Note of a meeting of the Southern Advisory Committee

Date of meeting:14 March 2011

Venue:Quaker Buildings, Lurgan

Present: Koulla Yiasouma, Lee Wilson, Sylvia Trimble, Eileen Wright, Dermot Mooney.

Apologies:Fiona Rowan, Mary Doran

In Attendance:Stella Cunningham

Agenda Item / Discussion Points / Agreed Action
1.Action arising from 10 January meeting / Stella and Lee reported on the meeting with community groups held on 25 January. There had been good interest from the groups attending and lots of useful suggestions about the role of the PCC. Lee thought that the suggestion of the PCC as in information hub was useful. / Stella to circulate draft report.
2.Feedback from PCC Board/LAC workshop / Lee and Dermot had been in attendance. Lee reported that he thought the group discussions had been useful. The presentations were less so. Dermot was unsure what the outcome from the day would be.
Koulla reported that an evaluation of the LACs was being completed. She asked for feedback on how members thought the LACs were developing. Sylvia reported that she had expected it to be a more of a practical patient voice role. Eileen thought that there needed to be a full discussion about the PCC’s role given that the Trust was being more proactive about engaging with service users. She suggested that the PCC’s role could be more about ‘monitoring’. Lee felt that the low profile of the organisation made it difficult for the LACs. He suggested that more frequent meetings would help to build up a greater momentum. Dermot felt that there were huge issues in the service and that there was a role for the PCC and the LACs in highlighting these. / Koulla to feedback
Koulla to reflect this feedback in discussion with LAC Chairs and the PCC Board.
3.Report from PCC Board / Koulla reported that the meeting with the Minister and Chair/CE had been productive. She recounted the circumstances regarding the cancelling of the roadshow. There was a discussion about PCC attendance at the Health Committee.
4.Project Up-date / Domiciliary Care/Living Your Life to the Full. Stella reported on the public workshop to gather feedback on the proposals. A short report had been provided to the Trust. The questionnaire was being piloted.
Advocacy in Care HomesStella reported that a draft of the toolkit was nearing completion. This would be piloted and evaluated.
Non-emergency Passenger Transport Stella reported that the Trust were concerned that although 80% of the people using the service were mobile the majority of these were elderly women living in rural areas with no other form of transport. The Trust was raising this and the need for a more joined up approach with community transport at regional level.
SHSCT website. There was a discussion of the Trust proposed structure. It was generally felt that the home page was very focussed on hospitals and did not reference social care. Koulla suggested a questionnaire to the PCC membership.
Citizen’s Jury. There was a discussion about the practicalities of making this happen in the autumn. The need for stakeholder buy in was felt to be central. Further information about how a Jury would run also be needed. / Stella to feedback to SHSCT.
Koulla to seek agreement to proceed from PCC Board.
5. SHSCT Patient Experience Committee / Stella attends this Committee and had passed on an invitation to LAC members from Cte Chair Roberta Brownlee. Eileen had attended and reported that she felt it was a very important meeting. She reported that Mrs Brownlee had invited the LAC to make nominations to the Cte. Reps from the Trust User Involvement Panel would also have places. Eileen commented that listening to the discussion had reinforced her feelings that the PCC needs to clarify what its function is given that the Southern Trust is so proactive in user involvement. Dermot and Lee were interested in attending the next meeting of the Cte. / Stella will indicate that the LAC would welcome the opportunity to make nominations to the Cte. This will happen after the June meeting.
6. Press release / It was agreed to call on the Trust to consult on the impact of the financial situation on services. / Stella to draft
7. AOB / SHSCT Development Centre. The LAC has been invited to participate in a Trust Development Centre session for staff seeking senior management positions. The request is to nominate 2 participants familiar with older people care to engage with staff attending the Centre. / Eileen and Dermot were nominated. Stella to pass information on to Trust.
8. Date of next meeting / 9 May 2011