Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health outlining proposals for a new model for the Council’s Adult Social Care mental health provision across the Borough.

Recommendations

That Cabinet:

1.             Note the proposals for a new Adult Social Care mental health model of provision for the Borough.

2.             Approve the development of a co-designed Council Mental Health Strategy for Rotherham, with the strategy being presented back to Cabinet for approval in 2025, prior to publication.

The Chair invited the Strategic Director for Adult Care, Housing and Public Health and the Head of Safeguarding and Mental Health Services to introduce the report. It was noted that in February 2023, Cabinet approved a recommendation to review the Council’s Adult Social Care Mental Health model which included a period of consultation with people with lived experience, their families and carers. The review was delayed due to the impact of the pandemic on adult social care. If approved by Cabinet, a staff consultation exercise would be undertaken.

The proposals outlined in the report were intended to enhance the benefits of continued joint working between health and social care whilst defining and developing the social care offer to best effect. Research and evidence supported that such approaches provided the best opportunities for personalised support to maximise recovery and independence. A recent policy paper published by the Department of Health and Social Care in 2022 focussed on shared outcomes through partner collaboration and set out how person-centred care should be central to reform.

Working with other relevant local organisations, the Integrated Care Board (ICB) was responsible for planning and delivering joined up health and care services to improve the lives of people in their area. The proposed model recognised the importance of continued commitment to partnership working and identified collaborative, co-located approaches.

It was outlined that the demographics of the borough were a key consideration in developing the proposed model. It was noted that Rotherham was one of the 20% most deprived authorities in England which impacted on the prevalence of mental health related needs.

Based on the outcome from the consultation, and collaboration with partners during the review period, a new personalised mental health pathway had been designed. The pathway focused on the person and set out the core component of the model to deliver the statutory social care duties. These included:

·      A new information and guidance offer.

·      Early Solutions (the adult social care front door and enablement offer).

·      Care Act social care assessment.

·      Mental Health Act duties.

·       Crisis care and recovery.

The key change in the proposed model was an alignment of Council employed adult social care staff to deliver roles and responsibilities that met the requirements of the Care Act 2014, the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Health Capacity Act 2005, as well as associated statutory guidance and codes of practice.  It was proposed that this would better balance the clinical and social models to provide a collaborative model of delivery which would further strengthen co-location and integration. Details were provided in the report of how this would be achieved. It was noted that the proposed changes would provide evidence for the Care Quality Commission.

The Chair invited questions and comments from Board Members and a discussion on the following issues ensued:

·      The proposals outlined were welcomed. Clarification was sought about how people’s mental health needs would be triaged to ensure that they were referred to the most appropriate service. Details were provided on the assessment process  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79