Agenda for Adult Social Care & Housing Overview & Scrutiny Dementia Select Committee - Completed on Friday, 4th December, 2009, 10.00am
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Agenda and minutes
PDF 182 KBContact: Giles Rossington Overview & Scrutiny Support Officer
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Minutes: 11A Declaration of Substitutes
11.1 Substitutes are not permitted on Overview & Scrutiny Select Committees.
11B Declarations of Interest
11.2 There were none.
11C Declaration of party whip
11.3 There was none.
11D Exclusion of Press and Public
11.4 The Committee considered whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of any items contained in the agenda, having regard to the nature of the business to be transacted and the nature of the proceedings and the likelihood as to whether, if members of the press and public were present, there would be disclosure to them of confidential or exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A, Part 5A, Section 100A(4) or 100 1 of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). 11.5 RESOLVED – That the press and public be not excluded from the meeting.
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Minutes of the Previous Meeting For information: (1) minutes of the 17 July Select Committee meeting; (2) a note of the 09 September scoping meeting (papers attached). Additional documents: Minutes: 12.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 17 July 2009 were approved. |
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Chairman's Communications Minutes: 13.1 There were none. |
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Case Study: Low Level Need (managing dementia in the community) This item will be introduced by Kathy Caley, Commissioner for Older People Mental Health. Officers providing city Access Point and Intermediate Care services will be on hand to explain what they do and to answer members’ questions (papers attached). Minutes: 14.1 This item was introduced by Cathy Kaley, Commissioner for Older People Mental Health.
14.2 The first part of the session focused on the work of the city Action Point, and this section was presented by Guy Montague-Smith, Access Point Manager.
14.3 Mr Montague-Smith explained that the Access Point:
· supplies information and advice on adult social care issues as well as itself providing a range of services
· can be accessed by service-users, but also by carers, friends and neighbours and by health and social care professionals
· is open Mon-Fri 9-5 (Out of Hours provision is undertaken by an Emergency Duty Team)
· deals with more than 2000 referrals per month – around two thirds of these are for advice/information; around a third requiring follow-up work, either from the Access Point or other teams.
14.4 Mr Montague-Smith told members that the Access Point tries to assess clients itself rather than involve lots of agencies in assessment, so as to provide a high quality assessment service which minimally inconveniences or stresses service-users.
14.5 The services which the Access Point can provide/arrange to be provided include: minor adaptations, repairs and equipment; day services; meals on wheels; CareLink; information on self-directed support; and access to the Daily Living Centre (which allows people to try out adaptations/equipment for disability in a ‘home’ environment).
14.6 The Access Point is currently working to expand its services to include: surgeries in community venues; an ability to develop re-abling homecare packages; closer working with the 3rd sector; more focus on equalities work i.e. accessing ‘hard to reach communities’; and greater promotion of the Access Point to the public and stakeholders.
14.7 Asked about what challenges the Access Point faced, Mr Monatgue-Smith told members that it was particularly important that funding for the Access Point should take account of the ‘down-the-line’ savings which the service could generate (i.e. by reducing demand for very expensive secondary care/crisis services). To this end, the Access Point was actively collecting information on its efficacy.
14.8 Mr Montague-Smith also mentioned that he had experienced some difficulties in conveying information about the Access Point to city GPs, as a minority of GP Practice Managers were reluctant to pass on information from non-NHS organisations.
14.9 The Chair noted how important it was that the Access Point should be included in future ‘public’ council events such as ‘Get Involved Day’. The Chair thanked Mr Montague-Smith for his contribution.
14.10 Members then received a presentation about the Intermediate Care Service (ICS). The presentation was given by Eileen Jones, Intermediate Care Team Manager, and Dennis Batchelor, Registered Mental Health Nurse working with ICS.
14.11 Ms Jones told members that ICS helps recovery, prevents unnecessary hospital admission and facilitates quicker discharge from hospital. These all help to maximise people’s capacity for living full and independent lives.
14.12 ICS currently has 61 beds across the city: in local authority and NHS facilities at Knoll House and Craven Vale and in a variety of independent sector settings across Brighton & Hove. ICS also has extensive involvement in community services, supporting clients in their own homes.
14.3 Patients usually stay in an intermediate care bed for 1-2 weeks, although they can stay for up to 6 weeks (and longer in special cases).
14.4 The ICS has recently taken on a Registered Mental Health Nurse. The nurse is responsible for a range of tasks including supporting ICS staff in dealing with patients with mental health problems; assessing patients in the service; risk-assessing the service taking on particular patients; and liaising with Community mental Health Teams, city GPs, mental health advocacy services etc.
14.5 ICS has to deal with a large number of clients who have complex needs including mental health problems such as dementia. Ms Jones estimated that around one third of ICS clients have a diagnosis of dementia and that another third may well have undiagnosed dementia.
14.6 Mr Batchelor explained that people with dementia can differ very widely, as dementia can be thought of as the product of a number of factors, including: Personality, Biography, Physical Health, Neurological Impairment and Social Psychology (D = P + B + PH + NI + SP).
14.7 The Chair thanked Ms Jones and Mr Batchelor for their contribution. |
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Dates of next meeting To be agreed at the meeting. Members are requested to bring their diaries to this meeting. Minutes: 15.1 Members agreed to reconvene on Friday 15 January 2010 to consider a case study focusing on high level support. |