Agenda item

Learning Disability - The Transforming Care Partnership

Kate Tufnell, Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group, to present

Minutes:

Kate Tuffnell, Rotherham Clinical Commissioning group, presented a report on the South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Transforming Care Partnership (TCP) which comprised Rotherham, Doncaster, Sheffield and North Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Groups.  The Partnership would transform care for people with a learning disability and Autism by working collaboratively to deliver the key principles from the national Building The Right Support Framework.

 

The TCP had been set the challenge to remove the need for permanent hospital care for people with a Learning Disability, people with complex and challenging care needs and/or Autism by March 2019.  The plan set out how the Partnership aimed to achieve reducing the need for hospital beds whilst moving to a more proactive community-based care model which was in line with Building The Right Support core values and principles.

 

In 3 years the TCP would have:-

 

-          Lowered the number of inpatient hospital beds for people with Learning Disabilities and Autism to between 10-15 beds

-          Re-invested in new models of care such as expanded care teams, greater use of personal health budgets and a more coherent response to offender and forensic health

-          Developed a coherent engagement strategy to ensure that Service users -and their families were genuine co-producers of models of care

-          Development of the workforce, not just for statutory services, but also supporting the independent and private sector to access training across the system

 

Discussion ensued on the report with the following issues raised/highlighted:-

 

·           When someone who had been in hospital for a lot of years and was going to live in the community, it was essential that local Ward Councillors were notified to help ease other residents’ concerns, prevent rumours getting out of hand and engaging the community in a positive manner - This was happening nationally.  A challenge for Rotherham was that a lot of the homes that supported people with a Learning Disability did not always notify agencies.  The CCG was working with providers across the Rotherham footprint and talking to them about their plans and how they worked locally.  There had been instances where people had been placed locally, not known to the Services, and that was where things went wrong. It was also noted that in a number of the homes there were no Rotherham people in them. 

 

·           The public were concerned about the changes that were taking place for example support following the death of a family carer– It was really important that people fed into the consultation (Minute No. 58) and put their views forward because it would influence how the Council would take it forward.  The work through the Transformation affected a very small number of people.  Work was commencing to talk to them and find out where they wanted to live, what they wanted to do and it was hoped to do a piece of work with Speakup regarding Person Centred Planning for those individuals.

 

·           Important to note that although the consultation was badged for Learning Disability it was for anyone in the Borough.

 

·           If someone who lived in the community required a secure bed did we have the capacity to provide that person with a secure bed?  If someone needed a hospital bed because they required treatment they would not be denied a bed.  There was a staged approach; people who were working with someone in hospital to support them to move out of hospital.  Then there was an At Risk of Admission Register which was an early warning and flagged where it was thought they may be problems with an individual and who may need additional support.  Workers would meet as a team and provide that additional support and hopefully, with that support, stay in the community.  If needed the individual would be admitted to hospital.

 

·           If someone had to access Mental Health Services as an alternative was there capacity to support that person so they could access the Services that would help? A  lot of work had been carried out over the last couple of years to look at the Mental Health Hospital and to make sure if someone with a Learning Disability needed to be admitted it was appropriate.  Speak Up have done a lot of work with the hospital and training to ensure they understand the needs of a person with learning disability or autism.  If somebody who needed to be admitted into Rotherham Mental Health Hospital that would happen if that required and the staff had had additional training to enable that to happen. 

 

Resolved:-  (1)  That the work of the Transforming Care Partnership to transfer care for people with a Learning Disability or with Autism be noted.

 

(2)  That future reports on Learning Disability – Shaping the Future and the Transforming Care Partnership, be submitted at the same time.

Supporting documents: