Agenda item

Report by the Director: Adults and Community Wellbeing

The Director: Adults and Community Wellbeing submitted a report and presentation on the Adult Social care Winter Plan.  The purpose of the report was to:

Inform Health and Wellbeing Board members of the publication of the Department for Health and Social Care policy paper ‘Adult social care: Our COVID-19 winter plan 2020 to 2021’.

Provide assurance that the expectations set out in the Department of Health & Social Care Winter Plan have been incorporated within existing North Lincolnshire integration plans, and

Inform Health and Wellbeing Board members that this approach has been taken in collaboration with people who need care and carers, North Lincolnshire CCG, local NHS organisations, care providers and the voluntary and community sector.

The Director explained that this winter was likely to place unique pressures on the health and care system. COVID-19 would be co-circulating with seasonal flu and other viruses, and transmission may increase over the winter period. These pressures create risks to the health and wellbeing of both people who need care and support and the social care workforce, including unpaid carers and social care providers, which may impact on capacity. As such, it was essential that local partners work closely together to ensure a level of preparedness for the additional pressures that may be faced this winter.

The Director set out the three overarching priorities within the DHSC Winter Plan for holistic support to the sector which were:

Ensuring everyone who needs care or support can get high-quality, timely and safe care throughout the autumn and winter period

Protecting people who need care, support or safeguards, the social care workforce, and carers from infections including COVID-19

Making sure that people who need care, support or safeguards remain connected to essential services and their loved ones, whilst protecting individuals from infections including COVID-19.

The Director then gave a detailed presentation on the Integrated Adults Partnership’s Strategic Commissioning Plan 2020/24.  This set out the integrated approach and commissioning intent in relation to meeting the health and social care needs of the adult population of North Lincolnshire.  The presentation covered all relevant issues, such as workforce development, the Strategic Framework, Organisational Model, and outcomes and priorities.

The Board discussed the Winter Plan and the Strategic Commissioning Plan, highlighting the importance of both in responding to forthcoming challenges, and to ensuring effective services were planned, commissioned, and delivered for local people.

Resolved – (a) That the Health and Wellbeing Board note the requirement for local partners to work together to ensure a preparedness for the additional pressures that adult social care may face this winter, ensuring everyone who needs care or support can get high-quality, timely and safe care throughout the autumn and winter period; (b) that the Health and Wellbeing Board note that the expectations set out in the national winter plan policy have been incorporated within existing North Lincolnshire integration plans, and (c) that the Health and Wellbeing Board encourage the review of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy to incorporate the request of the people with lived experience and their carers.