Agenda item

Anna Earnshaw sent her apologies and Karolyn Cus (KC) attended instead. KC gave an overview of Northamptonshire Adult Social Care (NASS).

Intention for Northampton County Council (NCC) – to make service more efficient and work in partnership with other organisations.

NASS to bring together Olympus Care Services (OCS) and the assessment and functionality of NCC. Moved the staff together to form NASS.

Want to change the way we work. Creating short term intervention. Referred either from hospitals or people can self-refer.

Only one fifth of referrals come from hospitals. People from community needs to get access equally.

OCS – still there and offers services. Provide long and short term support.

There will be big changes from the discharge of patients to their recovery. Rather than being assessed in hospital, patients to be assessed in the home or residency. Regards to longer term, complex needs will be met.

Key parts are safeguarding and assessing – to stay within the NCC. Also any commissioning to stay with NCC.

NASS went to cabinet in March. Will go live 1^st September.

BP: The service needed to reform. Coalition govt announced to stop 70% revenue budget. Revenue Support grant will disappear in 2020. This is a substantial amount. We will need to raise money through Council Tax and business rates. More recently – additional £23 million over years to be spent on ASS. Have to report how it has been spent.

Looking to spend money on domiciliary care, voluntary sector etc.

NASS will become a trust. Will enable us to bring additional funds.

Q: When discharging people from hospital. How quickly will they be assessed?

A: In practice there will be a muliti agency team. Plans will be put in place. The discharge policy is complicated. Have teams on site who determine who is ready to go home. Will be a process in place before patient is discharged.

There is an increase in people going to A&E. This puts pressure on the service.

Services have been cut and the government has recognised this. Waiting to see outcome of election. Should see more integration going forward.

CP: Two things are happening at the moment.

Firstly, there is a health and wellbeing board – this is a clear message that organisations want to closely with NCC.

Secondly there is a big change to community care packages. There is a move away from residential care to more home based. Significant changes to this and money will be spent in this area.

Q: How will this be promoted to the public?

A: Referrals are being made through professionals or the public. There is an online platform called Brolly. This will be monitored and people can look at prices. This is being promoted now through leaflets, care directory on hard copy. Information is in libraries and there will be a roadshow in July.

Promoting equipment to help people stay at home. 

Q: Is there a conflict of interest with hospitals wanting beds and the care packages?

People have come out of hospital, packages are not always in place. Are you satisfied that all packages will be in place before they are discharged?

A: If people who are stuck in bed, intention – investing in this crisis response team. Intention to work with these people for the first six weeks. Have agreed if at the end of 6 weeks, still need care, more investment can be made. People have to be ready to be discharged. Hospital has to take on that responsibility.

From safeguarding prospective, NASS can intervene if needed.

Q: Difficulty is that there is pressure. My concern that government allowing Local Authority to raise money is not an adequate answer. There is a lack of fairness as to how money is distributed.

A: Good information and advice to help with social isolation to help prevent them to getting into the system.

Q: You have excellent buildings to move people on. There are going to many people with early stages of dementia. Others won’t be able to stay at home.

A: Are working to deal with issues. Have a deferred payment system. Looking at property and this is a very complicated issue. Governments were struggling financially. Hoping people won’t have to be moved as Dementia increases. Want to build on this to create Dementia Villages. Eg Bourneville.

These are inclusive to everybody irrespective of financial backgrounds.

Q: Need more sheltered homes and extra care.

A: Northampton is two tier – working with NBC and NCC. Village being built in Daventry. The developer is paying for it.

Q: What happens if somebody with Dementia get worse?

A: Northamptonshire to be Dementia Friendly to raise awareness.

Every hospital has symbolism has a gentle reminder to raise awareness. This is down to choice.

Q: Who has jurisdiction to give licensing?

A: Have to be registered. Care Quality Commission.

Q: Have to make sure communication is to people who are visually impaired.

A: Yes will do.