Agenda item

7.1

Members considered a report of the Executive Director of Communities, regarding Performance within Assessment and Care Management, and in attendance for this item was Robert Broadhead, Head of Care and Support. 

7.2

Mr. Broadhead reported that adult care and support had been undergoing major changes both nationally and locally, with the introduction of new ways of working, such as Self Directed Support (SDS), increasing demand, and a reduction in funding. In response to this, Sheffield City Council had developed and commenced the implementation of a 2015 Vision for Adult Social Care.

7.3

Mr. Broadhead reported that, during this period of change, there were a number of key performance areas within the Care and Support Service Business Plan that had been increasingly challenging to deliver at the level desired, which were as follows; 

• Average number of days to complete Adult Social Care, Self Directed Support assessments;
• Average number of days to receive all Adult Social Care services after the Self Directed Support assessment;
• Percentage of adults receiving a review as a % of those receiving a service.    

7.4

Part of the reason why the targets had been harder to achieve had been the introduction of SDS, as care plans were taking longer to put together. However, Mr. Broadhead was convinced that SDS was a positive step forward, once any initial processing issues had been resolved, as, hopefully, the self-made plans would be more sustainable in the long-term, without clients having to constantly seek to adjust them. There had also been the issue of reduced staffing resources in the team, in line with Council-wide budget reductions, which had created additional pressures within the team.

7.5

Members expressed some concerns over the length of time it took to see a client after they had presented to Sheffield City Council, as, at one point, this had been an average of 103 days waiting time, when the national guideline was 28 days. It was noted that social work teams did keep all cases under review during waiting times, and that any emergencies were dealt with as and when they arose, but Members were keen to keep this figure under review.

7.6

Mr. Broadhead stated that it was hoped that the reintegration of public health back into the Council would help to improve processes and waiting times, with services working more effectively together. It was acknowledged that there was currently a backlog of cases, but it was hoped that there would be long-term efficiencies in terms of putting together SDS plans. Members felt it was essential to keep these waiting times under review.     

7.7

It was noted that the assembling of the SDS care packages was done by external planners, and some Members felt that there were too many layers in this process, and that consistency of staff was essential, especially for patients suffering from dementia. It was confirmed that the care plan assessors monitored the work of these external planners to ensure that an effective job was being done, and that all plans met the legal requirements specified of the City Council. All plans were double checked before sign off.     

7.8

RESOLVED: That the Committee:

(a) thanks the officers for the report now submitted;

(b) requests officers to;

(i) return to the Committee at a later date with a report upon how the process of assembling Self Directed Support (SDS) plans could be streamlined in order to improve waiting times,

(ii) provide a series of performance indictors upon which the effectiveness of the SDS service can be measured, and

(iii) review the role of the Equipments and Adaptations service and Occupational Therapy within the SDS service, and

(c) wishes to keep under review the waiting times for the completion of SDS plans after a patient has presented to Sheffield City Council.