Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Brodie-Browne, Halsall, Lunn-Bates and Robinson; and Councillor Cummins, Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care.

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 February 2023

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 2023, be confirmed as a correct record.

A representative of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside to attend and update

RESOLVED:

That the item be deferred to the next meetingin order to enable all relevant health partner representatives to attend.

Report of the Director of Public Health

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Public Health that was a six-monthly report, that focused on 21 out of the 26 indicators which made up the Public Health Performance Framework, and which were updated in the larger national Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) from September 2022 through to February 2023.

The indicators helped to describe the scale and distribution of population health problems, their underlying causes and associated health inequalities. Where available, the overview included trends and relevant comparisons with other areas. Information was also provided about improvement actions being led by the Public Health team and commissioned services to target these high-level indicators. The report continued to highlight past and ongoing impacts on public health services and population groups from the pandemic and high costs of living. The Committee was invited to comment.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       Increasing levels of vaping, particularly amongst young people.

·       Higher than average alcohol related admissions, particularly by younger females.

·       Difficulties associated with comparisons against Southport.

·       Health inequalities and smoke-free homes.

·       The prevalence of nitrous oxide cylinders.

·       The 10% of other preventable causes of premature deaths in Sefton that were not listed.

·       Physical inactivity levels in adults.

·       Anxiety levels, particularly in younger females.

RESOLVED:

That the information contained in the report, which was previously presented at the April briefing of the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health thatprovided an update on Adult Social Care’s progress to ensure readiness for the National Assurance Framework. The report also provided an update on progress on the action plan which was developed following the Local Government Association Adult Social Care Peer Review, which now formed part of assurance preparation. The Committee was invited to provide any feedback.

Sarah Alldis, Assistant Director of Adult Social Care, and Lorraine Goude,Consultant Director for Children and Adults Social Care (Assurance Lead), gave a presentation on the Adult Social Care Preparing for Care Quality Commission (CQC) Assessment that provided supporting information on the following:

·       National Care Quality Commission Change

·       Our Assurance Plan

·       Governance & Reporting structure

·       Assurance Progress June 2023

·       June Update

·       Big Assurance Conversation

·       Partner Organisations

·       Community and Experts by Experience – Positive Highlights

·       You said – Opportunities

·       Part 1 Self-Assessment - Checklist (Initial Findings) - Theme 1 and Theme 2)

·       Theme 1 Working with People

·       Theme 2 Providing Support

·       Care Quality Commission Useful Information

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       The value of community engagement.

·       A request for any Plans or Strategies to be submitted to the Committee at the earliest opportunity.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the report be noted;

(2)      assurances on actions being undertaken to ensure readiness for the implementation of the Assurance Framework be received;

(3)      regular updates on progress and any identified risks be received; and

(4)      a further dedicated work session be provided for Committee Members on the Assurance Framework.

Report of the Sefton 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 NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, Sefton. The report outlined details of the following:

·       NHS industrial action.

·       National support to improve urgent and emergency care performance in our system.

·       Digital pilot aims to reduce patient waiting times.

·       NHS Cheshire and Merseyside leading the roll out of virtual wards.

·       Sefton plan development.

·       Reducing differences in access to healthcare for Sefton residents.

·       GP access recovery plan - faster, more convenient care.

·       Responding to national call on how to tackle major conditions.

·       Local maternity services listening event.

·       Latest NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Board meeting.

RESOLVED:

That the update report submitted by the Sefton Place Director, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside (Sefton) be noted.

Report of the Sefton 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 for North and South Sefton, 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.

Stephen Williams, Associate Director Transformation and Partnerships (Sefton), was in attendance an updated on rising demand; record vacancies; industrial action; recovery and learning from the pandemic; extended ambulance response times; the multi-agency partnership; cancer care; planned care and recovery around planned care; stroke care; Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT); and ambulance handover times.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       Cancer referrals and GP access.

·       The possibility of inviting a North West Ambulance representative to an informal meeting of Committee Members.

·       Patients attending A&E under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and how this could be managed.

·       Target reduction at a time of record demand and record staffing issues, together with the risk of patients not receiving timely treatment. Further detail could be obtained.

·       Reasons for record demand.

·       Ophthalmic services and risks associated with glaucoma not being diagnosed, particularly following urgent referrals from opticians. Further detail could be obtained.

·       The 65 week wait target for planned care and how time limits were set clinically. Further detail could be obtained.

·       Assurances around supportive discharge of patients, particularly following strokes. Further detail could be obtained.

·       Assurance on the long-term care plans for patients who contract hospital associated infections. Further detail could be obtained.

·       Impacts on staff wellbeing from industrial action and record vacancies. Further detail could be obtained.

RESOLVED: That

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

(2)      a representative of North West Ambulance be invited to an informal meeting of Committee Members, on a date to be confirmed;

(3)      the Associate Director Transformation and Partnerships (Sefton), be requested to provide additional information on the following, to the Democratic Services Manager, for circulation to Committee Members:

• Target reductions and staffing issues and any impacts on timely treatment of patients.

·       Ophthalmic services and risks associated with glaucoma not being diagnosed, particularly following urgent referrals from opticians;

·       The 65 week wait target for planned care and how time limits were set clinically;

·       Assurances around supportive discharge of patients, particularly following strokes;

·       Assurance on the long-term care plans for patients who contract hospital associated infections; and

·       Impacts on staff wellbeing from industrial action and record vacancies.

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 the National Assurance Framework for Adult Social Care

·       Integration and National Policy Update:

o   Sefton Partnership Maturity

o   Integrated Care Teams (ICT) Development

·       Life Course Commissioning:

o   Domiciliary Care

o   Day Opportunities

o   Supported Living

o   Care Homes

o   Fee Rates and Cost of Care Exercises 2023/24

·       Adult Social Care Budget

·       Adult Social Care Complaints, Compliments and MP Enquiries

·       Principal Social Worker Update (PSW)

·       Performance and Key Areas of Focus:

o   Admission into Care and Reablement:

o   Self-Directed Support and Direct Payments:

o   Employment:

o   Housing:

o   Safeguarding:

o   Sefton Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board

·       Workforce Development 

·       Update on Independent Living and Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme

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

Public Health:

·       Happy ‘N’ Healthy Sefton

·       Procurement of Living Well Sefton & Consultation & Engagement

·       Public Health Annual Report (PHAR)

·       Co-commissioning Substance Use Intervention & Probation

·       Mental Health Snapshot

·       National Child Measurement Programme 2021/2022

·       Public Health Risk Register

·       Public Health Service Plan

·       Public Health Performance Framework

·       Dental Survey

Leisure:

·       Leisure update (March)

·       Leisure Update (May)

·       Leisure Fees & Charges (February)

·       Physical Activity Strategy

·       Communities Dashboard (February)

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 that sought to:

·       seek the views of the Committee on the draft Work Programme for the Municipal Year 2023/24;

·       note the Terms of Reference of the Committee, from the Council’s Constitution;

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

·       invite Committee Members to participate in informal briefing sessions during 2023/24, rather than establish a traditional working group;

·       seek the views of the Committee on the draft Programme of informal briefings/workshop sessions for 2023/24,

·       consider if there are any site visits that Committee Members would wish to undertake during 2023/24;

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

·       receive an update on the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System Joint Health Scrutiny Committee; and

·       note the update by Healthwatch Sefton.

The following appendices were attached to the report:

·       Appendix A – Draft Work Programme for 2023/24;

·       Appendix B - Terms of Reference of the Committee, taken from the Council’s Constitution

·       Appendix C - Latest Key Decision Forward Plan items relating to this Overview and Scrutiny Committee;

·       Appendix D – Draft Programme of informal briefings/workshop sessions for 2023/24;

·       Appendix E - Update of recent activities undertaken by Healthwatch Sefton.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the draft Work Programme for 2023/24, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be agreed, along with any additional items to be included and thereon be agreed;

(2)      the Terms of Reference of the Committee from the Council’s Constitution, as set out in Appendix B to the report, be noted;

(3)      the contents of the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period 1 July to 31 October 2023 be noted;

(4)      rather than establish a traditional working group during 2023/24, all Members of the Committee be invited to participate in informal briefing sessions;

(5)      the draft Programme of informal briefings/workshop sessions for 2023/24, as set out at Appendix D to the report, be agreed, along with any additional informal items to be included and thereon be agreed;

(6)      Committee Members be requested to give consideration to any site visits that they would wish to undertake during 2023/24;

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

(8)      the update on the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System Joint Health Scrutiny Committee be noted; and

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

To note that the Committee meetings scheduled to be held during the Municipal Year 2023/24 are as follows:

·       Tuesday, 5 September 2023, 6.30 p.m., Town Hall, Southport

·       Tuesday, 17 October 2023, 6.30 p.m., Town Hall, Bootle

·       Tuesday, 2 January 2024, 6.30 p.m., Town Hall, Southport

·       Tuesday, 20 February 2024, 6.30 p.m., Town Hall, Bootle

RESOLVED:

That it be noted that the meetings of the Committee scheduled to be held during the Municipal Year 2023/24 are as follows:

·       Tuesday, 5 September 2023, 6.30 p.m., Town Hall, Southport

·       Tuesday, 17 October 2023, 6.30 p.m., Town Hall, Bootle

·       Tuesday, 2 January 2024, 6.30 p.m., Town Hall, Southport

·       Tuesday, 20 February 2024, 6.30 p.m., Town Hall, Bootle