Agenda item

Further to minute 9 of the Scrutiny Board (Health and Wellbeing and Adult Social Care) meeting held on 22^nd July 2011 where Members considered potential inquiry topics for the Board, to consider a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development setting out details of an inquiry around Consultation across Adult Social Care and Health

(report attached)

  Further to minute 9 of the Scrutiny Board (Health and Wellbeing and Adult Social Care) meeting held on 22^nd July 2011 where Members considered potential inquiry topics, Members considered a report setting out contributions to the inquiry.  Appended to the report were the following documents:

-  Leeds City Council corporate report on community engagement

-  Adult Social Care Public Consultation and Engagement Processes

-  A paper from NHS Leeds – Patient and public involvement and engagement in the NHS in Leeds

-  Terms of the reference for the Board’s Health Service Developments Working Group

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The following people attended for this item:

Kathy Kudelnitzky – Leeds Initiative

Matthew Lund – Corporate Consultation Manager

Dennis Holmes – Deputy Director Strategic Commissioning – Adult Social Services

Ann Hill – Head of Finance – Adult Social Services

June Goodson-Moore – Executive Director Workforce and Corporate Development – NHS Leeds

Jane Westmoreland – Associate Director of Corporate Services – NHS Leeds

Karl Milner – Director of External Affairs – Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  The Board was informed of the work being done by the Council to improve the consistency and co-ordination of the community engagement it carried out with Leeds’ citizens on a range of issues.  The need to take account of the Localism Bill, engagement and social media, empowerment, the creation of a citizen’s panel and budgetary issues were referred to

  Mr Holmes stated that of all of the Council’s Directorates, Adult Social Care consulted more than others and that with the need for a corporate and partnership approach, much wider consultation would be required, with staff having to be equipped to effectively carry this out

  Details of the types of consultation which were undertaken were provided, which ranged from the personal -  an individual care plan, to city wide – changes in service provision, with a recent example of successful consultation – future options for residential and day care services for older people, being highlighted.  Whilst external context and timescales could have a negative impact on consultation, staff in Adult Social Care were being made aware of this and through embedding consistency it was hoped that some of the problems which had occurred in the past regarding consultation would be avoided

  Members questioned the Council Officers at this point and in brief summary, the key areas of discussion were:

·  the quality of the information being consulted upon with concerns that the recent residential and day care consultation outcome in respect of the future of accommodation in Otley might be less clear, as planning permission for one residential care home was due to expire, with no construction having commenced and the proposals for a second site in Otley being for a facility for Alzheimer sufferers only, which would not cater for the majority of residents at Spring Gardens

·  the role of the Strategic Involvement Group with concerns there could be duplication with the Board’s role

·  the need for a culture of involvement and participation to be created

·  the need for clear, informed, unbiased consultation, with meaningful dialogue and at least 12 weeks timescale for submission of comments

·  that consultation must be genuine with good feedback on the outcomes to avoid people feeling what was being carried out was a box-ticking exercise and for the process to be be audited, with good practice being cascaded

·  that consultation for the sake of it must not occur

·  the important role Area Committees could have in consultation exercises

·  that the Voluntary Sector should be encouraged to adopt customer feedback

·  the current financial situation, how this and the pace of change would impact on the Council and its partners; savings which could be made by more efficient use of resources when consulting; the lessons learned from recent consultations and the pressures of new ways of working

Councillor Kirkland declared a personal interest as a former GP who had treated patients in Spring Gardens Residential Home

The Board was then informed of the consultation processes within NHS

Leeds, with details being provided on current and future involvement and engagement and the duty to involve and consult, which for significant or major variations or developments would require the Scrutiny Board to be consulted, but that lower level changes could be brought to the Board if considered appropriate.  Members were informed that work was ongoing with PCTs and partnerships to devise the most effective way to engage and link that with the work being done by the Council

  Members questioned the NHS Leeds representatives and in brief summary, the key areas of discussion were:

·  that some changes which had taken place, particularly relocation of services and reduced staffing levels did not appear to have been consulted upon.  The Board was informed that all providers would be contacted to remind them that any changes must go through the appropriate level of consultation

·  concerns about the way the changes to the dermatology service had been dealt with, particularly the recording of decisions which had been made and accountability

·  the need for openness, transparency and genuineness, with this being across all levels of the service

·  the proposed changes to commissioning of services

·  the creation of a Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board

·  engagement with patients in planning NHS services and the need for a consistent approach across all the Health Trusts

·  the need for categories that are used to determine the level of consultation and engagement required for various changes to NHS provision to be clearly understood and in a format that the public could easily follow.   The Community Healthcare Trust’s model was recommended

RESOLVED -  To note the information provided, that a further, detailed

report be submitted to a future meeting with the Chair of the Strategic Involvement Group, Steven Clough, being invited to attend on that occasion

  (During consideration of this matter, Councillors Armitage and Hussain left the meeting)