Warrington Learning Disability and Autism Partnership Board

Wednesday 9th September 2015; 10pm- 12pm; Conference Room, New Town House

MINUTES

Present:

Mike Alsop (Chair) (MA) / Warrington Borough Council – Integrated Commissioning
Mandy Taviner (Deputy Chair) (MT) / Warrington Speak Up
Claire Perrins / Warrington Borough Council
Debbie Kerr (DK) / 5 Boroughs Partnership
Ian Chamberlain (IC) / Parent
Andrea Parr / Macintyre
Shona Jemphrey / Warrington Speak Up
Michael Sheppard / Warrington Community Living
Chris Rowles / Autism Initiatives
Rachael Boswell (RB) / 5 Boroughs Partnership
Sandra Bardsley / 5 Boroughs Partnership
Fiona Sutton-Wilson (FSW) / Warrington Borough Council - Integrated Commissioning
Angela Judson (AJ) / MacIntyre Autism Parent group
Kelly Allcock / 5 Boroughs Partnership
Julie Smith (JS) / Warrington Borough Council
Cllr Mcloughlin (MM) / Warrington Borough Council
Cllr Pat Wright (PW) / Warrington Borough Council
Zoe Williams (minutes) (ZW) / Warrington Borough Council
Andrea Knight / Parent
Terry Jones (TJ) / Integrated Children’s Services Manager
Kieron Gibbons / Clinical Commissioning Group
Gill Sunderland / Warrington Borough Council - Transitions
Cathy Wood / Speak Up

Apologies:

Alison Toolan / Warrington Borough Council
Helen Catterson / Warrington Borough Council
Pip Horne (PH) / Warrington Speak Up

Agenda

ITEM
1.1 / Welcome and apologies
MA welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies noted as above. MM mentioned that she sent her apologies for the last meeting.
1.2 / Minutes of the last meeting
The previous minutes were agreed as a true record.
CP mentioned that as she will shortly be leaving the Council she will no longer be attending the meeting.
1.3 / Matters arising
Mike has not yet spoken to Dave Cowley about representation for this meeting.
ACTION: MA to speak to Dave Cowley regarding representation for his team for this meeting.
MA asked everyone to think about representation for this meeting in case there are any other people who should be included in the future.
PW asked if catalyst should be included.
ACTION: Representation on the Board to be discussed following the self-review.
FSW has emailed Steph Duerden regarding training provided by Warrington Voluntary Action.
JS has followed up bus passed for carers with Transport and is waiting for a response.
2 / NEW BUSINESS
No news business at this time.
3 / STANDING ITEMS
3.1 / Autism Strategy
-  Autism Action Plan
The Autism Strategy, Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the Autism Action Plan have all now been combined. Task groups have been set up to look at the key objectives and meetings are now taking place. Particular attention is being paid to looking at post diagnosis for people who have autism but not learning disabilities. Outcomes will be reported to the Department of Health in Spring.
-  Autism Training & Development Strategy
The new autism awareness training is not yet online. This is still in progress. There is an Autism Conference planned on the 1st of October.
-  AViTAR
DK and FSW reminded the Board that this innovative employment-related technology project is about using 21 century CAD technology to create a 3D environment in which a person with autism can navigate an avatar and have live interactions with other avatars. This means that they can practice employment related skills in a ‘safe’ environment. Discussions centred on the exciting range of ways in which this kind of technology could be useful. E.g. desensitisation, transitions arrangements, health appointments, interview training etc. Future funding might include the use of personal budgets and self-funding.
ACTION: Ask WDP to demonstrate AViTAR at the next LDPB
-  Asperger’s Task group
FSW and KG reported that this group is evaluating the care pathways of ten of the most expensive patients to identify better treatment and support pathways and any trends/ patterns that point to early intervention models.
3.2 / LD Healthcare facilitator - Progress and challenges
·  Healthcheck Clinics – now in operation at Woolston Hub are very popular with good feedback.
·  GP Services are now requesting training. This is proving to be very much in demand with over 50 GPs expressing an interest. RB stated that perhaps a second workshop is needed to accommodate everyone’s needs
·  Health Sub Groups meeting plans to bring all information together and work as a team and a great deal of time has been spent to ensure everyone is involved that is necessary and everyone is fully informed of all developments.
·  The “Let’s Check” files are very effective and all users are finding it useful. Roughly 300 people use the file (50% of the LD population). HT commented that all Social Workers ask if the person has a Let’s Check file.
·  Warrington Hospital does not have someone in a specific role dealing with health issues for people with LD/Autism but they are involved with much of our work and willing to assist wherever possible.
·  Case studies were discussed to illustrate the effectiveness and importance of the work RB is undertaking and leading on. E.g. woman in late 40s/early 50s was placed on cancer pathway by GP, but through discussion, over time, RB was able to identify that her symptoms were caused by a rash. This saved the patient from undergoing an unnecessary operation. Communication difficulties had led the GP to misdiagnosing. MA asked that further case studies be brought to the Board and that he would like to see the Heath Facilitator activity linked to the evidenced reasons for early death in the LD population.
·  Health sub-group held its first meeting and is working out its TOR and who should attend. MA said that he would like to have a picture of what is going on in each GP clinic.
ACTION: RB to bring more case studies to the Board if possible
ACTION: Links with caused of early death to be more explicit in reporting, so Board can build a picture and we can report through SAF
3.3 / Learning Disability Self-Assessment Framework (LD SAF)
-  LD Action Plan 2015
The criteria for this year’s LD Self-Assessment Framework will be available shortly and the submission is due to IHAL in December. FSW will bring the documents to the next meeting. It was suggested that perhaps an additional meeting purely to look at the LD SAF should be set up. It is very important to get the LD/SAF correct as it reflects on what we have achieved from this group this year and also our aims for next year. It is important to focus more on improving patient experiences at the hospital.
P Action: MA to invite someone from Warrington Hospital to the next meeting.
-  Employment (Vulnerable Adults)
JS reported on the development of the Supported Employment Strategy. The strategy takes a two-pronged approach:
1. to support people to develop employment skills
2. to support employers to identify the benefits of recruiting someone with additional support needs and to make adjustment to remove unnecessary barriers
The therapeutic value of work was discussed.
3.4 / Transforming Care - Briefing paper DRAFT Service Model
There has been a recent consultation for people with LD/Autism and/or MH issues/Behavioural difficulties. The draft service model was discussed. It was commented that a lot of the recommendations have already been updated by the Winterbourne Review.
3.5 / Children with a Disability Strategy - Progress and challenges
Terry Jones, the Integrated Services Manager, who has now been in post for six months, gave an overview of his work. Having been interviewed by parents, children and professionals, Terry is managing an integrated services hub, at Woolston, which includes Educational Psychology, Community Health, Disabled Social Work Team and DHC Co-ordinators. The work is governed by a Partnership board and a Management Team.
·  A recent survey of 1000 parents, regarding Education and Health Care Plans, reaped a result of over 200 (20%).
Phase one: implement EHCP
Phase two: Develop early intervention and health for those who don’t meet the statutory thresholds.
·  The Team are looking into special schools and education provision. However some people are attending schools out of borough despite our provision being excellent. Sometimes this can be purely personal choice.
·  In January 2016 Ofsted and CQC will be jointly inspecting SEND services. The piolets are in Calderdale and Kent. These are area inspections, not just council.
·  At the next meeting there will be a larger update within governing documents.
4 / AOB
ESF Mental Health Bid: Time Smith, Julie Smith, Margi Butler and Fiona Sutton-Wilson have been working on this. The Warrington model being put forward as part of the sub-regional bid which involves a peer support model to help people with low level mental health issues find employment and therefore reduce their dependency on the benefits system. The bid is being professionally written.
MM stated that she thought that the meeting had been very positive today.
The Carers Partnership Board has its bi-monthly meeting on Monday.
The Carers Strategy Action Plan has now been updated but Strategy needs to be refreshed
Finally JS thanked CP for her input in this meeting as this is her last meeting as she is leaving the Council shortly.
AP informed the Board about the National Autistic Society’s emotional support for parents and carers.
ACTION: Send the NAS information out