Agenda and minutes

The Chair reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting. No declarations were made.

Please refer to the explanatory notes below.

No public questions were received during the meeting. 

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 11^th December 2019.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 11^th Deccmber 2019, be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Sue Wald, Director Adult Social Services and Health, reported that there were currently two confirmed cases of CV19 in Swindon. A daily update by Local Authority area was received daily late in the afternoon. A Council team had been established to work closely with adult social care providers and the NHS, to make plans and oversee the local resilience board which was reviewing a number of locally based strategic plans. National guidance from Public Health England as well as other relevant information and instructions were being disseminated to manager and staff.

Councillor Brian Ford reported that he had, in his capacity as a Governor, attended Great Western Hospital the previous evening and that it had been confirmed that the facilities had been scrutinised and that plans had been put into place and been subjected to extensive testing as well as a variety of simulations. Work was progressing to ensure appropriate provision at the Council’s care homes and provider care homes.

The Board considered Safeguarding Swindon’s Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) Annual Report for 2018/19 setting out an overview of activity in relation to safeguarding children and young people as well as progress towards the Board’s Strategic Priorities for 2018/19. In introducing the report Simon Ratcliff, Strategic Manager Children’s Safeguarding, drew Members’ attention to:

·         That the work of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board had ceased in 2019 following changes in legislation and had been replaced in Swindon by the Swindon Safeguarding Partnership.

·         The actions of the Board in carrying out its statutory duties and in co-ordinating partnership working and in meeting its key priorities.

·         Improvements to Children’s Social Care both within the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub and across the wider partnership interacting with the MASH.

·         Work identified within the OFSTED Inspection undertake in March 2018 including improving the quality of referrals and the restructuring of the Early Help Offer to improve support to children and families.

·         Work with the NSPCC and other voluntary organisations in respect of support for children and families who were victims of domestic abuse.

·         Good work on safeguarding education and in particular those children missing from education ether from exclusion or absenteeism and the quality of education for those children educated at home.

·         Challenges for the partnership moving forward and in forming the new partnership of statutory partners involving the local authority, Clinical Commissioning Group and the Police and in the pace of change and how the partners would work together.

In response to the presentation the Board discussed:

·         The apparent high number of referrals to the Children’s Local Safeguarding Board when compared to national statistics and our comparator authorities and possible reasons for this. It was noted that some of this related to the number and complexity of cases involving Children Looked After and that cross partnership work had been undertaken to ensure children’s needs were being met within the appropriate service.

·         The continued examination of thresholds for referrals, undertaken by the new partnership, to ensure these were at the maintained to ensure the needs of children continued to be met within the correct service provision.

·         On-going training to ensure the thresholds for referrals were appropriate and applied consistently across the whole partnership.  It was noted that this had led to a strengthening of the thresholds and that these thresholds were properly embedded across the partnership as all partners became more confident in the system. 

·         Improved support, through joint working and training, available to partners when considering whether a referral was the most appropriate mechanism to provide the child with the support they required.

Resolved- (1) That the Swindon Local Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report for 2018/19, be noted.

(2) That the Board continue to assist with creating a stronger culture of collective responsibility for safeguarding across Swindon.
(3) That the Board request that partner agencies identify and act on learning to continuously improve support for children and young people at risk.

The Director of Housing submitted a report (a) seeking the Board’s approval of Swindon Borough Council’s Homeless Prevention and Reduction Strategy 2020-2024 and (b) recommending that Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet adopt and implement it.  In introducing the report the Head of Housing drew Members’ attention to:

·         The strategy’s demonstration to a commitment across the partnership to ensure that everyone in Swindon lives a healthy, safe, fulfilling and independent life and is supported by thriving and connected communities.

·         The development of the strategy, which was a statutory requirement, through on-going work by the Board and Council through a number of policies and strategies and a consultation process.

·         The four key priorities set out within the strategy of preventing homelessness, securing stable accommodation, partnership working and individual responses.

·         A summary of key points with each of the priority areas, as identified within the report.

·         That homelessness was not only reflected in not having a home but included an individual having multiple disadvantages and was only often a phase for a household.

·         Work to improve relationships with private landlords to stabilise tenancies within the private rental sector.

·         Work to support individuals to adapt when moving from institutional establishments into social housing through partnership working.

·         An increase in workload arising from the strategy due to intensive work to support tenants maintain tenancies and to prevent evictions

Following the presentation by the Head of Housing the Board discussed:

·         Its support for the work in preparing the strategy and the principles underpinning it.

·         The lack of specific reference to former armed forces personnel or the LGBT community; although it was noted both of these groups were enshrined in legislation and that the Council had an Armed Services Covenant.

·         The loss of Council houses under Right to Buy Legislation and the inability of the Council, through financial constraints, to replace these on a one to one basis leading to increased pressure for social housing.

·         The differences between affordable and social hosing and whether an increase in affordable housing might limit the ability of the low paid workers to maintain a tenancy.

·         The increase risk to exposure to crime for those individuals who did not have access to secure accommodation.

·         The benefits of setting out in more detail within the report on the positive work undertaken in respect of Care Leavers, families institutionalised people and vulnerable and homeless people and the Youth Offending Team to prevent homelessness and support tenancies.

·         The positive feedback received in respect of the work and strength of the Housing Panel Board.

·         The importance and role of the private rental sector in the local housing market and the current working relationship with private landlords and work to continue to maintain and improve this.

·         That officers had received informal feedback from the private sector to the consultation undertaken on the strategy.

Resolved – (1) That, subject to the inclusion of the comments made by this Board, Swindon Borough Council’s Homeless Prevention and Reduction Strategy 2020-2024 be approved.
(2) That Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet be recommended  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

Nicki Millin Director of Strategy and Transformation Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Groups submitted an update on the (a) CCG merger plans for Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire and (b) the development of priorities and work streams across the area to improve the health and wellbeing of the population.  In presenting the report the Board’s attention was drawn to:

·         The merger of the three Clinical Commissioning Groups which meant that as of 31^st March 2020 the Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group would be formally dissolved with the new joint Clinical Commissioning Group would come into effect on 1^st April.

·         New arrangements which included Dr. Amanda Webb becoming the clinical lead for Swindon and would become a member of the Boar and that David Freeman would be the interim Chief Operating Officer.

·         The long-term plan, some details of which had been reported to the Board previously with the priorities for the next financial year being developed.

·         A summary of the priorities and objectives for the next financial year including prevention work, creating resilience in the community to support people in staying at home and to allow patients to leave hospital, the work of primary care networks, personalised care plans and supporting people, learning disabilities and autism, mental health and in particular support for people in crisis and sustainable secondary care  services

Following the presentation the Board discussed the following issues:

·         The involvement and input of partner organisations in the development of the plan set out within the report.

·         The inclusion of national priorities and targets within the priorities of the new combined Clinical Commissioning Group.

·         The opportunity to work closely with primary care networks to target those most in need at an earlier opportunity the better to maintain people’s health and wellbeing.

·         The opportunity to involve other partners, including work they are currently undertaking, in the objectives set out within the report, for example the police within the sustainable communities work.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

The Director of Public Health submitted a report (a) identifying the needs of the Swindon population in relation to Autism Spectrum Disorders, and (b) setting out the recommendations arising from the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment to meet the needs of local people with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  The Director of Public Health in introducing the report drew the Board’s attention to:

·         An overview of the Autism Spectrum Disorder services available.

·         Recognition that Autism Spectrum Disorders were al lifelong condition that have a spectrum of conditions.

·         That the objective of the objective of the ASD JSNA is to identify the needs of the Swindon population in relation to ASD, working with our local partners to formulate recommendations that will help inform future cost-effective commissioning that meets the needs of local people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

·         That 622 children were recognised as having ASD as a primary Special

Educational Need in Swindon schools in 2018, 11% of children with a Special Educational Need.

·         It was estimated that there were 1,480 adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Swindon.

·         The Adult Autism Diagnostic Service received 182 referrals in 2018/2019 and the average wait time was 97 weeks.

·         Swindon Borough Council offered support for various social care needs; third sector organisations that provide support locally include Discovering Autism Spectrum Happiness (DASH) and Swindon Advocacy Movement (SAM). Mental health services for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other mental health conditions are provided by Avon and Wiltshire Partnership (NHS Mental Health Trust.).

·         Service-users and their carers highlighted the long wait times before and after diagnosis, difficulties while waiting for a diagnosis, the lack of clarity in the information, written and oral, given by professionals, and the perception that the problems of children and young people do not always correspond exactly with the guidelines for diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Following the presentation the Board discussed issues relating to:

·         The possible reasons for the increase in numbers of people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders over the last few years.

·         The growing public awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders which had led to an increase in requests for tests.

·         The local self-assessment undertaken by the Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group in 2019 regarding diagnostics and commissioning of services which was followed by the launch of a neuropathway in September 2019 which tested for a number of conditions in a more timely manner (children being assessed more urgently).

·         The criteria used for assessing the degree of Autism Spectrum Disorders and to identify appropriate treatment and healthcare.

·         Work on the provision of an adult pathway for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

·         Transition arrangements for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders moving to adult service provision.

·         The benefits of early intervention both for the individual and in resource allocation.

Resolved – That the recommendations set out within the paragraphs 3.10 to 3.20 of the report be endorsed.

(report to follow)

With the agreement of the Board, this item was deferred to the next meeting.

Resolved - That the minutes of the Joint Commissioning Group meeting held on 26^th November and 17^th December 2019 and 28^th January and 25^th February 202 be noted.

With the meeting’s content, the Chair invited Keir Pritchard to introduce a discussion on behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioner about the use of Section 136 Orders and the Swindon and Wiltshire Place of Safety in Devizes highlighting:

·      The crisis concordat for partnership working under section 136 and the single place of safety in Wiltshire.

·      The rise of Section 136 cases in January and February, which mirrored a national trend and potential reasons for the rise in demand.

·      That, with one incident involving exceptional circumstances all cases involving section 136 orders had resulted in the individual being place in a place of safety.

·      The use of Wiltshire’s place of safety being occupied from individuals outside of the county where the appropriate authority had insufficient capacity. This had on occasion meant that individuals from within Wiltshire could not be accommodated locally.

·      The Board’s concerns regarding the potential detrimental effect, including the need to make alternative arrangements for Wiltshire residents should non-Wiltshire residents be treated at the Devizes on a regular basis.

·      An overview of alternative arrangements for Wiltshire residents needing a place of safety where beds are used for persons referred from out of county.

·      Recent escalation meetings to resolve this issue.

Resolved – (1) That the update be noted and a further report be submitted to the Board at its meeting on 22^nd May 2020.

(2) That the Chair of the Wiltshire Health and Wellbeing Board and the Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner be invited to write a joint letter, with the Chair of this Board, highlighting their concerns in respect of the regular use of the Devizes Place of Safety in Devizes by individuals placed by authorities outside the county.