Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded that at the start of the meeting, they should declare any known interests in any matter to be considered and also during the meeting if it becomes apparent that they have an interest in the matters being discussed.

The Chair reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting.

Councillor Paul Dixon made a personal and non-prejudicial declaration of interest, as his wife is the Chief Executive of Swindon Advocacy Movement and that he delivers activity packs on their behalf. 

See explanatory note below.  Please phone the Committee Officer whose name and number appears at the top of this agenda if you need further guidance. 

In accordance with Standing Order 28, Mr Roy Warman, Swindon resident, submitted written questions regarding an aspect of Covid-19.  

The Chair thanked Mr Worman for his questions and advised the Committee that a written response had been provided.  Mr Worman was at the meeting and asked a supplementary question relating to the response he received on local and national support services available. The Corporate Director of Adult Services, Health & Housing responded at the meeting and referred to the work being undertaken with all communities to reduce the number of transmission cases.  She advised that this work has been ongoing since the summer and discussions with community leaders in hotspot areas were being undertaken.    

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 5^th November 2020.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 5^th November 2020 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

The Head of Elections and Democracy submitted a report inviting the Committee to determine how it wishes to proceed with the request from two Members to consider the impact of Covid-19 on members of the Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Communities in the Borough.  The Committee heard from Councillors Abdul Amin and Junab Ali who explained how BAME communities were adversely affected during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and continued to be affected through the current phase. They advised that this was both a local and national issue.  They raised concerns about the lack of engagement by the BAME community in receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.  They also referred to the differences in engagement by different groups. They added that healthy collaboration, commissioning with health agencies, service providers and practitioners will improve services to the community.

The Director of Public Health thanked Councillors Amin and Ali for their report and advised the Committee how it highlighted Covid-19 issues at both local and national levels.  He explained that Swindon’s community was made up predominately of White/ White Other/ Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Groups, with fifteen percent identifying as BAME.  The Committee noted the targeted work undertaken focusing support on the BAME community, resulting in a decrease in percentage within these communities effected by Covid-19 since summer.  The Director of Public Health referred to one of the testing sites that was located in SN1 and this was aimed to help the BAME community in those areas. He commented on the department’s engagement to ensure that messages and communications were cascaded across all groups and how this was aided by the BAME Communities Reference Group. 

In response to a question from the Chair, the Director of Public Health referred to the number of groups already set up, together with the Covid-19 and Equality Cabinet Member Advisory Groups that focus their work on points raised within the report.  The Committee discussed the matter and agreed that a task group be set up.

Resolved – (1) That a start and finish task group regarding the impact of Covid-19 on the BAME community in Swindon be set up.

(2) That further to (1) above, officers be requested to provide a report to Members setting out the Council’s role and options in detail.

Councillor Brian Ford, the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, presented a report that provided an update on performance and key issues relating to Adult Social Care commissioning.  The Corporate Director of Adult Services, Health & Housing introduced the report and explained that it had been structured to highlight the strengths and challenges of the work undertaken. The following key issues were drawn to members’ attention:

·    The on-going financial pressures on Adult Social Care.

·    The implementation of the Covid-19 recovery plan to manage its impact.

·    How the Learning Disability Services continues to align spend with spend in similar authorities through service re-design and strength based assessments and reviews.

·    The publication of the 2019/20 Safeguarding Annual Report.

·    The timely assessment and review of carers.

·    How since March 2020, Live Well Swindon has been focussing on Community Resilience to manage the impact of COVID on local residents.

·    That the reablement service continues to support people to live independently. 

·    How, when it was necessary for people to be placed in a Care Home or Extra Care Housing, Swindon Borough Council endeavoured to have them placed near family and friends. 

·    The ongoing focus to drive quality improvements across care homes in Swindon and continuing collaboration with the Care Quality Commission to ensure high standards.

·    The essential contribution made by voluntary sector providers.

·    The high satisfaction rate within Adult Social Care provision and how it continues to resolve complaints at an early stage and uses them positively to change processes or practice where appropriate.

·    The significant focus since March in supporting Great Western Hospital and the National Health Service in their work to help prevent hospital admissions and assist with transfer of care on discharge when necessary.

Following the introduction of the report, the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, together with the Corporate Director Adult Services, Health and Housing, the Director of Public Health and the Chief Executive, Great Western Hospital (GWH), responded to member’s questions and comments on the following issues:

·        The current recruitment challenges in both Adult’s and Children’s Services for qualified social workers has resulted in the launch of a new national recruitment campaign.

·         The recruitment of the general social care workforce, particularly homecare and domiciliary care had been more successful. 

·         Recruitment at GWH was currently not a pressing issue as some staff were recruited from overseas. However, challenges faced by GWH included staff reduction due to self-isolating and shielding.

·         Staff management at Great Western Hospital and how the hospital was utilising staff returning to work, student nurses and trainee doctors.

·         How the Committee could benefit from Adult Social Care information being presented as an overarching picture, utilising a flow chart format.

·         The period between doctor’s referral and assessment by a social worker was dependent on the needs of the patient.

·         How obesity poses a significant challenge for the health care system as it is a complex problem with numerous interconnections and elements.

·         The effective impact of the weight management programme aimed at tackling obesity.  

·         The impact of high density housing resulting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

Mr Kevin McNamara, Chief Executive at Great Western Hospital (GWH) NHS Foundation Trust, submitted a report providing the Committee with a performance update and a summary of the following key issues in relation to the planning and provision of health and social care services provided by the hospital:

• Dealing with the current patient backlog.  The Trust is dealing with COVID-19 patients and also a high level of non-COVID patient care.
• Actions taken following the declaration of a critical incident.  Staff undertook patient discharge assessments to improve bed availability and improve patient through-flow.
• There are eight areas within GWH where Civid-19 patients were being cared for.
• The re-deployment of staff between departments to improve services.
• Actions being taken to eliminate the risk of hospital acquired infections.
• The dedication of staff, particularly when under pressure.
• The launch and roll-out of the vaccination programme.
• Key strategic site developments included the development of the urgent treatment centre, the radiography centre, updating the oxygen infrastructure, the expansion of the emergency department and the development of an integrated front door service.

Following his introduction of the report, Mr McNamara responded to Members’ questions and comments on the following issues:

• How, currently, due to various external factors, it was unclear on when the backlog of postponed operations would be cleared.
• Future provision of some services to be relocated within the community, particularly those that were not required to be located at GWH.  It would be more beneficial to patients if some services were more community based.  An example being sexual health. 
• The £50m investment for a new urgent treatment centre that will be built this year.
• The need to free up space within GWH as space is limited due to the impact of social distancing.
• Discussions were undertaken to ensure accessibility to community services by those patients living on the M4 corridor and North Wiltshire.  
• The business case highlighting the need to increase the number of bed spaces at GWH
• Services to be provided by the walk-in centre, the new urgent treatment centre and extended emergency department.
• How GWH was preparing to address the impact of long Covid.
• How GWH had yet to secure the necessary land for expansion and discussions were being held to build a robust business case for its acquisition. 
• The recruitment of an equality and diversity officer.
• The equality work being undertaken to ensure all equality characteristics were being included in service provision and that future reports will reflect points raised by diversity impact assessments.
• The need to ensure the BAME community actively uptake the Covid-19 vaccine.
• The survey being conducted by Healthwatch to address vaccine hesitancy.
• The smooth running of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in Swindon and how this would be dependent on the continued timely delivery of vaccines.
• Methods used by the community to contact GWH regarding booking a Covid-19 vaccine.

Resolved – (1) That the report providing the Committee with a performance update of the key issues in relation to the planning and provision of health and social care services  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

The Committee considered a report by the Chief Legal Officer on the results of the work programme consultation and the suggested priorities of the work for the Municipal Year, 2020/21.

Resolved - That the details and activities included in the work programme for 2020/21, be updated to reflect actions contained in this report and recommended by the Committee to include:

a)      That a) the Obesity report; b) the Prevent Duty and c) needle exchange reports be presented during the next Municipal year.

b)      That the BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group be requested to submit one report encompassing information on a) the promotion of self-care and self-selection of alternative services and b) an update on the number of current vacancies in Primary Care.

Update on actions.