Agenda item

This report describes what Adult services aim to achieve, how they are delivered and how quality of provision and service user satisfaction are measured. It also gives an overview of the Adult social care market and highlights concerns about the market’s long-term stability, sustainability, and viability. Finally, the report sets upcoming legislation in the context of the national reform of the health and social care sector, provides an overview of finances, and identifies key risks.    

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the overview of adult services in Oxfordshire, the adult social care market and delivery provided in this report.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Karen Fuller, Interim Corporate Director of Adult and Housing attended the meeting and provided an overview of adult services in Oxfordshire, the adult social care market and delivery.

The report provided details of what Adult services aimed to achieve, how services were delivered and how quality of provision and service user satisfaction were measured.

An overview of the Adult social care market was provided, together with concerns about the market’s long-term stability, sustainability, and viability. Details of upcoming legislation in the context of the national reform of the health and social care sector was provided, together with an overview of finances, and key risks identified.

Reference was made to the impact of the Pandemic in terms of the operation of the service and the impact on users. At the centre of this transformation programme was the vision: “We want the people of Oxfordshire to live well in their community, remaining fit and healthy for as long as possible”.

The delivery of this vision the Oxfordshire Way was about providing people with the ability to support themselves through personal, local and system assets to ‘keep them in the centre’. In collaboration with communities, voluntary sector, and other system partners people would be supported, who were aged over 18 (from the age of 16 for people transitioning from children’s services) to lead independent lives.

Preparations were being made by the local authority in relation to the 2021 Health and Social Care Bill.

Issues raised by Members

·       Reference was made to performance and comparison data with Oxfordshire performing well on the framework, being in the top quartile on over half of the measures. In relation to things which were not going well, the Committee was reassured that improvements were being made on people who were fully independent after reablement and those discharged from hospital who were still at home 3 months later.

·       Discussion took place on the impact of Covid and the difficulties this caused for the service and to users such as accessing Primary Care services such as GPs.

·       There were concerns regarding the challenges of recruitment, which was a national issue, together with a backlog of assessments, although these were reducing. There were currently 1940 outstanding people who had not had a review in the last 12 months, however, the Pandemic had caused the review team to be reassigned to support the covid response. The average wait was 2 years, with the majority seen within 12 months.

·       There were particular concerns with areas of deprivation and Officers said they could provide statistics on this.

·       The contribution of the voluntary sector and communities could not be underestimated.

·       The market for adult social care was fragile with rising costs and the cost of living crisis.

·       A reorganisation of Commissioning involved a new framework for homecare which had attracted new providers. A report on this would be submitted to a future meeting.

·       What could be done to help carers in relation to the increased costs of travel? Electric cars, the use of bicycles and other transport opportunities.

·       On preparations for Adulthood, the recommendations were for the young person and family to have a named worker, adopt case management model, start planning earlier and focus on outcomes. Reference was made for the need for a single point of contact, to ensure each school and college had a link person to identify people earlier.

RESOLVED – (1) That the information contained in the report be noted.

(2) That Councillor Hannaby and the Interim Corporate Director of Adult and Housing be thanked for the work which has been carried out in Adult Services and the thanks of this Committee be passed onto the staff who worked so hard during the Pandemic.