Andrew Nisbet

Executive meeting of 15th December 2011
Winter Arrangements for Social Care Services.
At the Executive Meeting of 3rd November the Committee agreed the Winter Service Policy to allow this year’s operational plan to be finalised. This is detailed within the winter road maintenance section of the website: http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/winter-road-maintenance. This provides details of gritting routes, grit bins, winter maintenance policy and daily weather forecasts and road treatment plans. As Members will be aware, priority routes for gritting do take recognise the need to access a variety of important destinations such as facilities for older people.
During the extreme winter conditions experienced last year, I was impressed with the response of our care staff and our independent providers’ staff to these challenging conditions. This did not happen just by chance and I thought it would be helpful for Members to have some insight into the preparations that have been made to ensure that vulnerable people across the county receive their services.
An extensive joint winter planning exercise has taken place across both Children and Families and Adult Care and the following actions are being taken:
• Reviewing contingency / business continuity plans (both council and our providers)
• Provision of equipment for pool cars , such as shovels, flask, warning triangle, space blankets and Hi Viz bibs for staff
• Staff using own cars have been advised to make similar arrangements
• Issuing appropriate waterproof jackets and trousers for key staff
• Buddy cover / lone worker policy
• Provision of “grippers” for home care staff shoes
• Joint working with private sector, health and voluntary organisations in relation to prioritising clients and responses required

Discussions have also taken place between the roads service, social work staff and the NHS to ensure preparations are made for all members of the community (not just those ‘vulnerable’ people known to the council) and that robust liaison arrangements are in place throughout the winter period. Key senior staff also attended a recent emergency planning event Exercise Polar Storm with a wide range of partner agencies to further refine our preparations, promote joint working and learn the lessons from recent winters.

Appointment of New Head of Children and Families
An interview panel met on 29th November and interviewed three short listed candidates. Following these interviews the post was offered to, and accepted by, Louise Long.
Louise currently works for South Ayrshire Council where she is Acting Head of Children and Families. Negotiations regarding a start date are in progress.

Older People’s Services Review
In my last report I indicated that the Project Board and Special Committee had agreed to proceed to tender for Older People’s Day Care Services. Tenders have been returned and once they have been fully evaluated, officers’ recommendations will be brought to a meeting of the Project Board and Special Committee, in the new year.
A decision on whether to invite tenders for the care at home services was deferred to allow further information on TUPE implications for staff to be considered. As a result of that further consideration, staff in this particular service have been offered the option of either taking voluntary redundancy or transferring to a new provider under TUPE arrangements. Head of Adult Care, The Service Manager – Adult Care and I carried out a series of meetings with the relevant staff. Officers from Legal Services and HR also attended these meetings to deal with detailed issues relating to these options for possible transfer to a new employer. To allow time for staff to get and consider details of the voluntary redundancy offer, the issue of the tender documents has been delayed until the new year. In addition, the Head of Adult Care, The Service Manager – Adult Care and I have held further briefing meetings for clients and carers to update them on progress of all parts of the review and deal with any concerns.

Learning Disability Services Review
Following the Project Board and Special Committee of 4th May, the Special Committee agreed to undertake a pre qualifying questionnaire stage of a tender exercise to enable the Council to decide whether it should outsource its existing community based and buildings based services. A report on the pre qualifying exercise was considered by the Project Board and the Special Committee on 7th December.
I will provide members with a verbal update on the decision of the Special Committee at the Executive Meeting.

Meetings
Over the past few months I have attended meetings of the CHP Committee on Islay and at Lochgilphead; the Health and Social Care Strategic Partnership (which I chair); and the North Strathclyde Criminal Justice Authority. Papers for these meetings are available by contacting Katie Taylor in the Leader’s Office.

Southern Cross and Argus Care Group
Members will be aware of financial difficulties encountered by Southern Cross – the care home operator. The company had two care homes in Argyll and Bute, one in Campbeltown and one in Helensburgh. New landlords have now been identified and the transfer of the business to them is now complete.
More recently the Argus Care Group – an operator of three care homes in Argyll and Bute also ceased trading. New operators were quickly identified and contracts agreed, with these new operators, for the residents placed there by the council. No disruption to service was experienced by the residents of these homes during this process.

Response to the Child Protection Inspection Report
Following the publication of the multi agency child protection inspection report presented to the last meeting of the Executive, an improvement group comprising representatives from the Children and Families Service, Education Services, Strathclyde Police and the NHS was convened by the Executive Director of Community Services. This short life working group was tasked with developing an improvement plan that related to the inspection’s findings and was integrated with the wider social work improvement plan. The draft improvement plan was due to be considered by partners represented on the Child and Adult Protection Chief Officers Group (CAPCOG) on Thursday 8th December 2012.

Andrew Nisbet
Spokesperson for Social Affairs
6th December 2011

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Report of Spokesperson for Social Affairs

Executive meeting of 11^th August 2011

Older People’s Services Review

The Older Persons’ Project Board and Special Committee met on 27^th June to consider progress on the tendering process for outsourcing the council’s older persons’ provision of care homes; home care and day care services. The Project Board and Special Committee received an update on the level of interest in these services from suitably qualified and experienced providers. Following considerable discussion and debate the Special Committee agreed that the recommended short list of tenderers for day care services be invited to submit formal tenders. The result of this tendering exercise will be brought back to the Project Board and Special Committee later this year and any final recommendation on whether to externalise any or all of these services will be brought to the Council for final decision.

A decision on whether to invite tenders for the care at home services was deferred until late August to allow for further information on TUPE implications for staff.

The Head of Adult Care, The Service Manager – Adult Care and I will carry out a series of meetings with clients/carers and relevant staff to update them on progress and deal with any concerns. Legal and HR staff will also attend staff meetings to deal with detailed issues relating to the possible transfer of staff to a new employer.

There was only one competent expression of interest in the externalisation of the Council’s care homes. Consequently, the Special Committee agreed that officers should consider what alternative approaches to their continued operation there may be and involving a competitive dialogue process following the conclusion of the tender exercises for day care and care at home services . In the interim period the Council residential homes will continue to operate as usual.

Learning Disability Services Review

The Project Board and Special Committee met on 4^th May to discuss the Final Business Case prepared following the options appraisal in respect of the Learning Disability Review. The Special Committee agreed to undertake a pre qualifying questionnaire stage of a tender exercise to enable the Council to decide whether it should outsource its existing community based and buildings based services. A report on the pre qualifying exercise will be brought back to the Special Committee in late September when a decision on whether to invite tenders will be taken.

As with the Older Persons Review the Head of Adult Care, the Service Manager – Learning Disabilities and I have held meetings with Locality Forums and Staff affected by the proposals. These meetings have been extremely helpful and the input received is being used to develop the tendering strategy.

Integration of Health and Social Care Services

Meetings have been held with NHS Highland to progress the development of an agreed approach on integrating Health and Social Care Services. Members will be aware that the Executive (2^nd June) agreed a report setting out an overarching framework of values and principles for developing a strategy. This has also been agreed by NHS Highland Board and a meeting is to take place in August to develop the approach further.

Greenwood Residential Home (Campbeltown)

Members will recall that following concern expressed by the, then, Care Commission the Executive (10^th March,2011) agreed to proposals to de-register the residential status of the unit and implement an alternative supported living model of care within the current premises replacing the institutional model of care. On recent visits to the Woodlands / Greenwood complex I have been very impressed with the progress that staff have made in implementing the plan and with the response to the change from the residents. Physical alterations are now complete and the necessary staffing changes and tenancy agreements are being finalised. A recent unannounced inspection by SCSWIS (Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland) resulted in scores of 5 (Very Good) for the two areas inspected (Quality of Care and Support; Quality of Management and Leadership). This is a significant improvement on previous scores and a credit to the hard work put in by the staff to effect the change.

SCSWIS Scrutiny Report

A final report on the SWIA (now SCSWIS) inspection report has been published and a presentation to full Council by the Lead inspector is being arranged. The report outlines the progress made by the social work service from the time of the last inspection (2007) and comments:

‘Overall social work services in Argyll and Bute were making progress on a well planned improvement journey with managers and staff involved in addressing areas for continued improvement.’

Southern Cross

Members will be aware of recent press comment on the financial problems of Southern Cross – the care home operator. The company has two care homes in Argyll and Bute, one in Campbeltown and one in Helensburgh. The Council has also placed a number of people in Sothern Cross homes elsewhere in Scotland. Since it became apparent that there was a possibility that some of these homes might close, officers have been working with other agencies to prepare contingency plans should closure happen. The National Contingency Planning Group are currently working with the landlords to secure new operators for each of the Southern Cross homes in the UK and the Council is liaising with this group via COSLA to keep an eye on developments. The Council has prepared contingency plans to deal with the outcome of this process.

Andrew Nisbet

Spokesperson for Social Affairs

28^th July 2011

Report of Spokesperson for Social Affairs
Executive meeting of 21st April 2011

Older People’s Services Review
Members will be aware that the Older People’s Project Board and Special Committee have been considering and developing the review of Older People’s Services for some time. At the most recent meetings (3rd February 2011) it was agreed that the provision of Care Home, Home Care and Day Care services (currently operated by the Council) should be subjected to a competitive tendering procedure. As a result, the commissioning team is developing a Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) and service specification to allow the Council to go through a restricted tendering process for these services. Whilst the earlier market testing exercise had identified limited interest in the Council’s own Care Homes, more interest was apparent in the Home Care and Day Care services. It is anticipated that the PQQ Stage and Tendering stage will be completed by around the end of August when recommendations on the future of these services will be brought before the Council.
Clearly this process will have significant implications for the staff delivering these services as well as for our customers who receive them. With this in mind, senior managers have been conducting staff briefing and customer briefing session across the region. Given the political sensitivity of this issue, I have attended most of these sessions to hear, at first hand, staff and customer queries and concerns. The officers and I have found these sessions extremely helpful in identifying concerns and these have been fed back to the commissioning team to help inform the tendering process.
There is a strong commitment to continue this dialogue throughout the process and a “frequently asked questions” newsletter will shortly be circulated to all staff summarising issues that have been raised and the response given.

Learning Disability Services Review
The Project Board and Special Committee have also been overseeing a similar review for People with Learning Disabilities (as that referred to above, for Older People). A report recommending what changes should be made to these services will be presented to the Project Board and Special Committee on 4th May. I will keep members briefed on progress on this review.

Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Strategic Partnership
I have attended two meetings of this Partnership (26th January and 30th March) – the first as an observer. At the most recent meeting, I assumed the Chair of the group in accordance with the practice of rotating the chair between ourselves and the NHS. It is pleasing to note the good progress that has been made on Delayed Discharges from hospital, where all but one month over the last year has recorded zero delays. For the one month where this was not the case (November 2010) the delay was 1 person. This reflects a performance level comparable with any on a national level and better than most areas have achieved. It is also pleasing to report that the Bute pilot on integrated working with the NHS has made significant progress towards developing a “menu of options” available to health professionals to maintain people in the community and avoid the need to admit them to hospital. It is looking at the possibility of appointing a joint manager to oversee the development of this integrated approach.

Short Break Bureau
On February 7th I attended the launch of this new service which is a new and exciting way of coordinating respite and short breaks for Carers and Service Users in Argyll and Bute. The service will now be rolled out to Bute and Cowal on the 16th May (Dunoon) and 17th of May (Rothesay) with Oban, Lorn & the Isles and MAKI following. For more information see:
http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/short-break-bureau.

CoSLA Health and Wellbeing Group
I attended this meeting on 18th February. Amongst the papers for discussions was one relating to Public Sector Reform (Christie Commission). A particular concern for the group is the recent momentum within Holyrood for older people’s care to be run by the NHS – perhaps via the CHPs, perhaps through a lead commissioning model. The overwhelming consensus at the meeting was that organisational change should be built on good operational practice rather than on an assumption that structural change will necessarily provide better outcomes for clients and patients. There has been a very public and very strong statement made by the President of CoSLA expressing concerns about this direction and which presents a strong case for the role of local authorities in the delivery of care services.

Andrew Nisbet
Spokesperson for Social Affairs
12th April 2011