Agenda item

Graeme Betts, Interim Director, Adult Social Care, to report

Graeme Betts, Interim Director of Adult Care and Housing, presented a report that covered the process of integration between Health and Social Care Services in Rotherham, including an integrated hub and team approach. 

The report outlined the current areas of focus: -

·           Development of integrated Health and Social Care Teams;

·           Development of a reablement hub incorporating intermediate care beds;

·           Community-based multi-professional teams based around practice populations;

·           A focus on intermediate care, case management and support to home-based care;

·           Joint care planning and co-ordinated assessment of care needs;

·           Named care co-ordinators who retain responsibility throughout the patient journey;

·           Clinical records shared across the multi-professional team. 

Within one locality it was proposed that a fully integrated Health and Social Care Team would be developed.  The Team would be co-located and would have a single line-management structure and joint service specification.  It was proposed that a combined outcome framework be developed that supported the strategic objectives of both the Local Authority and the CCG. 

The integrated approach aimed to: -

·           Reduce hospital admissions;

·           Help people remain in their own homes for longer;

·           Create opportunities for efficiency savings.

Graeme explained that efforts were being made to identify venues to locate to. 

Discussion followed, and the following issues were raised: -

·           Louise Barnett believed that integration could support and contribute to the Sustainability and Transformation Plan and could attract additional funding;

·           Mental Health Teams were being approached to consider how they could also become involved;

·           Councillor Roche commended the good news story about integration;

·           Julie Kitlowski asked for an update on progress to identifying a location: - 

o    Chris Edwards explained that the central area of Rotherham was the focus for the first hub.  It was envisaged that there would be seven localities in Rotherham, each serving approximately 30-40,000 people.  The central area would be one of the largest localities. Whilst evaluation would be undertaken after the hub’s first year of operation, this would be too long to wait to begin the other hubs.  Therefore, periodical evaluation would be important.

·           Councillor Yasseen asked that this be linked into the Area Assembly Review: -

o    Sharon Kemp wanted to capitalise on the commitment to conduct a piece of work on Early Help.

·           Dr. Richard Cullen asked whether there could be any duplication between the emergency hub;

·           Louise Barnett referred to the rapid pace of change and the impact that this would have on workforce planning, for example, recruiting a sufficient number of consultants;

·           Tony Clabby asked whether the demographic in the central area of the Borough was ideally suited to an initiative that sought to reduce care home admissions.  The central locality had higher numbers of younger people than other areas of the Borough: -

o    Terri Roche agreed that there were younger age profile to the Borough average in the central area. However hopefully the hub would also address and improve confidence and aid community cohesion.

·           There was likely to be great pressure on the front door;

·           Terri Roche asked that consideration be given to the creation of a Steering Group of the provider agencies, staff representatives and the client group.  Customer feedback was important to seeing where the added value could be provided;

·           There would be a valued role for social prescribing from the voluntary sector;

·           Co-production. 

Louise Barnett advised they were continuing development of an animation demonstrating transformation and integrated working.  It was agreed for this to be presented to the next meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board.  

Resolved:- (1)  That the plan to develop integrated Health and Social Care Teams be supported in principle.

(2)  That the plan to develop a rehabilitation and reablement hub be supported in principle.

(3)  That a detailed action plan on these two initiatives be received at a future meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board.