The Chair introduced a report which reminded the Committee of its agreed principle of undertaking a series of Reality Check visits by small groups of Members to enable Members to engage directly with frontline staff. Reality visits and subsequent recommendations would enable the Committee to complete part of its Work Programme. 

The Committee was aware that key to the success of scrutiny was the ability of Members to check evidence from a variety of sources. Whilst Members routinely received reports from senior management and had access to performance monitoring reports, it had been proposed that greater access to frontline staff and service users would enable them to triangulate evidence with other sources and give them greater confidence in the outcomes of their scrutiny work. Therefore, it had been agreed to establish a programme of Reality Check Visits through which Members could engage independently and directly with frontline staff.  The key operating principles for the visits were detailed in the report.

Appended to the report was a paper that set out the proceedings of the Reality Check Visit to St Catherine’s Hospital on 3 December 2019.

The Director of Quality and Patient Safety, Wirral CCG was in attendance at the meeting and discussed the following issues that were raised with Members:

·  These visits were really worth doing and Members got a lot out of them. When Members spoke to the staff their Managers/Directors purposely left the room and frank conversations were able to be held.

·  Members had been able to tour the building and have a look at the facilities.

·  Members were able to meet Doctors and Nurses etc. who were involved in the journey of children who were looked after.

·  The Health Passports had really impressed Members and they considered that they should be given to all Wirral’s care leavers.

·  There were things that the staff wanted to work with Members on.

·  There had been some improvements and there would be more.

·  There were shortcomings with the Liquid Logic system.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the report and the recommendations therein be noted; and

(2)  the Director of Quality and Patient Safety, Wirral CCG be thanked for her attendance at the meeting.