Agenda item

INTEGRATED SOCIAL CARE HUBS - UPDATE ON PROGRESS

The Sub-Committee will receive a presentation updating on the Integrated Social Care Hubs and performance data of the Hubs.

 

Minutes:

The Sub-Committee received a presentation updating it on the Integrated Social Care.  It was noted that the Better Care Fund plan 2014/15 outlined the following objective:

           

“To develop a locality based integrated health and social care workforce comprising multi-disciplinary workforce across six GP cluster-based localities”

 

This approach aimed to remove organisational barriers so care can be joined up around individuals with the following key aims:

 

·         Improve the service user experience, they “tell their story once”

·         Eliminate duplication

·         Streamline care pathways

·         Intervene earlier and adopt and preventative approach; and

·         Improve safeguarding.

 

Officers informed the Sub-Committee that the first phase was the co-location.  There were four localities in Havering, two of which had 2 GP surgeries.  These were in Cranham, Harold Hill, Elm Park and Romford, with 41 adult social care staff based in the community.  It was noted that the co-location phase had been successful, but not without some challenges.  ICT was one of the biggest challenges as the agile working arrangements for staff had been developed.  This allowed staff to work from laptops and mobile devices so that they were not wholly office based.

 

Members asked if family members, or other concerned friends could speak to adult social care staff in each of the locations.  Officers stated that all enquiries were routed to the “front door” and this advice would be given if anyone was to present at any of the localities.  It was noted that where users were known to adult social care they would be aware of the change of locality of their assigned social worker, and letterheads were being changed to reflect this change.

 

Phase 2 was the integration phase, where the focus was on reviewing the current operational processes for both health and social care and identifying areas that can be joined up to support integrated working across health and social care.    A project group was being developed over the next 3 months, which would map the operational groups to establish areas of duplication across the teams.

 

In order to monitor the performance, successes and challenges of the co-localities, 38 performance indicators were being developed.  This had been narrowed down to 18, and these would be reported monthly to the Integration Board.  There were three key areas, Process metrics, Service user/ Staff satisfaction and Statutory metrics.

 

A survey had been developed and completed for staff prior to the co-location.  This showed that staff were positive about the co-location with 66% agreeing that the co-location would deliver ICT solutions to help their work, 83% agreed that it would deliver improved planning for community packages of care and discharge planning, 88% agreed if would deliver a joined up approach towards assessing needs and 90% agreed it would result in improvements to working relationships across health and social care teams.

 

A second questionnaire would be released and completed together with staff feedback sessions being held to gather information on what had gone well so far and what else can be done to encourage further integration.

 

Officers shared with the Sub-Committee experience of the integration sought from members of staff so far.

 

The Sub-Committee were keen to hear how the second phase went, and a suggested visit to the Integrated Hubs would be set up.  A progress report would be added to the work programme for January 2017.