Archived decisions

REPORT OF THE

EXECUTIVE MEMBER

ADULT SOCIAL CARE

PART II

SETTING THE FUTURE FOR OLDER PERSONS SERVICES

1. The Executive Member has approved:

· The development of a strategy to access universal services to support well being and independence of older people to ensure social care resources are targeted to those with the greatest needs.

· The development of a commissioning plan for older people that supports the delivery of a sustainable financial recovery and joint working with stakeholders and partner organisations.

· The development of comprehensive plans to refocus in house services to deliver a modernised cost effective service that is integral to the overall commissioning plan.

2. The commissioning plan will be based on a set of principles that will underpin all change and development work that supports older people. These will need to be agreed with partners but are likely to include:

· Support that is connected to community and mainstream life.

· Maintaining relationships.

· Opportunities to be as independent as possible whatever the environment.

· Networks of support not service solutions

· Ageless solutions eg. Support around the individual based on need not age.

· Value for money

3. Key elements that will need to be integral to the plan are:

· A fundamental review of how Day Support Services are commissioned with a focus on how to utilise access to universal services and develop a range of choices for older people to maximise independence and well being.

· The use of assistive technologies such as telecare to support people to continue living independently in their own homes.

· Support for people at or as near to home as possible, this will include domiciliary care and Extra Care sheltered housing.

· A capacity plan for the commissioning of long term care that enables Adult Service with our customers to manage and develop the market.

· Jointly commissioning care through care pathways that offer a range of interventions to manage demand in different ways, with benefits to customers, Adult Services Department and the NHS.

· Clear agreements with the NHS defining the responsibilities and accountabilities for the commissioning and delivery of Health and Social Care that detail explicitly redirection of existing resources.

4. As part of the restructuring of the Department it has been recognised that it will need to refocus working at a locality level. Within this there is the need to ensure the structures can also deliver the expected outcomes of Independence Well Being and Choice and support the delivery of sustainable financial recovery. Adult Services will be working with Practice Based Commissioning in developing this approach there is the potential to encourage both service users and the professionals supporting them to exercise choice and control, seeking creative solutions to the management of their Long Term Condition and for older people to remain independent and at home for as long as possible.

5. As part of the commissioning plan the department will be reviewing the balance of externally purchased services and in house provision. From current trends there is evidence that we will need to refocus the core of In House services. This will be the 500 nursing beds that have been developed as part of the ENHANCE project and the provision of specialist Residential Dementia Care services. These services will provide for service users with high care needs who are most difficult and expensive to place in the Independent sector. Therefore account will be taken of this when benchmarking our costs against independent sector provision.

PATRICIA BANKS

Executive Member for Adult Social Care