Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Myers.

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 7^th January 2025.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 7 January 2025, be confirmed as a correct record.

To receive a verbal update from the Managing Director, Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance.

The Committee considered the report of the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance that provided an overview of the activities of Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance in Sefton and was submitted for information and discussion.

Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance was an NHS organisation that brought healthcare providers, commissioners, patients, cancer research institutions and voluntary and charitable sector partners together to improve cancer outcomes for the local population.

The Alliance was responsible for:

• Delivering the NHS Long Term Plan objectives for cancer, including the ambition that, by 2028, 75% of cancers would be diagnosed at stages 1 and 2.

• Reducing unwarranted variation in care, access, patient experience and outcomes.

• Improving performance against cancer waiting times standards.

• Supporting innovation and safeguarding the long-term sustainability of cancer services.

The Alliance was funded by, and accountable to, the national cancer programme within NHS England and the Alliance was hosted by The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust.

Presentation slides had been circulated to the Committee which highlighted the work of the Alliance with reference to improving cancer outcomes for the population of Sefton. Data for Sefton was also provided.

Jon Hayes, Managing Director, Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance, attended the meeting to present information and to respond to any questions or issues raised by Members of the Committee.

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

·       The working relationship between the Cancer Alliance and Public Health teams.

·       The data that highlights poor lung health in Sefton and the reasons for this

·       Strategies for areas in high deprivation.

·       The statistics around early onset cancer

·       The importance of using the right language when talking about cancer

·       The availability of support services for families affected by cancer.

RESOLVED: That

(1)                  the report and the information provided be noted; and

(2)                 a further update on the activities of Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance in Sefton be provided to the Committee in 12 months’ time.

Report of the Assistant Director, Adult Social Care

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director, Adult Social Care  which provided an overview of the Better at Home programme of work to improve hospital discharge and support more Sefton residents to go home from hospital with the correct level of support. 

The Committee received a presentation which outlined the following:

·       Strategic drivers and enablers of the Better at Home Programme

·       The pathway between Urgent Care and Hospitals to the patient’s home.

·       Phases of the Better at Home Programme

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

·       If there was a Care Transfer Hub already at the Aintree Hospital site, and if not, was one planned to be introduced.

·       If the Better at Home Programme would continue if it was successful

·       Th practical support such as therapists and if there was a Therapy Lead for the Programme

·       The expectations for the long-term agenda and anticipated improvements provided by the Programme.

·       The economic modelling done on the impact of the Programme.

·       If the staff working on the Programme had the buildings they needed to work from.

·       Feedback from the staff working on the Programme

·       The areas of staffing that were proving difficult to recruit to.

RESOLVED: That

(1)            the integrated approach across Adult Social Care and Health be noted; and

(2)           the improvements made to date and future planned changes 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 an update about the work of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, Sefton. The report outlined details of the following:

·       Adult Diabetes Initiatives in Sefton

·       NHS Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance

·       Proposed Changes to Gluten Free Prescribing

RESOLVED:

That the update 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. Ambulance response times were also included within the data.

·       The data for the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and how long it would take to bring NWAS in line with service standards.

·       If the NWAS data was indicative of system health.

·       Initiatives to help people access emergency care.

RESOLVED:

That the information on Health Provider Performance be noted.

Report of the Assistant Director, Adult Social Care.

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director, Adult Social Care

 which provided an overview of Adult Social Care qualitative performance. The report highlighted a range of quality data sources that were utilised by the service and set against the national assurance framework. The report identified both areas of strong performance and those requiring a continued focus on quality improvement.

Members of the Committee were provided with a presentation which outlined details of the following:

·       National Framework and Quality

·       Local Framework for Quality Assurance and Learning in Adult Social Care

·       Adult Social Care Governance and Oversight

·       Quality and Practice Activity

·       Learning in Adult Social Care through Audits

·       Compliments and Complaints and Ombudsman findings.

·       Care Market and quality of the Market

·       Response to Carer Surveys.

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

·       If Audit cases were scored for quality

·       How staff were encouraged to complete learning and development courses

·       Whether any modelling had been done to map the patient/client experience to find out what an individual might expect as they go through the system.

·       The percentage of clients who were in full time residential care.

The Committee thanked officers for their comprehensive update and commented that they were pleased to see qualitative data being brought to the attention of the Committee.

RESOLVED: That

(1)           the contents of the report be noted; and

(2)          it be agreed that regular updates continue to be provided to the Committee regarding the qualitative performance of Adult Social Care.

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 – Public Health and Wellbeing, attached to the report at Appendix A, outlined information on the following:

• Leisure Update
• Leisure 2025/26 Pricing Proposal
• Small Grants for Mental Wellbeing
• Sefton Staff Flu Vaccination Programme Activity Summary
• Restart Reset Rethink Programme delivered by Active Sefton

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

• Care Quality Commission (CQC) Assurance and Assessment
• Occupational Therapy and First Contact Team
• Strategic Commissioning
• New Directions
• Domiciliary Care and Reablement
• Provider Quality
• 2025/26 Fee Setting
• Adult Social Care Budget
• Adult Social Care Complaints, Compliments and MP Enquiries

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet Member update reports 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 Work Programme for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2024/25;
• identify any items for pre-scrutiny by the Committee from the Key Decision Forward Plan;
• seek the views of the Committee on the Programme of informal briefings/workshop sessions for the remainder of 2024/25;
• 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

The following appendices were attached to the report:

• Appendix A – Work Programme for 2024/25;
• Appendix B – Draft programme of informal briefings/workshop sessions for 2024/25;
• Appendix C – Latest key decision forward plan items relating to this overview and scrutiny committee.

RESOLVED: That

(1)           the Work Programme for 2024/25, as set out in Appendix A to the report be agreed, along with any additional items (as above) to be included and thereon agreed;

(2)          the contents of the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period 1 March – 30 June, be noted;

(3)          the Programme of informal briefings/workshop sessions for 2024/25, as set out at Appendix B to the report, be noted;

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

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