Agenda item

11:40

Rachel Coney, Chief Executive of Healthwatch Oxfordshire will give her update (JHO7) on recent projects which includes the newly launched Dignity report. This is also attached at JHO7.

Members are asked to comment on the findings of the Dignity report.

The Chairman of Healthwatch Oxfordshire (HWO), Eddie Duller OBE attended the meeting to respond to questions in Rachel Coney’s absence. He reported that the Dignity in Care report which was attached for the attention of the Committee was at that moment being presented to Healthwatch England by HWO’s Head of Projects team.

He introduced the recurring themes contained within the report which were in brief:

·         Unsatisfactory communication models;

·         People being afraid of complaining in case it would have a bearing on the care they were receiving;

·         25% of people interviewed did not know the processes for making a complaint;

·         11% of people in home care said that they had witnessed abuse or been abused themselves.

adding that early commitments to the recommendations had already been given by the Trusts.

A Committee member asked about the numbers interviewed, to which Mr Duller responded that it was approximately 200 in a series of localities such as care homes and hospitals. He added that in circumstances where people were in their home or care situation, HWO had taken advice to ensure that the questions were appropriate. Dr McWilliam reminder members that this type of report shows general ‘drifts’ based on soft information rather than hard evidence (given the relatively small number of responses).

In response to concern about the national problem of inadequate advocacy and the necessity of providing a strong practical and whole system approach, Mr Duller assured the Committee that HWO were taking it very seriously and it featured high in their forward plan.

A Committee member asked how the Loneliness and Isolation database and how the Community Information network was operating, particularly in Oxford City. Mr Duller stated that meetings were planned with providers and commissioners and that HWO would be returning with a further report in 4/5 months.

John Jackson agreed with the Committee that the Dignity in Care report was a good report, having attended its launch and been part of the discussions, with responsibility for adult safeguarding issues in Oxfordshire, as overseen by the Oxfordshire Adult Safeguarding Board. He stressed that any stated worries around the impacts on the quality of care were welcomed and organisations were committed to addressing any problems encountered. He added that this had been recognised as an issue and there was a genuine wish on behalf of all organisations to do as much as possible to address it. Mr Duller added that, as one would expect, the people they talked to tended to be more open with them than with the ‘authorities’ .

A suggestion that, in the way of feedback, the public be asked to state one good thing about their care and one thing that could be done in a better way, was welcomed by John Jackson as helpful. He stated also that the ‘Families and Friends’ test was operated by the hospitals. Moreover, Social & Health care workers made a point of talking to staff and users on their own. New techniques were continually being sought to gain information and a variety of things being done to encourage people to give information. He pointed out that people tended to be far more comfortable about raising issues nowadays, adding, however, that monitoring was not done on a daily basis and it depended very much on the staff who managed the process and on feedback. He added that people tended to be far more comfortable about raising issues nowadays. Mr Duller stated also that recent national research had stated that 80% of service users would like the opportunity to comment on their services. HWO were trying to address this partly by means of their website and by distributing leaflets; and they had recently appointed an experienced marketing manager to take it forward.

 Mr Duller, in response to a request from the Committee described the current staffing structure of HWO and the funding streams currently available to it. He added that HWO were pursuing a possible move to charitable status in order to assist with funding streams.

Mr Duller was thanked for the reports and for his attendance.