Agenda item - Strategic Risk Management Action Plan Focus SR16 Wider modernisation of social care; and SR13 Keeping vulnerable adults safe from harm and abuse

Report of the Executive Director of Finance & Resources (copy attached).

67.1         The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director of Finance & Resources in relation to the Strategic Risk MAP Focus: SR16 wider modernisation of social care; and SR13 keeping vulnerable adults safe from harm. The Committee had a role to monitor the effectiveness of risk management and internal control by oversight of the Strategic Risk Register and a Risk Management Action Plan for each risk which is owned by a member of the Executive Leadership Team. The Committee had agreed to focus on two strategic risks at each meeting so that over the course of a year all the MAPs received attention. The Risk Owner responsible for both would be the Executive Director of Adult Services.

67.2         The Executive Director of Adult Services introduced SR13: keeping vulnerable adults safe from harm and explained that the Council had a statutory duty to undertake this function which was due to become a legal requirement in the Care Bill. The Council had to lead and coordinate safeguarding in the city, and it was believed that the number of alerts going to investigation had increased from approximately 16.5 to 20 in the last annual report. The Safeguarding Board was currently chaired by the Executive Director of Adult Services, but there was currently some work being undertaken to review the Board and consider appointing an independent chair. It was noted that in relation to reorganisation in the NHS there had been some interim arrangements to ensure clinical investigations were undertaken in a timely manner. Training and awareness were key to minimising risk, and training was available to all sector providers of care. The Safeguarding Board as well attended by the statutory partners in the city, and there was a strong audit of the safeguarding work.

67.3         In response to Councillor Summers the Executive Director of Adult Services clarified that the responsibility for the clinical escalations sat with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG); which was different from the work of social workers. It was also clarified that the level of mandatory training would depend on the role of the individual in question.

67.4         Dr Horne asked about the impact of service redesign and voluntary severance on the work of the professional social work staff, and the Executive Director of Adults Services explained that these roles had been protected as part of the service redesign.

67.5         The Executive Director of Adults Services introduced SR16: wider modernisation of social care and explained that work was well underway in relation to managing the changes from the Care Bill. The Council was also looking very carefully at the changes form the Better Care Fund and this linked in with integrated ways of working. The CCG would be responsible for Better Care Fund plans, and there would be a Better Care Fund Programme Board involving all of the lead officers from statutory service providers. Alongside this there was the work of the Modernisation Board and the two boards would need to work together from 2015/16 and beyond. Recently a joint post with the CCG for the Better Care Fund has been recruited to, and there was joint work being undertaken with the Executive Director of Finance & Resources in relation to the wider impact of these services, and to look at mutual support.

67.6         The Executive Director of Finance & Resources noted that this risk had recently been added to the register, but it presented an example where risk and opportunity were two sides of the same coin. The work would seek to provide better outcomes for patients, but the scale of the challenge created financial risks during the implementation.

67.7         In response to the Chair it was confirmed by the Executive Director of Adult Services that the Better Care Fund would provide approximately £10M of funding for the local health economy, but this would mean broad changes to the current working systems. Some of the wording in relation to performance linked funds had softened. There was some real scope for improvements in some areas; however, it was noted that in others the good quality of existing service would make achieving the targets more difficult.

67.8         In response to Council Wealls the Executive Director for Finance & Resources agreed that Officers would look at further training and workshops for Members in relation to the risk management aspects of the Committee’s remit; in particular matters in relation to the Care ill and Better Care Fund.

67.9         In response to Councillor Summers the Executive Director explained that one of the requirements of better care was to offer ‘7 day per week’ services, and this meant a whole series of significant changes to current working practices.

67.10    RESOLVED: That the Committee note the information.