Agenda and minutes

          The Minutes of the meeting held on 20 February 2024 were signed as a correct record.

          The following public questions had been received:

Question 1

Please see below that I would like to submit for public question time for the 25th June meeting in relation to the Council’s Care Prevention Strategy.

According to reports there are 7 care providers in Halton of which HBC operates 5 care homes totalling 27% of beds in the Borough.

The CQC rated 4 out of the 5 care homes run by HBC as requiring improving in order to be led well and safe during their last inspections.

If a local resident was unfortunate enough to have to be placed into one these 4 care homes that require improvement they are 100% likely to be entering an environment that needs improvement on how it is led and improve it to be safe.

Breaches were found in relation to record keeping and quality assurance during the last inspection at St Luke’s in 2023.

The CQC requested an action plan to understand how this would improve.

What outcomes have this PPB found when scrutinising the improvement required by the quality assurance team / HBC run care homes and what recommendations have been made to Executive Board?

Question 2

I have a question to put forward to the Health Policy and Performance Board scheduled to take place on Tuesday 25th June 2024.

Page 5 of the Adult Social Care Prevention Policy 2023-2027 states that the Council aims to safeguard residents and improve outcomes for residents whilst ensuring the services meet the best value for the Council.

How has this Board and its Members ensured that policies are implemented within care homes and by the Council to improve outcomes for residents in relation to falls risk assessments being in place and implemented since November 2022? 

Question 3

The priority based report has a milestone (PH06) on page 12 to contribute towards reduction of falls in people ages 65 and over.

Data shows that between 2017-2024 that neglect and acts of omission (of which falls come into this category) are still rising. The CQC in 2017 picked up on the local system review report for health and wellbeing.  The Health Policy and Performance Board priority based report page 16 PH Data (2021/2022 2676) (2022/2023 2663) 2022/2023 2279) , data doesn’t correspond, with Public Health figures and NHS Digital?

How do members scrutinise this milestone across Council owned and none Council owned care homes in Halton?

Response

A written response to each of the above questions would follow.  As all questions were received the afternoon of the day before the meeting, it was explained that more time was needed to provide answers in the detail required.

The minutes from the Health and Wellbeing Board’s meeting held on 17 January 2024, were submitted to the Board for information.

The Chair presented the Health Policy and Performance Board’s (PPB) Annual Report for April 2023 to March 2024.

During this period the Health PPB examined in detail many of Halton’s Health and Social Care priorities.  Details of the work undertaken by the Board was outlined in the Annual Report.

One Member highlighted the Care Workers Petition which was received by the Board during the year.  He praised the care workforce as they did a difficult job under difficult circumstances.  He considered care workers to be undervalued and that all caring roles should be given profession status’.

The Chair thanked his Board Member colleagues and Officers for their input and support throughout the year.

RESOLVED:  That the Annual Report be received.

The Board received a report from the Executive Director of Adult Services, which presented the Adult Social Care Prevention Strategy 2023-2027.

The Adult Social Care Prevention Strategy set out the vision and focus for Adult Social Care’s role in Prevention in Halton over a four year period.  It was closely aligned to the Council’s Adult Social Care Vision of improving the health and wellbeing of local people, so that they lived longer, healthier and happy lives. 

The report outlined how the Strategy was intended to help support this vision; how the Strategy had been developed; and how it was supported by a Delivery Plan.

Members welcomed the new Strategy and considered it to be an improvement on the previous one.

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted.

The Board considered a report which presented the topic brief for the Health Policy and Performance Board’s 2024-25 scrutiny review.

It was noted that at the February meeting it was agreed that ‘Community NHS Health (non-GP) Services’, would be the focus of the 2024-25 scrutiny review. 

Appendix A gave a description of the proposed scrutiny topic, its scope, and the rationale for why it was chosen.  It also listed the key outputs and outcomes that would be sought.

It was confirmed that the first meeting of the topic group would now take place on 10 July and then on a monthly basis.  The Chair invited all Members of the Board to participate.

RESOLVED:  That

1)    the report be noted; and

2)    the Board approves the topic brief as outlined in Appendix A.

The Board received the Performance Management Reports for quarter four of 2023/24.

Members were advised that the report introduced, through the submission of a structured thematic performance report, the progress of key performance indicators, milestones and targets relating to Health in quarter three of 2023-24.  This included a description of factors, which were affecting the service. 

The Board was requested to consider the progress and performance information; raise any questions or points for clarification; and highlight any areas of interest or concern for reporting at future meetings of the Board. 

Officers highlighted the milestones relating to Adult Social Care and Public Health and some of the performance indicators were discussed.  It was noted that the new Corporate Plan 2024-27 would come into effect next month and the quarterly monitoring reports would be amended to reflect this.

One Member requested to know which partner organisations were worked with, as stated in PH01 on page 76 – this would be sent after the meeting, as the information was not at hand. 

Following a query on the Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) service for Halton patients in Warrington / Whiston Hospitals, it was reported that those patients who needed support would receive support, regardless of being placed in a Hospital out of Borough, so that there would be continuity of service for Halton residents.

RESOLVED: That the Performance Management report for quarter four of 2023/24 be received.