Agenda and minutes

Cllr Susan Jones was confirmed as Convener of the Panel for 2023-24.

Tony Beddow was confirmed as a co-optee on the Panel for 2023-24.

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

Chris Holley declared a personal interest.

No declarations were made.

To receive the minutes of the previous meeting(s) and agree as an accurate record.

Panel agreed the minutes of the meeting on 2 May 2023 as an accurate record of the meeting.

Questions must be submitted in writing, no later than noon on the working day prior to the meeting. Questions must relate to items on the agenda. Questions will be dealt with in a 10-minute period.

No questions were received.

Amy Hawkins, Head of Adult Services and Tackling Poverty

Helen St John, Head of Integrated Community Services

Amy Hawkins, Head of Adult Services and Tackling Poverty and Helen St John, Head of Integrated Community Services briefed the Panel on the Performance Report for April 2023 and answered the Panel’s questions.

Discussion Points:

·       The annual return to Welsh Government 2022-23 is currently being completed and shows the contrast from previous year and increase in demand in the Service.  Not unexpected coming out of Covid and the pressures across the whole system and this has flowed into April 2023.

·       Panel referred to employment of social workers, noting the Authority is employing people but also losing people.  Informed there is a national shortage of social workers. Tthe Authority is recruiting and is keeping pace with numbers being lost but is not fully established at this point. 

·       Report states the Service has been supporting its external providers.  Panel asked about the situation currently and heard in terms of the domiciliary care market, last three years have been precarious at times. There are 20 external domiciliary care providers currently which the Service commissions, two up from last year.  There are approximately 750 staff in the external domiciliary care sector, so seeing steady growth. The Service is providing domiciliary care support to 100 more people than last year.

·       Panel requested a regular glossary of terms as lots of acronyms in the report.

·       Panel noted previous problems discharging people from hospital and asked about the current position. Informed regarding people being discharged and needing care, numbers are considerable improved.

·       Panel queried how increase in discharge from hospital impacted on the Service in terms of budget. Heard demand is greater at the moment so costs are increasing.  Where individuals have been assessed and they have got a need for domiciliary care support, that is a service that would need to be provided anyway, whether they are in hospital or whether they are in the community needing support.

·       Regarding Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) arrangements, Panel noted there have been issues in the UK as well as Wales, and asked what the issues are. Heard the Service was working towards new legislation coming out called Liberty Protection Safeguards, which has been delayed until at least 2025.  The Service is working under the current legislation, the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Officers did not feel there were issues with it, but it is complex and there is high demand.

·       Panel informed in terms of DoL, apart from nursing homes and residential homes, other locations which give rise to someone challenging what they are doing to particular individuals include hospital beds, temporary settings, and supported living accommodation potentially.

·       Panel referred to report where it states direct payments are not being ‘optimised’ and asked if there is a particular reason for that.  Heard this is in reference to unpaid carers.  In last 18 months the Service has tried to promote the opportunity to carers, when they have a carers assessment, to utilise direct payments and inform them what they could use them for.

·       Panel informed lower numbers of some carers are taking up assessments and they need to be encouraged to take it up because the support is there to help them. The Service knows there is more targeted work it can do and is working in partnership with Third Sector organisations, those it commissions and directly with carers.

·       Panel believes from the report that ‘Regional Housing Group’ is an organisation providing a range of tailored accommodation to different client groups.  Panel queried how it works and who it is accountable to. Informed it is part of the West Glamorgan Transformation Board.  Under the programme around Transforming Complex Care there is a sub-group looking at accommodation for people with complex care needs. 

Actions:

·       Future Performance Reports to include a glossary of terms.

Amy Hawkins, Head of Adult Services and Tackling Poverty

Louise Gibbard, Cabinet Member for Care Services and Amy Hawkins, Head of Adult Services and Tackling Poverty briefed the Panel on this issue, stating these were unscheduled inspections on two Care Homes, Rose Cross and Ty Waunarlwydd.  

Panel informed feedback from residents, families, professionals and staff themselves was very positive with only one recommendation made for Ty Waunarlwydd for timely completion of annual appraisals, which is already being followed up by the management team.

Panel discussed and agreed its work plan for 2023-24 with the following addition:

·       Briefing on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) added.