Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence and temporary appointments.

Apologies were received from Cllr Snowdon (substitute: Cllr Sargent) and Cllr Edosomwan.

In the absence of Cllr Snowdon, Cllr Overton, Deputy Chair, took the Chair.

See guidance note on the back page.

There were none.

The Committee is recommended to APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 26 June 2025 and to receive information arising from them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 26 June 2025 were APRROVED as a true and accurate record.

Members of the public who wish to speak on an item on the agenda at this meeting, or present a petition, can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection.

Requests to speak must be submitted no later than 9am three working days before the meeting, i.e. 15/09/2025.

Requests should be submitted to the Scrutiny Officer at scrutiny@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you may submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that if the technology fails, then your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9am on the day of the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

There were none.

Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Services, Dr Jayne Chidgey-Clark, Independent Chair of Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board, and Steve Turner, Strategic Partnerships Manager – Adult Social Services, have been invited to present the Oxfordshire Adults Safeguarding Board Annual Report.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Dr Jayne Chidgey-Clark, Independent Chair of Oxfordshire Safeguarding Adults Board, Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Services, Victoria Baran, Deputy Director of Adult Social Care, Steven Turner, Strategic Partnerships Manager – Adult Social Services and Lorraine Henry, Head of Safeguarding MH DOLS, were invited to present the Oxfordshire Adults Safeguarding Board (OSAB) Annual Report and answer the Committee’s questions.

The Director of Adult Social Services introduced the annual safeguarding adults report by emphasising its significance as a system-wide document, highlighting the collaborative work across the health and care system in Oxfordshire regarding safeguarding, and noting that while the report was being presented to the committee, it reflected the efforts of multiple partners. She stressed the importance of oversight for safeguarding the county’s most vulnerable adults

The Independent Chair detailed the board’s four strategic aims: improving frontline practice across all sectors, enhancing preventative work to stop abuse before it occurs, assuring the quality of safeguarding through monitoring referrals and service improvements, and learning from both safeguarding adult reviews and audits to inform future practice, including sharing good practice across the county. She also described the board’s multi-agency composition, the alignment of subgroup work plans to strategic objectives, and the importance of robust governance and partnership working

The Committee raised the following questions and comments about the OSAB Annual Report:

·       Members sought clarification on the term "desired outcomes” in the safeguarding report, specifically questioning whether outcomes were assessed based on what individuals themselves requested or desired. The Deputy Director explained that safeguarding was tailored to the individual’s wishes, focusing on what outcomes they want to achieve, rather than imposing solutions. Early discussions were held with the person, or their deputy if needed, to guide the team’s work by these goals, often prioritising risk reduction while respecting personal choices. Officers added that desired outcomes were tracked through case file audits and ongoing collaboration with partners to ensure feedback genuinely reflected individuals’ experiences.

·       The definition of self-neglect within the safeguarding context, specifically asking whether it referred to individuals whose care needs were unmet due to physical incapacity or to those who, despite having the physical ability, were unwilling or unable to meet their own care needs, possibly due to mental health issues. It was clarified that self-neglect can result from multiple causes, but in safeguarding contexts, it generally refers to individuals who consistently decline assistance or intervention, sometimes without being aware of their own deterioration. If an individual was open to receiving care but had not been referred, the usual assessment process applied rather than initiating safeguarding procedures. Safeguarding measures were implemented when individuals continually refuse support, involving a multi-agency strategy to engage them and establish ongoing relationships aimed at meeting their needs.

·       The causes of high staff turnover in adult social care, whether the reasons were consistent with national trends or if there were specific factors unique to Oxfordshire, and how these were identified and addressed. The Director of Adult Social Services reported that staff turnover in Oxfordshire’s adult social care was consistent  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24/25

Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Services, Ian Bottomley, Deputy Directo of Integrated Commissioning Health, Education and Social Care (HESC), and Isabel Rockingham, Interim Head of Joint Commissioning – Age Well, have been invited to present an Age Well Update on Supporting Older People in Oxfordshire.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Karen Fuller, Director of Adult Social Services, Ian Bottomley, Deputy Director of Integrated Commissioning Health, Education and Social Care (HESC), and Cheryl Huntbach, Local Area Coordinator, were invited to present the Age Well Update on Supporting Older People in Oxfordshire and answer the Committee’s questions.

The Deputy Director introduced Age Well by noting Oxfordshire’s growing population of 137,000 older people, with most not receiving formal services. He stressed the council’s aim to help seniors live independently through preventative measures like the Oxfordshire Way. By addressing loneliness, isolation, and inactivity, and focusing on community services and system planning, the council had reduced care home admissions and enabled more older people to stay at home.

The Local Area Coordinator outlined the adoption of local area coordination in Oxfordshire, one of eleven regions using the Australian model. She described the coordinators' strengths-based, person-centred approach, their ongoing support without strict referral criteria, and their role as community connectors. The Local Area Coordinator illustrated its benefits with an example of an older resident who became more active locally after coordinator support, showing how early intervention can reduce reliance on formal care.

The Committee raised the following questions and comments related to the Age Well update:

·       How the original areas with a local area coordinator were selected for expansion and why only two further areas were added, despite the initial success. The Deputy Director of Integrated Commissioning HESC and the Local Area Coordinator stated that new areas were selected based on public health data identifying locations with deprivation and need within Oxfordshire. The process also considered local interest and the capacity to participate, with recruitment panels that included residents. The decision to expand into two additional areas was influenced by programme costs and the requirement for financial viability. Local area coordination may continue to expand where it was assessed as effective, but resource constraints and existing local interventions meant a countywide rollout was not pursued at that time.

·       What the definition of rurality was and how it was considered in the deployment of local area coordinators, how the impact of these coordinators was measured, and what the potential was for expanding the model to other highly deprived areas in Oxfordshire. The discussion recognised that some areas lack community resources and could benefit from local area coordination. The Deputy Director of Integrated Commissioning HESC noted rurality was considered, but area selection focused mainly on need and deprivation, with no single definition for rurality. Impact was measured using both quantitative data and qualitative stories, though attributing outcomes to coordinators remains complex due to overlapping services. It was emphasised that new coordinators should complement, not duplicate, existing interventions such as Age UK and Brighter Futures. Any expansion of the model will depend on resources, proven impact, and strong partner collaboration to maximise effectiveness and avoid duplication.

·       The Committee discussed the variations in loneliness among individuals living alone in rural and urban areas, as well as the ways in which strategies like social prescribing respond to these issues. The Deputy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25/25

The Committee is recommended to AGREE its work programme for forthcoming meetings, having heard any changes from previous iterations, and taking account of the Cabinet Forward Plan and of the Budget Management Monitoring Report.

The Committee AGREED the proposed work programme.

The Committee is recommended to NOTE the progress of previous recommendations and actions arising from previous meetings, having raised any questions on the contents.

The Committee NOTED the action and recommendation tracker.

Attached is the Cabinet response to the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee report on Co-Production in Adult Social Care. The Committee is asked to NOTE the response.

The Committee NOTED the Cabinet responses to the Co-production in Adult Social Services recommendations.