Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City & County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

Resolved that the Minutes of the People Policy Development Committee held on 19 June 2019 be approved and signed as a correct record subject to the following amendment:

 

Councillor M Sykes apologies be recorded.

Chris Francis, Principal Business Development and Commissioning Lead provided a verbal update to the Committee.

 

A parent / carer consultation event had taken place on 3 July 2019, attended by approximately 45 people with a mix of parent / carers whose children had already gone through the transition process and others who had much younger children who wanted to find out more about the process. 

 

The event commenced with a presentation from the Children’s Commissioners Office entitled “Don’t Hold Back”.

 

Breakout groups then discussed 3 main questions:

 

1.              What can we learn from your experiences, what works well and what doesn’t?

2.              What are your aspirations for the future?

3.              How can we achieve those aspirations?

 

Initial review of the feedback suggested that those who commented felt that they had been listened to and provided with the opportunity to give feedback.  In addition, they heard from people they had not heard from before.  The feedback would be fully evaluated and a report drafted for circulation to Councillors by the end of the month.

 

In addition, 2 other consultation sessions had also been held; one at Ysgol Pen y Bryn and one at the ‘Mixed Up Group’.

 

As part of the process a request had been received from the Parent / Carer Leadership Group to slow down the progress of this piece of work in order that they could be more involved in the planning process.  As a result, a planning event had been arranged for later this month where parent / carers who were interested could attend further sessions / activities.

 

In addition, the Principal Business Development and Commissioning Lead explained that the Parent / Carer Forum was still in its initiation phase and wouldn’t become formal until September this year.  At present it did not have a full cohort of members to fully engage with, therefore this was an additional factor that they wished the Authority to take into consideration.  They suggested a more realistic timescale of January for the draft protocol.

 

He also confirmed that they would consult as many young people / children as possible, with 5/6 schools already identified.  Much work was ongoing in Education due to new legislation being introduced in 2020, which would have significant implications for the Council and this particular cohort who were at transition age.  Development plans would need to be put in place for young people up to age 25.   

 

Should the Committee agree with the suggested extension, the consultation plan would conclude by the end of October. The intention would be for a focus group to be set up in order to co-produce the new protocol.  Other events would also take place between now and the end of January 2020, in time for the new policy document.  An on-line survey would also need to be undertaken to reach out to those families who had not yet been consulted.

 

Once the policy document had been drafted, the second stage would be the implementation of it, driven by an implementation plan.

 

The Chair acknowledged the rationale for the request of a delay to slow down the process as the previous protocol had been written by officers due to relevant legislation without the input of the service users.  However, this piece of work needed to be completed by the Authority and their input was appreciated.

 

Resolved that:

 

1)              An officer from the Parent / Carer Leadership Group be invited to attend the meeting on 18 September 2019 to outline the role of the Group and provide further information to the Committee;

2)              The Committee be invited to the launch event in September.

Simon Jones, Social Services Strategy and Performance Improvement Officer provided a presentation which outlined:

 

Swansea Council had to meet new statutory requirements under the Social Services & Well-being (Wales) Act 2014;

Implement sustainable improvements to achieve well-being outcomes for the people of Swansea under the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015;

•                 to create a more mixed economy of provision through user led services and greater use of new social business models (Pt2, s16)

•                 It also required local authorities to involve people in the design and operation of services.

 

In addition it linked with Swansea Council’s Policy Commitment No. 104 -

Intervene in the social care provider market and explore how it could expand the provision of council run services. Specifically we would work in social and residential care to ensure, where provision is of last resort, that there was a diverse range of suppliers, including not-for-profit, cooperative and social enterprise providers.

 

Success Criteria (Tracker to April 2019)

Ø    Adoption of Commissioning Strategies in relation to client groups which identified population need and service provision required.

Ø    Service reviews and market development linked to those Commissioning Strategies

 

The work undertaken by the People PDC would involve looking at:

•                 Opportunities for New Models of delivery for care and support

•                 Expertise/ support resources available

•                 Strategic commissioning – current model

•                 Changes needed to Swansea’s approach

 

He outlined the different definitions and provided links to reports / guidance where appropriate:

 

1.        Micro- Enterprises

            Report- Micro- Enterprises: Small enough to care? By University of             Birmingham

            https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/micro-enterprises/

2.        Community Catalysts

            https://www.communitycatalysts.co.uk/

3.        Cooperatives

            https://socialcare.wales/cms_assets/hub-downloads/Co-            operatives_delivering_social_care_and_support.pdf

4.        Wales Co-operatives Centre

            https://wales.coop/co-operatives-for-care/

5.        Others:

Social Value Forum

Shared Direct Payments

Social Enterprise

 

Some of the key challenges in social care were:

•                 Achieving well-being outcomes for citizens

•                 Safeguarding our most vulnerable people

•                 Increasing demand for domiciliary care

•                 Finite supply – limited amount of care/ resources available

•                 Delayed transfers of Care

•                 Use of Direct payments

•                 Emerging technologies – offering new ways of doing things

 

Some potential benefits of delivering health and social care via new models:

Ø    Innovation in service delivery: What?, How?, Who?

Ø    Greater choice

Ø    Improved cost effectiveness;

Ø    Greater staff ownership;

Ø    Lower staff turnover;

Ø    Less bureaucracy;

Ø    Greater reinvestment of profit ;

Ø    Diversification of income streams beyond the public sector; and

Ø    More partnership working.

 

Practical Examples:

1.              Solva Care in Pembrokeshire

https://www.solvacare.co.uk/

2.        Somerset Micro-enterprise Project

            https://www.somerset.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/somerset-micro-enterprise-project/

 

Co-Production:

“New commissioning models in health and social care need to recognise the huge, and currently untapped resources that sit within individuals and communities, and support these resources to have an active role within and beyond services to improve health and well-being outcomes and support sustainable change.”

(New Economics Foundation, from Getting in on the Act, Social Care Wales)

Coproduction is a key element of Swansea’ approach to Strategic Commissioning.

 

Area of Focus:

‘Head’ case – knowledge needed for future decisions / investment / benefits

‘Heart’ case –  real life stories of achievement, examples and outcomes

‘Hands’ case – building up capacity/ partnerships needed to make changes

https://www.health.org.uk/sites/default/files/HeadHandsAndHeartAssetBasedApproachesInHealthCare.pdf

 

The Committee may wish the area of focus to be one or more of these aspects, and involve other stakeholders:

Ø    Swansea Council for Voluntary Service

Ø    Our Commercial team

 

The Committee would consider the following as a scope of work over the next six months:

Ø    Council’s approach to strategic commissioning (September 2019);

Ø    New Models of care and support – opportunities to do things differently (October/November 2019);

Ø    Changes needed to Swansea’s Commissioning approach to implement new models (December 2019);

Ø    Policy - statement of principles (by January/February 2020).

 

The Council Officers that would lead on this piece of work were identified as Jane Whitmore, Partnership and Commissioning Manager and Peter Field, Principal Officer Prevention, Wellbeing & Commissioning.

 

The Chair thanked the Social Services Strategy and Performance Improvement Officer for his informative presentation. 

 

The Committee discussed how they would progress the item, taking into consideration the complexity of the topic, bearing in mind that not much research had been undertaken to date and that they would be ‘starting from scratch’. 

 

Discussions included:

Ø    Citizens Voices;

Ø    Consider commencing with a pilot scheme;

Ø    Consider looking at loneliness / isolation in the older population by focusing on wellbeing;

Ø    What was the current service delivery? Were there any gaps?  What could be improved?;

Ø    Increased demand on officer time;

Ø    Engagement with third sector;

Ø    Issue with getting carers in the Castle Ward;

Ø    May need additional workshops in addition to monthly Committees.

 

Resolved that:

 

1)              The Committee consider focusing on isolation / loneliness in the elderly;

2)              The Committee receive a presentation on the Council’s approach to strategic commissioning at its next meeting on 18 September 2019.

The Chair presented the Work Plan for 2018-2019.

 

Resolved that as a result of discussions that had taken place in Minute No’s 11 and 12, the Work Plan be amended as follows:

 

1)              An officer from the Parent / Carer Leadership Group be invited to attend the meeting on 18 September 2019 to outline the role of the Group and provide further information to the Committee (Transition);

2)              The Committee receive a presentation on the Council’s approach to strategic commissioning at its next meeting on 18 September 2019.