To receive the Quarterly Performance Monitoring Report – Care and Wellbeing.

Contact: Cezar Sarbu - Service Manager Safeguarding DoLS integrated funding and OT.

REPORT TO FOLLOW – This is due to unplanned additional workload arising from the announcement of the imminent regulatory inspection.

Cezar Sarbu, Service Manager Ops Central, presented the Quarterly Performance Monitoring report, outlining the continued challenges facing Adult Social Care due to sustained demand, increasing complexity of need and the challenges of delivering services across a large rural county. He advised that despite these pressures, the service had maintained a strong focus on prevention, early intervention and supporting people to remain independent.

Members were updated on the Adult Social Care Transformation Programme, including the Prevent, Reduce and Delay and Complex Pathway approaches. The report also highlighted performance against national comparators, safeguarding activity, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), recent legal changes arising from a Supreme Court ruling, and preparations for the forthcoming Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. Cezar advised that data submissions to the CQC were due in July, with the on-site inspection expected in September.

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care, Councillor Ruth Houghton, commended the comprehensiveness of the report and thanked officers for their work in preparing for the CQC inspection, noting the significant effort required to meet the inspection timetable.

In response to a question about which areas of performance officers were most proud of, Cezar Sarbu explained that it would be difficult and unfair to single out particular teams, as all areas of Adult Social Care made valuable contributions. He highlighted the importance of safeguarding work and the service’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement. Laura Tyler, Service Director Commissioning agreed that it was difficult to identify only one or two areas of performance because there were strong examples of good practice across the service. She highlighted that Adult Social Care was seeing positive outcomes through its preventative approach and that there were good examples of support helping people remain independent.

Members queried how the Council worked with partners to avoid duplication, delays and unnecessary costs within health and social care pathways. In response it was explained that a range of checks, communication processes and escalation routes were in place between social care, NHS partners, district nurses and care providers.

In response to a query about how carers and family members could raise concerns or report issues, Cezar Sarbu advised that care and support plans contained details of allocated social workers and team contact numbers and duty arrangements operate during office hours, supported by an Emergency Duty Team out of hours, while the First Point of Contact service provided a clear route for members of the public to raise concerns and access support.

Councillor Houghton, the Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care added that one of the service’s key strengths was supporting more people to remain living independently in their own homes and communities, which aligned with the preferences of residents. She highlighted recent examples of successful hospital discharge arrangements and reassured members that robust communication systems and safety nets were in place to support people when issues arose.

The Chairman asked officers to identify the greatest risks ahead of the CQC inspection. Officers advised that the greatest challenges remained the waiting lists for Occupational Therapy and DoLS assessments. It was acknowledged that these pressures were significant but noted that they reflected national issues rather than concerns unique to Shropshire. Officers explained that the focus was on ensuring people were supported to “wait well”, with robust risk assessments, prioritisation processes and regular reviews in place to manage risk while individuals waited for services. They also highlighted the need to further strengthen support for unpaid carers and improve access to information and advice as areas of ongoing improvement.

In response to a question regarding the scale of waiting lists, Cezar Sarbu explained that demand for assessments continued to exceed capacity in some areas. He noted that DoLS assessments were experiencing significant pressures due to national increases in demand and legislative changes, with waiting times in some cases extending for long periods. He emphasised that robust prioritisation arrangements, risk assessments and regular contact with providers were in place to ensure individuals with the greatest need received support first and that changes in circumstances were identified promptly.

The Committee thanked staff for their work, particularly in preparation for the forthcoming CQC inspection. Members agreed that issues such as waiting lists, support for carers and performance monitoring may merit further consideration within the Committee’s future work programme.

RESOLVED:

The Committee noted:

·     The Quarter 4 Performance Report update;

·     The transformation programme themes for adult social care;

·     The Care Quality Commission (CQC) impending inspection for adult

·     social care; and

·     The change in legislation around Deprivation of Liberty safeguards.