Agenda item

To receive an update on Kent Social Care Transformation.

Presenter: Mark Lobban, Director of Commissioning, Kent County Council

The Board received an update from Mr Lobban on the Kent Social Care Transformation strategy.     The strategy was a new, outcome-focused model for the delivery of adult social care which would be more responsive to individuals’ needs.   The draft strategy was due to go to Kent County Council’s (KCC) Cabinet Committee for adoption on 21 July 2017, following a 4-week period of consultation.

A number of workshops had been held to consider how different roles within the NHS and KCC, providing similar services, worked together, and whether this relationship could be improved in terms of coordination, accessibility, response, etc.  A particular focus had been the role of occupational therapists and social workers in relation to hospital discharges.   Pilots in Ashford and Canterbury had examined how services could be brought together and a homecare model which involved nurses rather than social workers overseeing domiciliary care. 

Dr J Chaudhuri pointed out that there had been a similar initiative some years previously, and queried opportunities for joint training.  Mr Lobban agreed that there was a duplication of roles within KCC and the NHS.  It was proposed that specialist staff would be employed by the NHS, with a health and social care workforce employed by KCC.   Hours of employment, poor rates of pay and career pathways would need to be addressed.          

Ms S Baldwin reported that Medway had also reviewed its domiciliary care workforce.  Nurse-led homecare could promote health and wellbeing and was an untapped resource.   Mr Lobban commented that nurses were a scarce commodity which was why consideration was being given to having some of their work done by lower-skilled workers, with the appropriate support and supervision.   In response to Councillor P A Watkins who queried the division of responsibility within such an arrangement, Mr Lobban clarified that the proposal was very much in the design phase and would need further scoping and discussions with nursing and domiciliary care professionals. 

Mr Lobban advised that there were other complications, in that NHS services were free but social care was chargeable for those with means.   These issues would need to be worked through.  Moreover, whilst coordination and supervision would be crucial, it was recognised that the public sector did not have a good track record in coordinating its services with the independent sector.   He reassured the Board that KCC was not underestimating the demand for these services.  In this regard, carrying out frequent reviews could reduce demand and free up capacity.  

In response to Councillor S S Chandler, Mr Lobban reported that 40% of the needs of people receiving domiciliary care could be met in another way, potentially through the voluntary sector.   KCC believed it could make savings in domiciliary care, but this was likely to require an investment of £2 million in the voluntary sector.   Whilst the voluntary sector required continuity and consistency in terms of grant-funding, they also wanted some flexibility in how they approached ‘jobs’.  KCC was looking at how it could network with the wider voluntary sector through one partner.  

RESOLVED:   That the update be noted.