Agenda item

The Corporate Director Modernisation and Wellbeing (CD:MW) submitted a report (previously circulated) setting out the key issues arising from the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) evaluation of Denbighshire Social Services performance for 2011 – 12.  A copy of the full evaluation had been attached to the report (Appendix 1) together with an overview of the Council’s response to the identified areas of progress and areas for improvement (Appendix 2).

The CD:MW introduced and welcomed to the meeting Angela Mortimer and Sue Millington, Area Managers for CSSIW together with the Council’s Service Manager: Quality and Systems Development (SM:QSD) Craig McLeod.  She provided some background information to the report and the context of the annual evaluation as part of the Council’s overall performance management system.  It was a positive evaluation for Denbighshire identifying significant progress in many areas with areas for improvement identified which mirrored those within the Director’s self-assessment.  Members’ attention was particularly drawn to the following areas –

·         ambitious programmes of service change with clear leadership and performance management arrangements had been highlighted

·         areas identified for improvement had been embedded within Services Business Plans which were monitored on a quarterly basis

·         a risk had been identified regarding strategic planning with Betsi Cadwaladar University Health Board (BCUHB) [which had also been identified across all North Wales authorities].  A comprehensive response to BCUHB’s consultation on plans to reorganise healthcare provision had been submitted and the need for a Strategic Group had been highlighted.

The Area Manager (AM) commented on the positive report which looked back over the previous twelve months advising that things had moved on and actions were being undertaken to progress the areas identified for improvement.  She also commented on the quality of engagement with the authority and senior officers who had been helpful in producing information in order to guide the evaluation process.

Members were pleased to note the positive aspects of the report and significant progress being made but focused their questions on those areas identified for improvement and where progress had been more limited and sought assurances regarding the robustness of actions to address them.  Discussion focused on the following areas –

·         CSSIW had identified the continuing ability to influence locality focused strategic planning with BCUHB as a potential risk – the AM explained that an interface with health was crucial to service planning and provision for Adult and Children’s work and that the restructure of BCUHB had disrupted many relationships which had affected the pace of progressing plans to fruition.  Members expressed serious concerns regarding the identified risk, particularly in view of the reorganisation of healthcare provision and subsequent impact on Council services and budgets, and sought assurances as to how the risk would be effectively managed.  The CD:MW referred to initiatives, such as the localities project, which had been slower to progress because of the difficulty of engaging staff locally following BCUHB’s restructure and operation on a regional basis together with other conflicting priorities.  She was hopeful that Strategic Groups would be established on a county basis to enable local issues to be resolved and progressed.  She added that relationships at operational level continued to be good with BCUHB in other areas and they had been actively involved with BCUHB in resolving particular issues.  A strategic forum of six Social Services Directors and BCUHB Directors also met on a quarterly basis with a view to resolving issues.  [Councillor Stuart Davies wished it to be recorded that assurances had been sought from BCUHB that existing facilities would not be closed as part of the reogranisation until new ones opened.  Whilst the Chief Executive had been given that assurance some members had been advised separately that no assurance could be provided.]

·         Improving sickness absence – progress had been more limited in improving sickness absence and members queried whether staffing resources and workload had been addressed; the reasons for absence, and what mechanisms had been introduced to improve performance.  Officers confirmed that agency staff were no longer used and sufficient staff had been recruited.  Whilst sickness levels had improved progress was still limited and officers elaborated upon more robust mechanisms which had been introduced to manage absence and facilitate staff returning to work after sickness.  Stress had been identified as the primary reason for absence which was replicated across all council services but Denbighshire’s rates compared favourably with other local authorities.  Discussions were ongoing around the cause of stress and whether sickness was work related and an analysis of better performing services would be undertaken with a view to sharing best practice.  Councillor Bobby Feeley advised that a Working Group would be established with a view to tackling the specific issue in social services

·         Review of Services provided to Adults – the importance of care plans were highlighted and the SM:QSD responded that 94% of care plans had been reviewed on time and more robust systems had been introduced in order to track performance of reviews

·         Respite Care Systems – Councillor Raymond Bartley highlighted the bureaucracy involved in the process for providing respite care in care homes which he felt should be reviewed in order to assist carers and ensure that families were interviewed as part of that process.  The CD:MW referred to the Carers Strategy and contact with families and the balance between supporting carers and maintaining people’s independence.  She also highlighted the need to prioritise and make best use of limited resources in supporting carers.  The AM added that carers receiving services had been generally positive.

·         Safeguarding Children - Councillor Martyn Holland sought assurances regarding the mechanisms in place for identifying children at risk.  The CD:MW advised that there were very resilient systems in place and good joint working relationships with other agencies.  She reported on the work of a Joint Multi Agency Panel (JRAP) to screen referrals which provided a co-ordinated multi agency approach.  In response to a question from the Chair regarding early intervention in vulnerable families, the CD:MW reported upon a multi agency approach to identify key precipitating factors in order to detect the most vulnerable families.  That intelligence would be used for intervention through the Families First Programmes and Intensive Family Support.  The process had been extensively documented and the results could be made available to members on request.  It was hoped that early intervention would result in fewer care proceedings.

·         Out of County Placements – the CD:MW responded to a question from Councillor Raymond Bartley advising that approximately fifteen children were currently placed outside the county and the number had gradually been reducing.  The AM referred to a recent CSSIW review on children in care which would in available in February 2013 which identified good practice and may be of interest to the authority.

The Chair thanked the CSSIW Area Managers for their attendance at the meeting and their perspective on the Council’s social services performance and evaluation.

RESOLVED that the report on the performance evaluation of Denbighshire Social Services for 2011-12 be received and noted.