Agenda and minutes

There were no Declarations of Interest made at the meeting.

There were no members of the public and the press present at the meeting.

There were none to report.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board were considered.

It was noted that feedback received in relation to Minute No. 101 (Health and Wellbeing Board Strategic Priorities) had been incorporated into discussions on the refresh.

Resolved:-

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10^th June, 2020, be approved as a correct record.

Moira Wilson, Rotherham Safeguarding Adults Board Independent Chair, to present

Moira Wilson, Independent Chair, presented the Rotherham Safeguarding Adults Board 2019/20 Annual Report with the aid of the following powerpoint presentation:-

Board Priorities

-        Prevention and Early Intervention

-        Making Safeguarding Personal

-        Quality Assurance

-        Service User Engagement

Achievements 2019/20

-        Completed the first joint self-assessment with Children’s Safeguarding Partnership.  All partners completed an electronic submission to evidence their safeguarding practice across Adults and Children’s Services

-        Carried out a training needs analysis across the Partnership to develop a refreshed safeguarding training offer

-        Complete a Safeguarding Adults Review

-        Safeguarding Awareness Week 2019

Common Themes

-        Mental Health - RDaSH Board and Sub-Group members, Chair of Workforce Training and Development Group

-        Self-Neglect – Policy for Self-Neglect and Hoarding launch November 2020

-        Domestic Abuse – Working with SRP and Children’s Services to ensure shared learning

-        CSE – Close partnership working and monitoring

-        Users and Carers – Attendance at Carers Groups and VAR events

Future

-        Support the Safeguarding Adults Partnership through the Covid-19 pandemic

-        Ensure that effective engagement with the public occurs during this time and that safeguarding messages are communicated effectively regarding prevention and protection

-        Assurance - ensuring Making Safeguarding Personal is embedded in all safeguarding practice across the Partnership

-        Commission a safeguarding training package that delivers an effective partnership approach to safeguarding

-        Development – continue to work jointly with Health and Wellbeing, Community Safety and Children’s Boards to deliver a joined-up approach to “Safeguarding is Everyone’s Business”

It was noted that the 2020 Safeguarding Awareness Week would take place on 16^th-20^th November.

The Chair thanked Moira for her presentation as well as the help and support she had given the Adult Social Care Directorate at the time of Government intervention. 

Resolved:-

Local Safeguarding Children Board and the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Adults Board’s Annual Report 2019-20 be noted.

Sharon Kemp, Chief Executive, reported that it had been announced that the South Yorkshire area of Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley would move into the Very High Alert level as from 00.01 a.m. Saturday, 24^th October, 2020.  Given the rising infection rates and the significant challenge within the NHS, the focus was on how to save lives and protect the NHS as well as many livelihoods as possible throughout the discussions with the Government.

South Yorkshire would be included in Tier 3 for a period of 28 days and then to be revised by Parliament.  The restrictions that would come into force would include:-

-        You must not meet socially with friends and family indoors in any setting unless they were part of your household or support bubble.  This included private homes and indoors in hospitality venues such as pubs

-        You must also not meet with people outside of your household or support bubble in a private garden or in most outdoor public venues

-        Pubs and bar would be closed unless they were serving substantial meals

-        Avoid travel where possible outside the Very High Alert areas or enter into a Very High Alert Area other than for education, work or caring responsibilities.

-        Betting shops, soft play centres, casinos and adult gaming centres were to close

-        Leisure centres and gyms could remain open but classes would not be allowed

A Government support package of £41M would be provided.  It was a one-off allocation of £30M to support the region’s businesses and £11M across all 4 local authorities to support the Public Health measures to reduce the spread of infection.

Further information would be provided as more detail was known.

Sharon Kemp to report

Anne Marie Lubanski, Strategic Director, Adult Social Care, Housing and Public Health, gave an update on the work of the Local Outbreak Engagement Board.

The numbers in Rotherham and South Yorkshire had significantly risen; the latest test and trace data was approximately 340 cases.  There had been an increase in the number of cases of people over 60 years of age as well as a steady increase across all age groups across the Borough.  This obviously then had an impact on the NHS.  Cases were widespread across the Borough which was some of work the Health Protection Board had been looking at.

A lot of communications had been issued and would continue.  The key communication was not to become complacent about the basics i.e. washing hands, 2 m distance etc. and communications would continue in an attempt to embed that over the coming weeks in order to get infection rates down.  It was known that a lot of infection was within household settings; there were no wide outbreaks being seen in work settings.  Over the last 10 days there had been an increase in the number of positive cases of staff and residents within the care home setting; work would be carried out to reinforce the actions that care homes needed to do.

It would be a very challenging time for the Partnership but it was working to the 7 themes with an additional theme in terms of Wellbeing.  One of the concerns of the further restrictions was the impact on isolation and people’s mental wellbeing that needed to be supported over the coming 4 weeks and possibly longer.

Michael Wright, Deputy Chief Executive, Rotherham Foundation Trust, reported that about a week ago the Hospital had had approximately 30 Covid positive patients; as of last night the figure had risen to the mid 60’s and increasing very rapidly.  The first Covid ward had opened a few weeks ago for those tested positive and was now looking at opening a third.  The Trust had reviewed its elective activity and had taken the decision to pause non-essential urgent elective procedures for the timebeing.

It was an extremely challenging time for the Hospital with approximately 110 members of staff absent from work due to Covid related reasons.  This was having an impact on how work took place across the wards.

Anne Marie and Michael were thanked for their reports.

Presentation by Toni Tranter, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

Toni Tranter, Partnership Manager, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, gave the following presentation on the Service’s Safe and Well Referral Scheme:-

Making South Yorkshire Safer and Stronger

-        The Service’s prevention work over the last 15 years had helped to reduce accidental house fires to historically low levels

-        In common with most other fire and rescue services nationally, recent years had seen a slight increase in fatal incidents

-        Since 2011 more than 50 people had died in house fires in South Yorkshire

Analysis of each incident had found common factors involved in almost all of South Yorkshire’s recent fire deaths such as

-        Hoarding

-        Social isolation

-        Substance misuse

-        Mental health problems

For reasons such as these, many house fire victims were already known to at least one agency whether it was

-        A landlord

-        Doctor’s surgery

-        Drug and Alcohol Services

-        Council

-        Social Care Team

Sadly in most cases, SYFR did not.  Most of the deaths could have been prevented but the Service needed help.  The best way to help the Service help those most at risk was to sign up to become one of the Safe and Well Referral Partners.

Referral Types

-        Home Safety Check

-        Threat of arson including domestic abuse

-        Think Family

Partnership Working

-        St Leger Homes

-        DMBC Adult Social Care

-        SCC Adult Social Care

-        SCC Housing Teams

-        Berneslai Homes

-        SWYPT NHS Trust

-        IDVA/IDAS Partners

-        RDASH

-        DCST

How to become a S&W Partner

-        Contact safe&well@syfire.gov.uk

-        Toni Tranter, Partnership Manager

Email - ttranter@syfire.gov.uk

Telephone – 07785310943

David Fox-Meakin, Partnership Officer

Email: dfox-meakin@syfire.gov.uk

Telephone: 07825009024

Discussion ensued on the presentation with the following issues raised/clarified:-

·        Adult Social Care and Housing Services were signed up to the Scheme but there needed to be separation between the 2 to enable determination of which teams were making the referrals

·        Rotherham was the lowest referral area

·        Safeguarding Awareness Week – activities organised via Microsoft Teams plus 8 Safe and Well partner training sessions i.e. 2 additional sessions on emmolient cream, air pressure mattresses and oxygen use fire safety plus 2 sessions on Think Families

Toni was thanked for her presentation.

Resolved:-

(1)  That the presentation be noted.

(2)  That Toni be invited to a meeting of the Council’s wider Leadership team to raise awareness of the Scheme.

ACTION:-  AML

The Board received for information a briefing for local authorities, circulated by The Royal British Legion, on the cross-organisation project they had conducted exploring loneliness and social isolation in the Armed Forces community.

Anne Marie Lubanski/Becky Woolley to present

Becky Woolley, Policy Officer, presented an update on the refresh of the Board’s priorities taking into consideration the impact of Covid-19 and evidence regarding health inequalities.

A development session had been held in September, 2020, facilitated by the LGO, together with a period of consultation with Board members and the Health Select Commission, the feedback from which was being used to inform the development of the plan.

The refreshed action plan would be submitted to the next meeting of the Board i.e. 11^th November, 2020.

It was proposed that the plan run until June 2021 which would ensure alignment with the Council’s Year Ahead Plan as well as the Rotherham Together Partnership Year Ahead Plan.

It was noted that due to the pandemic it may be that consideration would have to be given as to whether some of the priorities were achievable given the other commitments/priorities of the partners.

Resolved:-

That the progress update be noted.

Sharon Kemp/Chris Edwards to report

Chris Edwards, Chief Operating Officer, RCCG, reported that the Place Board had been re-enacted to Gold Command and was now meeting weekly.  It had been planned to recommence Place Board business being held in the public domain but it that may have to be delayed for the current time.

Wednesday, 11^th November, 2020, commencing at 9.00 a.m.

Resolved:-

That a further meeting of the Board be held on Wednesday, 11^th November, 2020, commencing at 9.00 a.m.