Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Brodie-Browne and Pugh; Councillor Cummins, Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care; and Diane Blair, Healthwatch Representative.

Members are requested at a meeting where a disclosable pecuniary interest or personal interest arises, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests, todeclare any interests that relate to an item on the agenda.

Where a Member discloses a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, he/she must withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest, except where he/she is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of a dispensation.

Where a Member discloses a personal interest he/she must seek advice from the Monitoring Officer or staff member representing the Monitoring Officer to determine whether the Member should withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest or whether the Member can remain in the meeting or remain in the meeting and vote on the relevant decision.

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interests or personal interests were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 21 June 2022

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 June 2022, be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Head of Communities

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Communities updating on Sefton’s strategic approach to tackling domestic abuse, including an overview of the Domestic Abuse Act and work of the Sefton Domestic Abuse Partnership Board to date. The report set out the background to the matter; an overview of the Domestic Abuse Act; local authority statutory duties within the Act; the roles and responsibilities of the Sefton Domestic Abuse Partnership Board; links to other national/statutory guidance; and cross-partnership collaboration.

The Terms of Reference for the Sefton Domestic Abuse Partnership Board were attached to the report at Appendix A.

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following issues:

·       Methods by which the Sefton Domestic Abuse Partnership Board inter-connected to other safeguarding boards and collaborative working.

·       Revenue costs associated with victims of domestic abuse.

·       Refuges and safe accommodation.

·       The main benefits of the Domestic Abuse Act.

·       Work with perpetrators.

·       Support available for male victims.

·       Any potential for conflict for members of the Sefton Domestic Abuse Partnership Board who sat on other Boards.

·       Preventative work being undertaken.

·       The proportion of female to male victims and numbers of incidents.

·       Communications strategies used to encourage male victims to report incidents.

·       Recognition of adverse childhood experiences and their impact on individuals.

·       The development of a Domestic Abuse Strategy and reporting on progress and performance.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health / Place Director Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health / Place Director, Sefton, Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, that provided an update on the establishment of a Sefton Partnership. This was as a result of the Royal assent given to the Health and Care Act 2022 in April 2022, and the Act introduced significant reforms to the organisation and delivery of health and care services in England. The report set out the background to the matter; provided key updates; together with guidance on the role of Overview and Scrutiny.

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following issues:

·       The challenges facing social care.

·       Concerns regarding changes in funding for social care. More detailed information could be provided in due course.

·       Cost implications for local authorities regarding the reduction of protection against very high care costs and the associated risks.

·       Concerns regarding the Live Well Core Objective and the reduction in usage of secondary health services for those with complex lives.

·       Assurances were sought that integration would not require having to travel further to receive health services.

·       Clarification regarding the governance structure. Further information could be provided.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the content of the report be received and noted;

(2)      the Committee be invited to engage on further work on the requirements of the Health and Care Act 2022 and within the policy document on local accountability;

(3)      the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health / Place Director be requested to provide:

(a)       more detailed information to the Committee, regarding changes in the funding of social care, in due course; and

(b)       information on the governance structure for the Integrated Care System to the Senior Democratic Services Officer, for circulation to Members of the Committee.

Report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health

Further to Minute No. 23 of 7 September 2021, the Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health / Place Director, that presented the progress on implementation of the findings and recommendation of the former Mental Health Issues Working Group.

The findings and recommendations from the Working Group were being taken forward as part of the Sefton Mental Health Programme Task and Finish Group which consisted of key representatives from Sefton Council, Sefton Clinical Commissioning Groups, Mersey Care NHS Foundation, Sefton CVS and the wider Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector.

The report set out progress updates against each of the recommendations made by the Working Group.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

Report of the Place Director, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside

The Committee considered the report of the Sefton Place Director, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, that provided an update about the work of the CCGs. The report outlined details of the following:

·       Introduction to Deborah Butcher, Sefton Place Director

·       Sefton Partnership Board meetings

·       Sefton Partnership Governance

·       ICB Board meeting - September

·       Update on Shaping Care Together Engagement

·       GP Out of Hours Services – Business Continuity

·       GP Access Survey – Next Steps

·       Patient Participation Support with Healthwatch Sefton

·       A&E Pressures/Winter Plans and National Position

·       Dermatology

·       Estates Configuration

·       Enhanced Access

·       Crisis Café Case Studies

·       Health Checks and Covid Vaccination Bus

·       Long Covid Service

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following issues:

·       Increased utilisation of the Enhanced Access service.

·       Provision of services for those people without on-line access.

·       Problems associated with buildings, particularly Crosby Village Surgery, and issues associated with the Disability Discrimination Act.

·       Issues associated with access to GP appointments, particularly for older people.

·       Issues with appointments and prescribing associated with the Dermatology service.

·       The recent National GP Access Survey. The Survey could be submitted to the Committee for consideration, in due course.

·       Issues associated with NHS 111 appointments.

·       The use of social media to raise awareness of services.

·       Clinicians available at the Out of Hours service.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the joint update report submitted by the Clinical Commissioning Groups be received; and

(2)      the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health/Place Director be requested to submit the results of the recent National GP Access Survey to the Committee for consideration, in due course.

Report of the Place Director, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside

The Committee considered the report of the Sefton Place Director, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, that provided data on key performance areas, together with responses for the Friends and Family Test for both Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust and Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT). Information on the monitoring of the7-day GP extended access scheme, and ambulance response times were also included within the data.

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following issues:

• Performance of cancer 62-day screening at LUHFT. The clinical lead could be invited to meet with Members.
• Delays in diagnosis and referral to secondary care.
• Cancer performance in the north of the Borough compared to the south. More detail could be provided.
• The Friends and Family Test for A&E at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust. This could be queried.
• Planning for winter pressures and the likely impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
• Ambulance response times and differences between category 4 performance in the north and south of the Borough. This could be queried.
• Uptake of the covid vaccine.
• Ambulance waiting times at A&E.
• Support for paramedics. Further detail could be sought from the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS).
• Trends in Mental Health IAPT waiting times. Further detail could be provided.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the information on Health Provider Performance be noted; and

(2)      the Sefton Place Director, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, be requested to give consideration to the provision of information on the following for Members of the Committee:

·       Inviting the clinical lead on cancer screening to meet with Members of the Committee;

·       Further detail on cancer performance in the north of the Borough compared to the south;

·       Further detail on the Friends and Family Test for A&E at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust;

• Information from the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) on ambulance response/waiting times and support for paramedics; and

• Trends in Mental Health IAPT waiting times.

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer submitting the most recent update reports from the Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care, and the Cabinet Member – Health and Wellbeing, whose portfolios fell within the remit of the Committee.

The Cabinet Member update report – Adult Social Care, attached to the report at Appendix A, outlined information on the following:

·       Update on recent Adult Social Care Peer Review

·       Integration and National Policy Update

·       Life Course Commissioning

o   Fee Increases for 2022/23

o   Domiciliary Care

·       Adult Social Care Budget

o   Charging Reform / Cost of Care / Market Sustainability

·       Adult Social Care Complaints Overview

o   Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: Annual Review Letter 2021/22

·       System Pressures - Hospital and Access into Social Care

o   Impact of the New Royal

·       Performance and Key Areas of Focus

o   Admission into care & reablement

o   Self-directed support & direct payments

o   Employment

o   Housing

o   Safeguarding

The Cabinet Member update report – Health and Wellbeing, attached to the report at Appendix B, outlined information on the following:

Public Health:

·       COVID-19 Update

·       CHAT Health Survey

·       Health Checks

·       NCMP Data

·       Public Health Risk Register

·       Healthy Weight Declaration (HWD)

·       Start Well

·       Supplemental Substance Misuse Treatment & Recovery Grant Allocation

·       Grant Funding for Individual Advisors for Substance Use Services

·       Sexual Health Needs Assessment

·       Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF)

·       Combatting Drugs Partnership

·       Extension of Sexual Health Service Contract

Leisure Update

Domestic Abuse

Communities Quarterly Performance Dashboard

3G Pitch Development

Councillor Moncur, Cabinet Member – Health and Wellbeing, attended the meeting to present his report and to respond to any questions.

RESOLVED:

That the update reports from the Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care and the Cabinet Member – Health and Wellbeing be noted.

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer:

·       reviewing the Committee’s Work Programme for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2022/23;

·       reporting on progress of the Mental Health Issues Working Group;

·       reporting on progress of informal briefing sessions for Committee Members to be held during 2022/23;

·       identifying any items for pre-scrutiny by the Committee from the Key Decision Forward Plan;

·       receiving an update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee;

·       reporting on progress made by the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee in considering proposals for the reconfiguration of the hyper-acute stroke services across North Merseyside and West Lancashire;

·       reporting on progress made by the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee in considering proposals in relation to clinical service integration for a number of services delivered by Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUFT);

·       reporting on progress of the Joint Cheshire and Merseyside Scrutiny Committee, established to scrutinise the work of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board; and

·       noting the update by Healthwatch Sefton.

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following issues:

·       An additional item to be included in the Work Programme on the cost-of-living crisis.

Suggestions for informal briefing sessions included the following:

·       Inviting representatives from Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust;

·       the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of Adult Social Care.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the Work Programme for 2021/22, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be noted, along with any additional items to be included and thereon be agreed;

(2)      the following additional item be added to the Committee’s Work Programme for 2022/23:

the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health/Place Director and the Director of Public Health be requested to submit an additional item on the cost-of-living crisis to a future meeting of the Committee;

(3)      progress made to date on the recommendations made by the Mental Health Issues Working Group, be noted;

(4)      progress of informal briefing sessions for Committee Members to be held during 2022/23 be noted, and consideration be given to the suggestions on Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of Adult Social Care;

(5)      the contents of the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period 1 September to 31 December 2022, and for the period 1 October 2022 to 31 January 2023, be noted;

(6)      the update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted;

(7)      the progress made on the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee (Hyper-Acute Services), be noted;

(8)      the progress made on the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee – Liverpool University Hospitals University Foundation Trust (LUFT), be noted;

(9)      the progress of the Joint Cheshire and Merseyside Scrutiny Committee, established to scrutinise the work of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, be noted; and

(10)    the recent activities undertaken by Healthwatch Sefton, as outlined in Appendix D to the report, be noted.