Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Wallasey Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Lyndzay Roberts 

Items
No. Item

49.

Members' Code of Conduct - Declarations of Interest / Party Whip

Members are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

 

Members are reminded that they should also declare whether they are subject to a party whip in connection with any item(s) to be considered and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of the whipping arrangement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were received.

50.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 100 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

That the Minutes of the Families and Wellbeing Policy and Performance Committee held on 19 January 2016 be approved as a correct record.

51.

Edsential Update pdf icon PDF 699 KB

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report from the Managing Director of Edsential outlining the services provided by the company to the Borough’s school and the agreed governance structure and the key challenges to be faced in 2016/17 which related to the financial environment schools were now operating in and the increase in payroll, tax and pension costs.

 

In introducing the report, the Managing Director indicated that current delivery of services to schools had been going well and the company had received excellent feedback with more schools requesting catering services. He indicated that the company was under intense pressure from competitors with some offering schools large discounts for service provision. The company had evaluated its mission and values and had responded to these pressures immediately. It was felt that with the excellent services and best value for money provided by Edsential, these would stand up to further competition.

 

In response to a Member, the Managing Director indicated that the company provided residential/outward bound services to schools for both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and provided six residential centres which included the Oaklands Centre and the Conway Centre. In relation to learning outside the classroom support, he indicated that the company looked to deliver access to performing arts and projects and for those children undertaking exams employment of artists to assist them to prepare.

 

In relation, to the Oaklands Centre, a Member sought assurances that the “Oakland’s experience” would not be lost as this had been raised by the Friends of Oaklands Group and asked if the company was intention to keep the attributes of the centre. In response, the Managing Director indicated it was the company’s intention not only to retain but to also enhance the experience for children throughout the Key Stage years to Sixth Form.

 

In response to a Members question, the Managing Director indicated that in order to be competitive, Edsential have tried to ensure that the offer to schools was different to others and that the company worked as a team with schools to ensure a whole school approach to health and wellbeing and not just those elements which satisfied the requirement of Ofsted.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Managing Director of Edsential be thanked for his informative update report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

52.

Healthy Wirral - Presentation

Minutes:

The Committee considered a presentation from Ms Jo Goodfellow, Wirral CCG updating Members on Healthy Wirral.

 

The presentation included details on the recent consultation undertaken finding out “what really matters to Wirral” and following on from that the outcomes of the consultation.

 

Healthy Wirral had three key themes which included; confidence, one service and community. Ms Goodfellow indicated that the work undertaken by Healthy Wirral had strong linkages to the Council’s 20 Pledges for 2020 in particular in relation to Technology and Infrastructure and Wirral residents living healthier lives. 

 

Ms Goodfellow highlighted “what’s next” for Healthy Wirral, which included the production of a Communication and Engagement Strategy, “Social Contract” with Wirral, Wirral Care Record Conversation and public feedback sessions.

 

Ms Goodfellow indicated that Healthy Wirral’s aim was to help improve clinical outcomes and patient experience.

 

In relation to improved information technology, Healthy Wirral was working to develop a single patient case record with the intention that this record is shared between GP’s, hospital trusts and community care to ensure that patient need to tell their story only once and the information of care received could be shared by all care providers. Public consultation on the its development would be done in April 2016.

 

In response to a Members question regarding the Social Contract and consultation with those harder to reach groups, Ms Goodfellow indicated that officers had spoken to young people who highlighted that they felt they had been listened to and a lot of consultation had already been undertaken with groups and a lot of consultation work had been alongside Community Action Wirral and Healthwatch Wirral to reach out to the “hard to reach” groups. Social media had played a huge part in reaching out within the community with the use of Twitter and Facebook etc.

 

In relation to the proposal to have shared care records and concerns raised over privacy and the opt in/out options, Ms Goodfellow indicated that the consents from Government and Commissioner are still to be signed off, and that Members comments regarding privacy and information shared to third parties for e.g. insurance companies would be feedback to the consultation document.

 

The first phase of the information sharing for the single patient care record would be information shared between GP’s and hospitals; second phase, Community Trusts with the third phase Mental Health Trusts and Social Care data and further option would be available for further data sharing streams to for e.g. the Puffell system and other health and wellbeing streams.

 

The Chair commented that an item of concern that came out of the Avoiding Hospital Admittances Task and Finish Group was that patients were frustrated by non-sharing of information.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That Ms Goodfellow be thanked for her informative presentation. 

53.

Looked After Children Scrutiny Review - Progress regarding implementation of the recommendations pdf icon PDF 132 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Children Services providing a final progress update on the implementation of the Recommendations made in August 2013 relating to the Scrutiny Review of Outcomes for Looked After Children. A summary update in respect of each recommendation was detailed as Appendix 1.

 

Members commented that this was an excellent piece of work which highlighted the need to continue to work on raising the aspirations of Looked after Children.

 

The Chair suggested that an additional recommendation be added to the report inviting members from the Children Sub-Committee to undertake a short review looking at how the impact from the original review had improved the aspirations of Looked After Children with Councillor Clements as Chair.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)  progress to date and the further planned actions/steps outlined within the summary update attached as appendix 1 be noted; and

 

(2)  Members from the Children Sub-Committee with Councillor Clements as Chair be invited to undertake a short review looking at how the impact from the original review had improved the aspirations for Looked After Children.

 

 

 

 

54.

Performance Monitoring (Q3: Oct - Dec 2015) pdf icon PDF 114 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director Families and Wellbeing which detailed the Quarter 3 (October – December 2015) performance against delivery of the Families and Wellbeing Directorate Plan. The performance report was attached as Appendix 1 and set out progress against a suite of agreed key performance indicators.

 

In relation to the performance indicator regarding the rate of referrals to Children’s Social Care, the Director of Children’s Services indicated that the rates of referrals were showing a significant decrease. Incoming work is responded to by social work staff, and partners, based in the MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) and this work was being monitored to ensure that the right children were being referred and responded to appropriately.

 

In relation to the services provided for opiate users, the Director of Public Health indicated that a new service provider had launched a new service in February 2016 and she would be monitoring them and working with them closely to ensure that the service was a success. 

 

In response to concerns raised regarding the delayed transfer of care the Director of Adult Social Services indicated that the number of lost days spiked dramatically in October but adequate safeguards had now been put in place.

 

It was further highlighted that the Wirral Community NHS Trust were working on a piece of work funded by the Better Care Fund regarding admission prevention, i.e. people in crisis unnecessarily presenting at hospital. Demand was consistently increasing and there was a need for officers to work together with Primary Care and the Care Homes in relation to those services that could be managed within the Community.

 

In relation to the Family Intervention Service, the Director of Children Services indicated that current performance indicated that the Year End target would be reached and performance in this area would be rated as ‘Green’.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the report be noted.

 

55.

Financial Monitoring pdf icon PDF 130 KB

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report of the Acting Section 151 Officer setting out the financial monitoring information in a format which was consistent across the Policy and Performance Committees. The report aimed to give Members sufficient detail to scrutinise budget performance for the Directorate. Financial information for Quarter 3 (October-December 2015) which was reported to Cabinet on 22 February 2016 was attached to the report

 

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Financial Monitoring report be noted.

 

 

56.

Work Programme Update pdf icon PDF 96 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair thanked all officers and Members for all their hard work during the year both at the Committee meetings and the excellent scrutiny reviews undertaken.

 

The Committee considered the report of the Chair of the Committee, updating on the progress and the activity proposed for this Committee in relation to its agreed Work Programme.

 

The Chair updated the Committee on the following:

 

·  Safeguarding Review – Final report will be presented to the Cabinet meeting on 7 March 2016

·  Ready for School Review – A Task and Finish Group would be working on this in the 2016/17 Municipal Year.

·  Avoiding Admissions Scrutiny Review – The report would be submitted to the Committee in the first meeting of the new Municipal Year.

 

The Chair thanked Council officers and in particular Alan Veitch, Scrutiny Support officer for his invaluable support over the year.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)  the Work Programme be noted; and

 

(2)  Members from the Children Sub-Committee with Councillor Clements as Chair be invited to undertake a short review looking at how the impact from the original review had improved the aspirations for Looked After Children.