Voluntary Sector Forum for Learning Difficulties
Wednesday 28th May 2014
Minutes
/ These people were at the meeting:Roger Butterfield, (Chair)
Carole Money, York CVS (Minutes)
Elise Tagert – York People First
Andy Pollin, York People First
Rachel Barber – Clarence Gardens
John Brown, Healthwatch York
Sandra Gilpin – York People First
Becca Cooper – York People First
Kate Hardcastle – York People First
Garry Jones, York CVS
Neil Jones, Inclusion Housing
Lee Greenfield, York Advocacy
Adam Myers, Brunswick Organic Nursery
Lynn Jeffries, York Independent Living Network
Guests:
Paul Howatson, VOY CCG (Chair MH & LD PB)
Graham Terry, Assistant Director Adult Commissioning Modernising & Provision, CYC
/ These people couldn’t come to the meeting:
Karen Darley, CYC
Rose Kent, Accessible Arts & Media
The Chair’s Welcome:
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked everyone to introduce themselves.
A warm welcome was extended to Graham Terry from CYC and Paul Howatson, Vale Of York CCG - Chair - MH & LD Partnership Board.
/ Notes from the 19th March 2014 Meeting
a)Are they right? – They were agreed as an accurate record.
b)Matters arising –
Page 2 There were a number of actions that Catherine was going to undertake before she changed role, Roger will deal with them.
/ Day Care Services – changes within Learning Disabilities Services – Our Feedback
Graham Terry went away from the last meeting feeling optimistic about working together and came to this meeting for our response.
Adam: Has concerns about the definition of a Vulnerable Adult regarding safeguarding. His worry is that those with low/moderate needs who are not using services will fall through the net, therefore more susceptible to abuse, and services will only be made available to those with acute needs.
GT: – Safeguarding is becoming a statutory duty, whether people are receiving services or not. All referrals are assessed in the same way whether they are service users or not. The first priority is to establish what their vulnerability is and what their capacity is to deal with the issues.
Rachel: People with low/moderate needs who are not in Social Care often only get support when they reach crisis point – where is the prevention measure?
GT: The Transformation Programme is set up to pick up moderate needs.
Lee: Who is raising the alerts?
GT: GPs, Police, Hospitals, lots of bodies are aware and they can help people refer.
There is no funding for CYC to take an active role. The focus is to make sure there is a wide awareness of the referral system.
There is no budget for a wrap around service. The Transformation Programme is what we’ve got and we have to make that work. Graham acknowledged that this is a new system, one that we all have to get used to.
CYC is looking at a single action point which should improve the system. It will mean just one source is dealing with issues rather than several.
Garry: Acknowledges cuts have had to be made but is there a system in place during the transition from the old system, to the Transformation Programme.
GT: Community Facilitators can help.
Q: When referrals were originally assessed people were given information on what to do next, what happens now?
GT would like to hear people’s views today on what they would like to see happen.
Garry: How will the Transition Fund work?
GT wants ideas on how it can work. An Investment Fund is available but needs a sound case to make it happen.
Adam: Even though there is a squeeze on money, some people are being over supported, there is some variability on when needs are needed.
GT: There is no capacity from CYC for variable support – only when needed. A barrier comes from a lack of trust from commissioners. CYC is looking at this challenge, efficiency verses effectiveness. They are looking at flexible working patterns, and more effective staffing when groups come together so that all personal assistants aren’t required at the same time. They are looking at this with providers.
John Brown – Is the register of vulnerable people still being maintained?
GT: A register is held for the blind & partially sighted but not for vulnerable adults, - there is also a staff warning register and a flood and disaster register all held at the Adult Commissioning Dept at CYC.
Lynne: Does the blind & partially sighted register include those who aren’t accessing services.
GT: Yes
GT encouraged everyone’s ideas to try to create something that gives people better outcomes. You can contact Graham direct at
Garry – Catherine Surtees can also take up any issues.
The Chair thanked Graham for coming to the meeting.
/ Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Partnership Board – last met 25th March 2014 and 27th May 2014
Paul Howatson, Chair of the Partnership Board came to discuss the action points raised at the last meeting.
There are three areas we need to cover:
1 Joint Health and Social Care Self‐Assessment Framework
2 The themes Rachel raised to the partnership board:
· Communications
· Relationships
· Personal Assistants
· Ageing Carers
· Respite care
· Employment
· Medication
· Health Action Group
3 DISCOVER process- what works well?
Joint Health & Social Care Self-Assessment Framework.- There are three, one for York, one for North Yorkshire, and one for East Riding as the Vale of York CCG covers part of this area. Due to a key staff member on long term sick some of the work didn’t get picked up.
It broadly covered three sections:
Understanding the population covering children young people as well as adults with learning difficulties.
Screening – People attending secondary care services A&E, Hospital care etc.
Annual Health Check and Health Action Plans - some public health and some inclusion
There were lots of questions to answer in a short time scale.
We need to run this by services users, to get stories. It was scored lower because there wasn’t enough time to gather the evidence. NHS England said this exercise will not be done again for at least 12 months. NHS Act limits access to data. Restructure in the NHS and other bodies meant lots didn’t happen. Paul assured the Forum that they can do better now things have settled down and there will be a framework in place for when it happens again.
Q: Is there a consequence for York not doing so well on this?
PH: York did not fail. Thresholds were given and the assessment was made on a cautionary level, the answers were moderated because of the lack of evidence. The CCG are working with Inclusion North and CYC developing and implementing an action plan.
Becca is concerned about the elderly and would like to see some information about this in an accessible leaflet.
Q: Who is on the board with Learning Difficulties?
RB: Rachel and Catherine are the representatives from this forum but no service users are represented.
Q: Lee picked up the point that there is a lack of a mechanism for feeding back. Valuing People Board has been disbanded for a year, there are frustrations because people don’t think they have a voice.
PH: MH &LD Partnership Board has not replaced Valuing People Board but there are various ways of feeding back:
It is the role of this forum to feed items of concern to the PB, items are added to the agenda.
It is a public meeting, members of the public can speak if they register their questions/concerns in advance.
Graham will find out who has replaced Helen Sikora.
CYC and Health are going through a restructure. Tracey Wallis has said she will give her support. Paul will encourage everyone to help. Rachel thinks it would be helpful to have more than just her to speak at the meeting.
Sandra said the Valuing People Board gave so many expectations but since it was disbanded it feels we are going backwards.
John Brown – Although the Partnership Board is in the public domain, it is very intimidating to actually do it. The agenda is in control of the board and doesn’t allow it to be done easily.
2) Rachel asked for volunteers from the forum to take the lead in any one theme to work closely with Council/health for solutions. The following suggestions were made:
Action: Rachel to contact those suggested that weren’t present at this meeting.
Communications - YPF York Advocacy
Relationships – Brunswick, York Advocacy
Personal Assistants – Accessible Arts, YPF, Independent Living Scheme (ILS)
Aging Carers – York Carers Centre,
Respite Care – passed back to statutory – but we need transparency.
Employment – no employment strategy. Is this on the agenda?
GT: This is in the Transformation remit. We need ideas on how to make employment a reality and how to progress not stagnate. –
CYC/Health is looking at Medication through safeguarding and the medication unit.
Health Action Group - YPF attend this group. They don’t feel they are listened to. GT and PH will look at the minutes.
Sandra: Are we looking at issues such as life expectancy? A report has shown it is lower by 13 years for men and 20 years earlier for women. This is the sort of thing YPF would like to be addressed.
Ideas to be fed back to Janet Probert.
Rachel suggested that we review the remit of the group.
Action: Rachel and Paul to look at remit and report back.
/ Mental Health and Learning Difficulties Partnership Board next meets 29th July 2014 – do we have anything to ask or tell them?
Partnership dates for the rest of the year:
30th September
25th November
It was suggested that forum dates be brought forward by 2 weeks to allow more time to feed items into the PB agenda. Date proposed for next meeting Tuesday 8th July.
Action: Carole to check room availability.
Proposed dates for following meetings:
10th September
5th November
It was also suggested that we nominate another representative due to Catherine’s change of role.
Action: CVS (Catherine has this) Rachel will send out a role description once spoken to Catherine.
/ Update on the Research into people with learning difficulties and low and moderate support needs:
Dr Lorna Hamilton and Sue Mesa from the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences at York St John University didn’t come to the meeting. Roger gave a brief update.
The have advertised for a researcher.
3 to 4 focus groups to meet June, various dates have been offered.
Roger agreed to contact Lorna and Sue to find out when they were going to set up the Focus Groups, who they were considering being on the groups and the proposed dates for the groups to meet.
/ Information Exchange
York People First –Their next play is Swear by the Moon (based on Romeo & Juliet) 27th and 28th June. They may also perform outside on the Tour de France route. A grant from BBC Performing Arts was given for this work.
Gavin Harding is the Deputy Mayor of Selby.
Brunswick – Now have a cafe as well as a shop at the Nusery (the cafe is open at the weekends).
Clarence Gardens – Monday - Computer session. Rachel has acquired 5 more laptops. They can now cater for up to 10 people.
Tuesdays sessions. Topics are chosen by individuals on a 4 week rolling programme. Pottery is taking place at the moment. Dressmaking starts 4th June.
Fridays – Music sessions.
York Independent Living Network – a report is due to be published as a result of the recent Disability Hate Crime – Keeping people in York safe meeting.
/ Any Other Business:
Lynn asked if anyone knew anything about the Acomb Explore - Communicating with Pictures. There was no response – everyone agreed to look into this.
Gateway asked if anyone knows who might be able to provide community transport in the evenings. York Wheels was suggested. Adam has had this problem too, the last time he spoke to York Wheels they said they found it difficult to get volunteers to work in the evenings.
GT also agreed to consider this matter which had been raised in an e-mail forwarded to Roger.
/ Revised dates for 2014 Forum meetings:
8th July
10th September
12th November (note: 5th November was not available)
All meetings are 1.30pm-3.30pm at the Priory Street Centre, 15 Priory Street,York
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