Agenda item

At the start of the meeting, the Chairman welcomed Councillor Philip Corthorne, Cabinet Member for Social Services, Health and Housing who had been invited to share his views on the Adult Social Care Performance Assessment 2009/10.

The Performance and Intelligence Manager introduced the report which provided the performance assessment judgement for adult social care services in 2009/10.

To provide the judgement, Adult Social Care services were assessed against 7 outcomes and the following grades were awarded:

1.      Improved health and emotional well-being - well

2.      Improved quality of life - well

3.      Making a positive contribution - well

4.      Increased choice and control - adequately

5.      Freedom from discrimination or harassment - well

6.      Economic well-being - well

7.      Maintaining personal dignity and respect - well

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) concluded that overall, adult social care services were performing well. This equated to a three out of four rating and showed improvement compared to the previous year.

Officers explained that the ‘performing well rating’ was an overall rating based on an assessment of numerous sources  including: regular performance monitoring meetings between Adult Social Care, Health and Housing (ASCHH) senior management team, as well as consideration of inspection findings and associated improvement plans. Officers also said that monitoring returns submitted to the Department of Health and CQC were a key source of information about the performance, strategies and outcomes from adult social care.

CQC recognised that a number of significant improvements had been made to improve the lives of local people including:

• A clear vision for adult social care with strong political and corporate leadership.
• Improved partnership working through the Well-Being Board and a new Well-Being Strategy.
• An embedded single point of access, leading to highs levels of satisfaction and improvement
• Developing systems and processes to enable Transformation
• Extensive work to create efficiencies and ensure value for money.
• A good track record in budget management, managing performance, developing staff and clear plans for improvement.

CQC also acknowledged that ASCHH senior management team faced a number of challenges including:

·        Continued work to improve the timeliness of assessments and care packages, increase the numbers of people receiving self directed support and increase support for carers.

·        Putting in place alternatives to residential care for people with a learning disability where this is the most appropriate option

·        Embedding new referral and assessment processes for adult social care

·        To work with providers to develop the market to support transformation and reduce reliance on residential care.

·        Further work to establish a user led organisation to support the transformation of adult social care and housing services

The Chairman offered her personal thanks to officers for a good report.

Councillor Corthorne explained that he was pleased with the progress made in relation to Outcome seven, maintaining personal dignity and respect which also encompassed safeguarding. It was noted that an in-house audit on Safeguarding was due to take place soon.

With respect to Self Directed Support, Cllr Corthorne explained there was a clear priority to improve performance and officers were working hard to achieve this goal. It was noted that customer engagement had a vital role to play in driving the transformation agenda forward.

The Cabinet Member thanked the Committee for its support and for the level of challenge it provided in its overview role. Officers were also thanked for their advice and support.

Members congratulated the Department on the improvements it had made since the last performance assessment.

Officers highlighted that they were currently working hard in a number of areas to improve the Authorities’ overall score of three out of four. Work areas included:

• Further engagement with service users.
• Increasing choice and control within self directed support as part of the Transformation Agenda. 
• Closer joint working between the Authority and the Voluntary sector as part of broader health and well-being agenda.
• Playing a leading role in West London procurement
• Telecare and telehealth, assisting people to live independently as long as possible and reducing admissions into residential care.
• Improving supported housing, helping people with mental health issues and the elderly live independently for longer

In concluding their remarks, the Committee were grateful that the report acknowledged the important role played by carers and commented on how Hillingdon LINK had evolved to become a very effective body. In relation to safeguarding, the Committee were pleased that safeguarding children was mentioned and that the report bridged the divide between children and adult services.

Resolved –

1.      That the significant improvements made since the last Care Quality Commission inspection report be noted.

2.      That in relation to Outcome 4 Increased Choice and Control - officers be requested to provide the Committee with a list of comparator Boroughs.