still keen to join CAP
Lauren Reid –Link sent out dates relating to day services.
Engagement dates relating to day services - There are no future dates for engagement of Day services as 1000 people have been consulted however when SC knows of any working groups or planned activity for this piece of work SC will inform the CAP.
Mandy Owen – has sent draft Children’s strategy
Rachel Brown –has sent out information about the TED talks at Café Chaos and is working with Volunteer Cornwall. She invites contributions for these talks and dates will be sent to the CAP membership.
Rose Taylor – unavailable to update meeting but Steven Ford was able to report that the photographic equipment is available and safely stored should it be required for projects.
Nory – will update the next meeting re updates regarding meetings between Derriford and RCHT to discuss the Autism Hospital Pathway. / ACTIONAll re contributions
RB re notification of dates
ACTION NM
- Working Group issue number 1 – Autism training
The Autism awareness training for people (including assessors) in Cornwall has been running for four years. Now the overallAdult Learning and Development provision to the health and social care sector is only 7% of the previous budget.
The current National Autistic Society contract to give training to people about Autism will terminate on September 30, 2016 following an extension in September 2015 and cannot be further extended. No decision has been made about what Autism training will look like in future.
This training was unique in Cornwall because of the amount of local co-facilitators input. Natalie wished to extend her thanks to all the co-facilitators that had assisted with this training over the last few years.
The Autism Act states that it is necessary to provide awareness of Autism training. This is covered in Cornwall by free e-learning packages and free level 2 certificate in Autism via Cornwall College.
SL requested that a copy of the Learning Needs Analysis conducted by the Adults Learning and Development team is requested. Also, what is the timescale for any decisions about any new training? DH said that CAP needs to check how the survey was conducted – was it simply a ‘survey monkey’?
RB wanted reassurance that the training that is available is sufficient to ensure competencyof assessors – the Care Act and Autism Act states assessors should have a certain level of training. She had concerns that GPs, hospitals etc. would be insufficiently ‘skilled up’ to work effectively.
SC felt that the benefit of the previous training was the ‘broad understanding’ that it gave with the co-facilitators being involved to bring it to real life.
SC would like to further investigate the actual training by and the availability of budgets of statutory organisations with regard to Autism awareness with a view to combining these.
DH commented that traditional trusts could deflect requests for funds for training because it was the statutory duty of the council to provide the training. A ‘slim’ option would be for a separate body to be formed to request the money. He mentioned that some time ago CAP did have discussions re the formation of a separate body to look at funding for activities such as training.
DH agreed to prepare a presentation that simplified various legal structures necessary with regard to combining the funds of separate bodies to create joint funding. CAP is not currently a constituted body – there could be no guarantees that this would work but a ‘body’ would be able to create a case and demonstrate the need to put in place an 18-24 month plan. SC requested that DH prepare some notes to be distributed with the minutes of the meeting.
CF commented that the important factor in assessor training was effective interaction – online training excluded this completely. She asked if National Autistic Society (NAS) could fund services. HB said that they already are a provider of training services but could not provide this free of charge where there is a statutory duty. SK confirmed that a number of authorities buy in to this training. The NAS aim is to have the majority of training they do being ‘co-facilitated’ but they largely failed to have this apart from in Cornwall.
RBstated that she is concerned that in Cornwall, the 24Co-facilitators living with autism will now lose social networking, their sense of purpose and in some cases a salary. HD expressed the importance of feeling valued in society and the fact that most of those 24 are volunteers. SC felt it would be necessary to follow up regarding these people to see how they are after September 30. RB requested DH could have a meeting with Cornwall People First and CHAMPS to see how these co-facilitators could be supported.
SC will follow up with Adults Learning and Development department with regard to asking the Co-facilitatorswhether they would appreciate a review and whether theywould assist in the development of the Autism Strategy.
EC suggested that it might be possible to charge organisations that are not within social care or health bodies for training.
HB asked if there would be any more training sessions before September 30 – he stated that if this was the case and there was no current plan re training then it was not legal and according to statutory duties.
SC pointed out that Natalie will need a specification for the training that is necessary and CAP needs to be involved in the preparation of this. She said that the council are meeting the basic requirements by using Cornwall College courses and elearning for training staff.
RB asked what level of training other assessment bodies that are currently employed by Cornwall Council have? She also asked how the ‘Skylakes’ contract is set up as she was concerned whether the suppliers were compliant with the law.
EC pointed out that Health and Social Care only had a duty to train its own staff.SC said council staff are trained but everyone was conscious that the training was currently not sufficient; assessors have already commented that they need more training.
RB asked for it to be confirmed that all assessors would have level 2 qualifications before they had responsibility for assessments.
It was suggested that Healthwatch Cornwall write to the Adults Learning and Development team to ask the relevant questions
Can we see the Learning Needs Analysis?
- How were the priorities established from the Learning Needs Analysis and what was the process behind it?
- How was the weighting attributed?
- Was it entirely conducted via Survey Monkey?
- How did service users get access?
ACTION DH – provide CAP advice on potential options for constitution
ACTION SC and DH – follow up ongoing support and availability of Co-Facilitators
ACTION Working Group – look at training specification
ACTION SC – check level of training for Assessors
ACTION – Healthwatch Cornwall to send letter on behalf of CAP
- Other Working Group issues
This is a potential project creating some scripts to give people as prompts/tips to refer to when making phone calls to or when visiting health or social care support services.
As an initial pilot SC will prepare an initial draft and will speak with the SocialServices Access Team.
Together they will pull together information such as which telephone buttons to push to get through to the correctpeople, what information they need to have in front of them and whatquestions it is likely the person in the department will ask them. It will then be assessed as to how useful and how feasible it is and how to grow this project. SL and KW offered to take potential scripts to forums and to CHAMPS for them to comment on and test. SC asked for ideas re bestmethods of distribution of the scripts. RJ would like it as a hand-out for the diagnosis service users and CHAMPS offered to add this to theirweb-site. SC felt that this would result in a ‘double win’ for thecouncil as it is their duty to distribute information
Noise Pollution
The group wanted to investigate ideas to decrease distress from noise and alarm when people living with autism (and others e.g. small children) encountered noisy hand driers in public toilets. These are often placed close to the entrance and often blowing directly into the faces of children. SC felt that some form of warning signage would also increase awareness of autism, giving contact details for people to find out more. This topic could also be interesting to children’s sector and planning departments.
Hate Crime Week
CG talked about the activities during the week 8-15th October 2016.
Cornwall People First report
Cornwall People First had given a presentation to the CAP working group that gave people’s genuine and heart felt feelings about difficulties they encountered in their daily lives. This is attached to the minutes. It includes personal statements and feelings about GP and employer’s perceptions.
PLEASE READ as the honesty from individuals with their fears and hopes for the future is the reason why we have the CAP and why we are all trying to make a difference in services.
JW felt that a lot of the things that were talked about could be effectively used to reflect back to agencies especially when placed alongside Healthwatch Cornwall findings.
HB spoke about the “Too much info” campaign which aimed to pull together resources e.g. how to engage with employers.
Health checks
The working group is monitoring the on-going progress regarding how to get funding for pilot and the mechanics of setting these up. Nory Menneer will report back at the next meeting. / ACTION SC – to begin draft script
ACTION - Working Group to develop ideas
ACTION NM update re Health checks
- Other Business
SC announced that she needs to complete a department self-assessment by October 17, 2016. This is done every two years for NHS and the council to assess what services are in place – the key thing would be to be able to report “what it felt like to be in Cornwall with autism”. SC requested any contributions to this.
RJ confirmed that due to her maternity leave she would be unable to attend CAP meetings but she would be advising regarding a representative.
SH gave information about the forthcoming FRESH (Friendships, Relationships and Sexual Health Course.) Details are attached to these minutes.
Meeting closed 12.30pm / ACTION HEALTHWATCH CORNWALLdistribute working group minutes
ACTION ALL - to contribute to self-assessment
ACTION RJ – notify re replacement
Future Meeting dates
Please note this list is not the same as that issued at the meeting
CAP Full Meeting
January 17, 2017
April 14, 2017
July 18, 2017
October 17, 2017
Trelawney Room New County Hall, Truro confirmed for all but October 17, 2017
CAP Working Group meetings
October 11, 2016
November 29, 2016
January 31, 2017
March 21, 2017
May 9, 2017
June 27,2017
August 8, 2017
September 19, 2017
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