Notes of the Derby Link

Notes of the Derby LINk

Management Committee Meeting

24 November 2011

Present: / Apologies: / Guest:
Steve Studham (SS) / Gloria Newell (GN) / Matthew Allbones (MA) – Community Action
Peter Swift (PS) / Margaret Hall (MH)
Keith Jeffrey (KJ) / Ciselyn Alexander (CA) / Staff present:
Raj Gill (RG) / Carol Burns (CB) / Mark Blaney (MB)
Marta Hancock (MHk) / Raj Bali (RB) / Rebecca Johnson (RJ)
Som Bhalla (SB) / Margaret Daisy Butler (MDB)
Margot Keats (MK)
Tim Proctor (TP)
Item / Comments / Actions
Welcome and apologies / SS welcomed everybody to the meeting. Apologies were noted.
Minutes of last meeting / In matters arising the item about Normanton Medical Centre should have read PS was meeting RB, not RG. With this amendment the members accepted the minutes as a true record of the meeting.
Matters arising / ·  Project update – RJ explained that she will now circulate blank forms for the upcoming month at each meeting, posting or emailing them to absent members, and asked for completed forms to be returned by the seventh of the following month.
·  MA reported back about the Community Action Management Board – there had been an election at the AGM but a LINk representative could have an observer’s seat. SS suggested talking discussing this later in the meeting.
·  PS has backed off the campaign to keep Normanton Medical Centre open as the report has been done, it can no longer be supported and there is enough support in the area..
·  Sue James has written to PS explaining that Helen Scott-South, Chief Operational Officer, is responsible for reviewing all departments for duplication, which will hopefully result in cost cutting. In four months the number of follow up appointments by phone call and letter has been significantly reduced.
·  MB circulated the Do Not Attempt Resuscitation report.
·  MB provided the EDS document for SB.
·  The consultation on psychological therapies ran from the end of August to the end of October. Dave Gardner, Head of Procurement for Mental Health, has reviewed the responses and the Hardwick Health CCG will look at them before Christmas to look at recommendations and come up with changes. They will then go to the Cluster Board for review to decide and finalise in March/April before a new programme is announced.
EGM – Terms of Reference / MB carried out a postal vote after the last meeting; there was a unanimous decision to hold an EGM to discuss the amendment to the terms of Reference (ToR). SS suggested amending the period that members can stay on the Committee from three to five years. MK suggested looking at it again in a few months time. MA explained that legally there does not have to be a fixed term time limit in the Terms of Reference. KJ suggested removing the clause completely. SS suggested just removing the clause stating the time limit: If you have been elected to the Management Committee for 3 consecutive years, you cannot then stand for election for one year, although you may reapply after this. MB suggested that it may be worth reviewing the Terms of Reference again in September 2012, SS suggested January 2013. All agreed. SS said that he appreciates everybody staying until the end of LINk then individually deciding what to do.
LINk project update / MB explained that the staff team has been busy with care homes work, recruitment and the Pathfinder. MA congratulated RJ on reaching 300 members and explained that the new target is 400 by the end of March.
HealthWatch update / The Health and Social Care Bill is still going through Parliament. SS and KJ attended a transition progress meeting which was confusing and offered no clear direction. Ann Goodwin from the Department of Health East Midlands gave a presentation and notes from the meeting should be available soon. The meetings alternate between commissioners and LINks. A discussion took place at the meeting about what HealthWatch will look like. KJ commented that one positive is that some commissioners are starting to engage in the process and see what LINks do. The next meeting is on 14 December and SS asked if the host organisation would attend as commissioners should be present. The Health and Wellbeing Board is a good framework for health and social care issues in Derby. MA asked if there is a way to find out what stage other LINks are at. A session 1 paper is available and a similar paper for the last meeting is to follow. Nottinghamshire is thinking of being independent, the members do not want to be HealthWatch but do want to be associated. / SS to circulate notes when available
Pathfinder update / Since October Jessica has produced documents about how to move forward including an interview topic guide and expectations of future treatment and funding for national and Derby’s Alzheimer’s Society. She is attending dementia cafés to introduce herself ready for focus groups next year. She has met with interested volunteers and designed a leaflet for people who may be interested in taking part in the interviews and focus groups including at Derbyshire Carers’ Association. Twelve individual interviews will take place – nobody has definitely confirmed yet but they are not due to take place for a few weeks. Jessica is approaching care homes with a view to talking to employees and visitors. SS pointed out the need to highlight the issues on getting participants in the final report as there will be lots of this sort of work in the future. SB suggested talking to Making Space which Jessica has already done, MK also suggested Dementia UK and Crossroads. SS explained that the Pathfinder is on the agenda of the January Health and Wellbeing Board, that there is a project meeting on 2 December to look at progress and thanked Jessica for all of her work on the project.
Care homes update / MB has contacted all homes that the team will be revisiting and the visits are nearly all done. Contacting the new homes on the list is going well – there are 28 on the list and most of them seem keen to take part. MB has five more to see and 10 are suitable and ready for a visit. Some are not suitable because they are respite homes or just have two residents. At his meetings MB has found that many residents in these homes never receive visitors. SS commented that it is good to be aware of this fact and it would be useful to find out how many residents are affected. MK suggested asking about visitors as a standard question at visits and to therefore have the information in the report statistics – this can be incorporated into the next revisits. SB commented that home care shows the same issues. MB explained that locally monitoring is very good and this has been tracked for the last three or four years. MK said that Crossroads sit with dementia patients in their own homes and wondered if this service extends to care homes. MA suggested that Jessica could research this. PS and MK have been involved with Rethink who do go and see people. These volunteers are specially trained to it may be possible to extend their service. / Jessica to contact Rethink
Issues raised / This will now be a standard agenda item following on from looking tat the Complaints Procedure. No issues have been raised.
Work planning / MA explained the importance of starting to look now at LINk work for April onwards and to set priorities. He suggested discussing priorities extensively at the next meeting. KJ commented on factoring the transition to HealthWatch in. MK said that hopefully the notes from the East Midlands meeting will be available by then. SS commented that it is important to just look at LINk work now but to see how it could be transferred to HealthWatch.
Policy to review – Confidentiality / MA explained that the Confidentiality Policy is a fairly generic one but it is something that members need to be aware of. The only changes he has made are job titles. RG asked how confidentiality covers talking to other LINks. SS responded that most information comes from the Department of Health and is open to the public anyway. SB queried about information about volunteers being given to other groups or statutory agencies, PS explained that it meant the committee or other members. MA stressed the importance of being aware of information held about individuals and the reputation of the organisation, not about general discussions. RG commented that often it is a case of using personal discretion. SB suggesting putting the word confidential on relevant papers to avoid any doubt, MA clarified that this is the case. MK noted that the policy mentions child abuse but that all safeguarding should be covered. All agreed changes. / MA to make changes
Recruitment / MB explained he is leaving the role to take up a position with CQC. MA explained that himself and SS had a meeting scheduled for the following week with Perveez and cannot do anything about recruitment until the extension contract has been finalised and signed and MB has officially handed in his notice. Before MB’s successor takes up the role MA will pick up some areas of the work. SS suggested a temp or a secondment from the City Council. MK felt wary of using a temp and MA explained that a lot of expense would be involved. SS felt that otherwise the recruitment process would be a big exercise for a six month post. KJ suggested that the Council’s Transformation programme may be a way to engage. MK thought this was a good suggestion as they would be aware of LINk. MA noted that a secondment would be much cheaper than using an agency. This suggestion could be mentioned to Perveez. MK asked if a secondment could also be offered to PCT staff. MA explained that a representative from the Management Committee would be needed on the recruitment panel if the post was advertised and he will begin working on update the job description and person specification. SB commented that he appreciated MB’s hard work and what he has brought to the role.
AOB / ·  SS had attended a joint meeting with Derbyshire LINk about the CCGs having the same areas as the LINks. Nothing has come from the meeting as yet, attendees were told three to four weeks.
·  PS reported that Mark Todd is looking at how governors can get more involved at the hospitals. The nurse led discharge system for respiratory patients is being rolled out for the whole of the Royal Derby Hospital.
·  Further to PS’s own complaint about the hospital, hospital staff are now looking at all complaints. PS and Mark Todd have scheduled their next meeting for 7 December before the public meeting.
·  MH had attended the Derby-Neuro-Rehab meeting and can get further information. Approximately 40 people attended. MK will also find out more about Leicestershire LINk’s Muscular Dystrophy subgroup.
·  It was agreed to hold a buffet after the meeting on 19 December.
·  MB had circulated the Council’s funding decision documents. MA reported that Community Action will not be taking this any further but has had talks with the Council.
·  MA is attending a meeting on 5 January with the CCG Chair to see how the voluntary sector and a lay person could link into the CCG.
·  TP explained about a new group convened by Sarah Middleton for people 60 or over who have dementia.
·  TP will be attending the Christmas party of the engagement group for learning disabilities and mental health at the Ashbourne Centre on 8 December. RG offered to attend with him. / SB will try to find more information on discharge allowance.
RJ to invite all members
Arrangements for next meeting / Monday 19 December 2011 11:30 – 1:30 Community Action Derby – followed by Christmas Buffet

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