ADASS YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE:

APPROACH TO SECTOR LED IMPROVEMENT IN ADULT SOCIAL CARE

Sector Led Improvement

Memorandum of Understanding

Context

All 15 local authorities in the Yorkshire and Humberside region are committed to the principles behind sector led improvement (SLI). We individually and collectively believe that it is our responsibility to ensure that the services we provide and the approaches we take are rooted in ensuring that outcomes for individual citizens are improved and that our populations are better off as a result of the work we do. We have always had a strong commitment and participation in Sector Led Improvement and believe that it’s at the heart of the shift away from compliance and towards a learning and improvement as well as a culture of support, collaboration and joint working. Our approach to sector led improvement is based on the following values - trust, honesty, self-awareness and mutual respect. This enables us to develop an operating environment in which challenging, action focused and productive conversations can take place. These challenging conversations take place with the knowledge that support will be provided wherever needed.

The approach we have adopted across the region ensures that we develop reflective practice throughout the system and the necessary skills to embed our principles of sharing good practice and learning, challenging current thinking, reflection, innovation,self-awareness and different forms of peer support and challenge leading to targeted action where needed.Throughout this we will ensure that we will have a clear focus on outcomes rather than processes and that we will do this through working and learning from users, carers and citizens. The next phase of our approach will strengthen our approach to risk awareness and avoiding service failure.

We recognise this approach is ambitious and presents significant challenges along the way. To achieve our aspirations we recognise the importance of cultural change and this takes time, commitment and determination. We recognise the need to invest in the development of our staff to ensure that we plan for the future and equip the next generation of the workforce. Alongside the development of the necessary skills and competencies needed to work within the new cultural framework, we will develop tools to support the process and provide essential evaluative capability. In the spirit of sector led improvement we acknowledge that the tools and agreed process will evolve as they are reflected upon and improved.

We are determined that the ambitious approach we have committed to will lead to the development of next practice, rooted in system change rather than best practice which is so often invested in an individual or group. To ensure that our approach has lasting commitment we have all secured support from our Chief Executives and Lead Members. To root the agreement we all signed this Memorandum of Understanding. This move demonstrates both our commitment and determination to improve outcomes beyond those achieved already.
Introduction

1.1.This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is between the 15 Local Authorities that make up the Yorkshire & Humberside Region.

1.2.The MoU sets out the agreed areas and activities in which the Local Authorities will work together to support Sector Led Improvement with the shared aims of:

Securing improvement work that is focused on galvanising adult social care services to achieve the best possible outcomes for people, working in particular on the need to avoid service failures, improving performance in relation to the more intractable challenges and sustaining progress during a period of significant economic restraint and budget reductions.

Building on existing capability in adult social care services, corporately and with partners to diagnose improvement challenges, identify risks to performance and to commission effective, evidence based and value for money solutions.

Systematically sharing knowledge about what works across the sector and ensuring that there is effective brokerage of best practice solutions.

Contributing to the development and implementation of policies designed to improve the lives of service users and their families and carers.

1.3.The MoU is not a statutory or contractual document. It is a statement of commitment to work collaboratively to support the regional sector led improvement model.

1.4.The commitment of authorities relate to both providing and receiving the types of support and intervention that are set out in Table 1 below.

1.5.A menu of ‘triggers’ has been drawn up which identifies the things to be taken into account when assessing risk across the region, and this is set out in Table 2 below.

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ADASS YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE:

APPROACH TO SECTOR LED IMPROVEMENT IN ADULT SOCIAL CARE

TABLE 1: MENU OF SUPPORT AND INTERVENTION

Peer Support (one or an combination of any of these) / Targeted Support & Intervention
Sharing good practice
‘Master Class’ events, networks, workshops / LGA Peer Review
as part of the regional programme, requested or identified
Dedicated Peer Support
via existing regional or national networks / Regional Peer Challenge
as part of the regional programme, requested or identified
Buddying
via existing regional or national networks / Peer Mentoring and Coaching
via existing regional or national networks or external provider
Learning Networks
Facilitated via existing regional or national networks of externally / Training and Development
via existing regional or national networks or external provider
Regional and National Benchmarking
via existing regional or national networks / Local Peer Challenge
via the ADASS regional chair or Care and Health Improvement Advisor
Risk Awareness
External Challenge of organisation risks / Peer ‘consultancy’
Review of service by a single regional or national peer
Regional Priority Networks
attendance and participation in regional meetings

TABLE 2: RISK TRIGGERS

As well as being used by the regional Standards and Performance group and the regional DASS group to flag up areas of concern, these ‘triggers’ and the corresponding menu of support can be used as an informal annual self-assessment / checklist for local authorities to keep their own services under review and to help to signpost them to where they can get support in a timely way.

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ADASS YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE:

APPROACH TO SECTOR LED IMPROVEMENT IN ADULT SOCIAL CARE

Sources of data / intelligence

QUARTERLY MEASURES

ASCOF/SALT
CARE ACT STOCKTAKE
BCF PROGRESS
CQC PROFILE
OMBUDSMAN UPHELD
SAFEGUARDING/DOLS

ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS

COMMISSIONING FOR BETTER OUTCOMES
SAFEGUARDING
MYSTERY SHOPPING
PERSONALISATION SURVEY & TLAP
TRANSFORMING CARE (WINTERBOURNE)

ANNUAL PERFORMANCE

ASCOF / SALT
FINANCE / ANNUAL BUDGET SURVEY
NMDS – WORKFORCE
SAFEGUARDING

RISK AWARENESS TOOL – ANNUAL ASSESSMENT

Leadership and Governance
Performance & Outcomes
Commissioning & Quality
National Priorities and Partnerships
Resources & Workforce
Culture and Challenge

LEADERSHIP

DASS IN POST
CEX IN POST
POLITICAL CHANGE

COUNCIL WIDE IMPACT

CHILDREN’S SERVICES
PEER REVIEW (LAST 12 MONTHS)
ADVERSE LOCAL / NATIONAL MEDIA
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PEER REVIEW (2 YEARS)

SCRUTINY AND GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS

HEALTH AND WELLBEING BOARD
ANNUAL COMPLAINTS REPORT
ASC SCRUTIINY

STRATEGIC VISION IN PLACE

ASC STRATEGIC VISION (LAST 2 YEARS)
HEALTH & WELLBEING STRATEGY (LAST 2 YEARS)

REGIONAL AND SLI ARRANGEMENTS

LOCAL ACCOUNT (LAST 12 MONTHS)
REGIONAL PARTICIPATION
SLI PARTICIPATION

SAFEGUARDING ARRANGEMENTS

SAFEGUARDING ARRANGEMENTS TESTED (12 MONTHS) – INDEPENDENT CASE FILE AUDITS
SAFEGUARDING BOARD ARRANGEMENTS
SAFEGUARDING STRATEGY (LAST 2 YEARS)
SAFEGUARDING ADULT REVIEWS (LAST 12 MONTHS)
ANNUAL SAFEGUARDING REPORT

FINANCIAL POSITION

FORECAST BUDGET OVERSPEND
MTFS IN PLACE

COMMISSIONING

MARKET POSITION STATEMENT (LAST 12 MTHS)
JSNA (LAST 12 MTHS)

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ADASS YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE:

APPROACH TO SECTOR LED IMPROVEMENT IN ADULT SOCIAL CARE

  1. Local Authority Commitment

2.1.By the signing of the MoU, Yorkshire & Humberside Councils commit to the following:

a)To completing self-assessments in relation to the areas identified as priorities by the Yorkshire & Humberside regional DASS group.

b)To use the TEASC (Towards Excellence in Adult Social Care) risk awareness tool kit as an informal annual self-assessment or checklist and where the authority believes it is needed use the support mechanisms available either directly or by raising this with the regional chair, the regional DASS group or sector led improvement regional support. To participate in and receive external challenge as part of the annual assessment.

c)To co-operate with a ‘live’ risk assessment in relation to the ‘triggers’ shown in Table 2 above. Most of the information used to inform this risk assessment will be accessed directly from other sources as well as the TEASC risk awareness tool.

d)To accept such targeted support or intervention as shown in Table 1 as the regional DASS group deems necessary following the annual risk assessment or in relation to the ‘triggers’ and to participate fully in any such support or intervention provided. To understand that where significant areas of concern or risks arise, the Regional DASS chair and/or regional DASS group will seek to discuss such these with the local authority.

e)To share good practice and publicise our achievements as widely as possible. To participate in networks, regional and national events in relation to SLI in Adult Social Care in order to share learning and to learn fromother councils and regionsas appropriate.

f)To support the region to participate and play an active role in the delivery of the TEASC statement of purpose and its principles, endorsed by the LGA, ADASS and the Department of Health.

g)To host ‘Master Class’ events to share excellence as and when required by the Yorkshire & Humberside regional DASS group. Where this is required, funding will be made available to the authority to cover the costs of such an event.

h)Where the authority has good practice to share and or specific skills, knowledge and / or expertise, to provide officer and member time free of charge to work with other authorities in the region. Activities may include peer mentoring, shadowing, coaching, the provision of training, buddying or involvement in more formal regional peer challenge teams as set out in Table 1 above.

i)The amount of officer and member time each authority is asked to contribute will not be more than 10 full days annually. If an authority believes that it is being asked to provide a disproportionate amount of time, it should challenge this by approaching the regional DASS group meeting.

3.Implementation

3.1.This MoU commences in October 2015 and will remain in force until such time as it is revoked by the parties.

3.2.The MoU will be reviewed after 12 months when the Yorkshire & Humberside regional DASS group evaluates and reviews the regions approach to SLI in Adult Social Care, and may otherwise be reviewed at any time at the request of any party.

  1. Commitment

Signatures provided below show the commitment to Yorkshire & Humberside’s ADASS’s approach to Sector Led Improvement in Adult Social Care of the Director of Adult Social Care, Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Chief Executive of the council.

Local Authority:

Chief Executive of the Council

Signed:

Date:

Lead Member for Adult Social Care

Signed:

Date:

Director of Adult Social Care

Signed:

Date:

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