Agenda item

6.1

The Committee received an update on the Partnership arrangements between Sheffield City Council and the Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust. In attendance for this item were Stephen Todd, Commissioning Manager, Communities, Sheffield City Council, and Jason Rowlands, Director of Planning and Performance, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust. 

6.2

Mr. Rowlands explained that the partnership had been established in 2001, with the idea of developing an integrated model of care between linked City Council and Health Services, to ensure a smooth service for all users. 

6.3

The work of the partnership had been considered a success, but there were concerns that perhaps the earlier energy of the partnership had decreased, and therefore, it was the right time to conduct a review of arrangements. To sustain and progress the partnership, both partners wished to reaffirm through this review their joint commitment to the following key objectives;

• Focus on people
• Commitment to integration
• Commitment to the City
• Business-like partnership

6.4

Mr. Todd went on to explain that seven work streams had been identified, which were as follows:

• Integrated Working
• Social Care Leadership in Mental Health
• Resources
• Commissioning
• Delegated Functions (Assessment and Care Management)
• Delegated Functions (Provider Services)
• Governance Arrangements

6.5

Members were keen to ensure that the ‘package of care’ around an individual was seamless, so that the patient did not even have to be aware of whether it was the City Council or the NHS providing the care and support they needed. It was also essential to avoid duplication of services where possible, and ensure consistency around City Council/ NHS protocols, practices and procedures.

6.6

Members were also keen that the focus was placed on preventative measures being put in place, such as treating anxiety at an early stage to prevent the onset of physical symptoms and/ or the need to have time off work and more long-term treatment. Mr. Rowlands emphasised that the City Council’s ‘Right First Time’ programme aimed to tackle these kinds of problems, ensuring that prevention was better than the cure and more cost-effective ultimately. This ‘invest to save’ model needed streamlining though, as, often the services who were investing monies initially were not the ones making savings ultimately, and there needed to be incentives for services to invest in preventative measures which meant that they would not lose out financially.

6.7

With regard to Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs), Managers were working very closely with Housing Officers to develop awareness around mental health issues, in order to signpost tenants to appropriate services.

6.8

With regard to Self-Directed Support (SDS), Mr. Todd informed Members that Sheffield was ahead of many other large Cities in the way in which this programme was being developed, and the number of people accessing SDS was increasing all the time, with positive results.

6.9

Mr. Todd stated that the SDS system had meant it was often more difficult for smaller providers to survive, as they no longer had a guaranteed fixed monthly income. However, some providers were doing very well with the new system, and some previously ineffective providers had been ‘filtered out’.

6.10

Mr. Todd emphasised to Members that a ‘single front-door’ approach was being developed, in order to make it easier for patients to access care without having to go through many different providers, and in order to simplify the system. With regard to this, some Members still had concerns that, for example, older people’s social and mental health workers were still not fully aligned with their housing workers.  

6.11

With regard to some of the clients suffering from long-term mental health issues, Members emphasised the need to provide purpose and goals through volunteering schemes such as the successful one currently run at Heeley City Farm, for example.

6.12

RESOLVED: That the Committee;

(a) thanks officers for the report now submitted;

(b) supports the requirement for a review of existing partnership services, and

(c) welcomes continued work upon increasing emphasis upon preventative treatment and more simplified pathways for patient care.