Agenda item

To receive the Adult Services Key Performance Indicators.

Matt Pope, Director Adult Social Care, presented the Adult Services Key Performance Indicators for Q1.

During the discussion of this item, the following points were made:

·       Members were advised that the key performance indicators needed to be seen in the context of the current unprecedented demand post Covid.  Safeguarding concerns were up 76% for example, and front door contacts for Adult Social Care were up 35%.

·       There was a pressure on Adult Social Care nationally.   Matt Pope emphasised that there was a need to keep the pressure up on the future Funding Bill for Adult Social Care, and to create a workforce to meet that demand.

·       A Member commented that it would be useful to have comparative data in all the tables such as the direction of change.

·       In response to a Member question Matt Pope confirmed that he was still committed to setting ambitious stretch targets, although against a backdrop of the current climate.

·       In response to a Member question as to why safeguarding referrals had increased by 76%, Matt Pope commented that this was often the result of inappropriate referrals from the Ambulance Service.  The Ambulance Service was under considerable pressure.  Members questioned what an inappropriate referral looked like and were informed that the referral may have information missing which had to be followed up.  Work was being undertaken across Berkshire West to address this.

·       A Member asked what the level of referrals would look like without the inappropriate referrals.  Matt Pope agreed to feed back to the Committee.

·       Councillor Hare indicated that a safeguarding training session would be held for all Members.

·       With regards to AS2: Social work assessments allocated to commence within 28 days of the requests (counted at point of allocation), Members were pleased to note that the waiting list had been reduced to zero.  A Member asked whether the redeployment of staff to deal with the waitlist had had an impact elsewhere in the service.  Mat Pope indicated that the Council had temporary flexible resource which was moved around to help with pressures.  Previously this staff had been paid for by the NHS to help with discharge from hospital.  However, this funding had since ceased.  These staff had been moved across to help with health assessment levels. 

·       With regards to AS5: New permanent admissions to residential or nursing care homes (65+) (ASCOF 2A2).  A Member questioned whether the aim of reducing these levels conflicted the aim of reducing bed blocking.  Matt Pope explained that there were different pathways on leaving hospital – those that required no support up to those who had to go into nursing homes.  Wokingham was good at providing people with sufficient levels of support to enable them to go home, and only those that really needed to, went into residential care.  It was noted that there was a national issue of insufficient nursing home care places.  Matt Pope referred to a recent Government announcement of an additional £500million nationally to create additional capacity.   It was suggested that the commentary relating to the Key Performance Indicator be amended.

RESOLVED:  That the Adult Services Key Performance Indicators Q1 be noted.