Warrington Learning Disability and Autism Partnership Board

Wednesday 8th July 2015; 3pm- 5pm; Conference Room, New Town House

MINUTES

Present

Mike Alsop (Chair) (MA) / Warrington Borough Council – Integrated Commissioning
Pip Horne (PH) / Warrington Speak Up
Mandy Taviner (Deputy Chair) (MT) / Warrington Speak Up
Debbie Kerr (DK) / 5 Boroughs Partnership
Ian Chamberlain (IC) / Parent
Andrea Parr / Macintyre
Shona Jemphrey / Warrington Speak Up
Margi Butler / Warrington CCG
Michael Sheppard / Warrington Community Living
Chris Rowles / Autism Initiatives
Rachael Boswell (RB) / 5 Boroughs Partnership
Fiona Sutton-Wilson (FSW) / Warrington Borough Council - Integrated Commissioning
Angela Judson (AJ) / MacIntyre Autism Parent group
Kelly Allcock / 5 Boroughs Partnership
Michele Lord (ML) / Warrington & Halton Hospital
Julie Smith (JS) / Warrington Borough Council
Zoe Williams (minutes) (ZW) / Warrington Borough Council

Apologies

Claire Perrins / Warrington Borough Council
Helen Catterson / Warrington Borough Council
Esther Gibson / 5 Boroughs Partnership
Andrea Knight / Parent Carer
Terry Jones / Warrington Borough Council

Agenda

ITEM
1.1 / Welcome and apologies
MA welcomed everyone to the meeting and passed on apologies, as above. MA pointed out that Claire Perrins and Helen Catterson will no longer be attending the meeting, but that Terry Jones had been invited. A representative from Housing is now needed.
ACTION
ü  MA to speak to Dave Cowley regarding representation for his team for this meeting.
1.2 / Minutes of the last meeting
The previous minutes were agreed as a true record.
1.3 / Matters arising
There were no matters arising.
2 / NEW BUSINESS
2.1
2.2
2.3 / Review of ToR/membership in light of Care Act/ Children &Families Act and transformation agenda/H&WB strategy
FSW and MA gave a short overview of plans to put together a self-assessment of the effectiveness of the Board. The key issues are:
1.  Representation
a)  Are the right people present to enable the Board to be as effective as possible?
b)  Are members ‘representing a constituency’ and reporting back to the people they represent, ensuring that the views of others are being represented at the meetings?
OR
c)  Are members ‘representative of a group like them’? In other words, representing themselves.
MA clarified that all members should have a ‘constituency’ to whom they report and from whom they can raise agenda items. However it was acknowledged that there are gaps the Board may choose to fill.
2.  Terms of Reference
As the Partnership Board has been operating for a while, it might be useful to reflect on achievements and report them to the Health and Wellbeing Board. This would be a useful way of raising the Board’s profile as well as providing useful evaluation.
AJ suggested that it would be useful to have training or documentation made available for new members of the group. This would be helpful to ensure a better understanding of:
·  How a Board Meeting works
·  What is expected of an attendee
·  Current policies, strategies and Initiatives relating to Autism/LD, particularly those that may be discussed at the meeting
·  Understanding of the organisations connected with the meeting and everyone’s role within the organisations and the meeting
·  Better understanding of the terms of reference and what is being undertaken to meet them at present.
It was thought that Warrington Voluntary Action has some sort of training regarding the role of a participant in a meeting and the core skills required.
PH pointed out that the Board had carried out a mapping exercise fairly recently where everyone had stated which other groups they were part of and their roles within them.
ACTION
ü  FSW to speak to Steph Duerden regarding training provided by Warrington Voluntary Action
ü  FSW to start to populate and then circulate the assessment document.
ü  To be put on agenda for Sept meeting.
3 / STANDING ITEMS
3.1
3.1.1
3.1.2
3.1.3
3.1.4 / Autism Strategy
-  Autism Action Plan
FSW gave a short overview of latest developments with sub groups and priority task groups.
JY mentioned about a website that her organisation has put together regarding Autism Mike wants this board to be involved with the development of this.
-  Autism Training & Development Strategy
DK and JY reported that the Autism Conference will now be held on Thursday 1st October, allowing people with autism more time to prepare.
New bespoke on-line awareness training is being developed. This will be Warrington-centric and available to everyone. MA suggested that the Board could trial this prior to the October conference. A press release could be attached to this.
ACTION:
ü  Board to trial new on-line training. FSW to arrange press release to accompany this.
-  AViTAR
FSW explained that the first steering group meeting for the Autism Virtual Training and Recruitment project was held on 3rd July as a soft launch. The quipment was delivered to Warrington Disability Partnership, by Hao2, the supplier.
PH attended with a Speak Up member who has autism and they had the opportunity to use the system and gave very positive feedback. Also in attendance were DK and JY, who shared the view that the technology presented lots of aspirational opportunities for future therapeutic and training work with a huge variety of people.
The purpose of the project is to develop new and creative ways of supporting people, with autism, into employment. The AViTAR system is designed to enable the user to create virtual environments and an AVATAR which can then communicate with other users.
In addition to direct work with people with autism, Warrington and Co, working alongside WDP, will support and encourage employers to provide employment opportunities people with Autism.
MB and MS mentioned funding that is available from the Local Enterprise Council which may be useful for future funding for the AVATAR project. MS informed the Board about the consortium being developed to access ESF funding. £32 million is available and lead partners are being asked to make submissions by the end of the week. MA requested that all involved propel the LD and autism agendas.
-  Aspergers Task group
MB explained that the group provides a good networking opportunity. Currently the focus is on trying to understand need and system pressures. An audit of 10 patients is being undertaken to examine current pathways and associated costs. Value for money and best outcomes are key concerns.
5BP are working on a cross-borough pathway paper, which needs to tie in with Adult Social care at a local level. Alyson Toolan sits on the mid-Mersey steering group which is overseeing the post diagnostic pathway paper.
MB suggested that Dr Alistair Barraclough be invited to share post-diagnostic support proposals with the Board. Currently each diagnosis costs £2k, but it is then unclear what happens to people.
3.2 / LD Healthcare facilitator
·  Mini Health Check Clinics – not much progress as yet on this, RB is currently looking at how things can be adjusted as rooms have not been made available.
·  RB was contacted by a lady from Aintree screening regarding cancer awareness recently.
·  GP Services are now requesting training.
·  Mini Let’s check cards are being rolled out to everyone (250 people have a Let’s Check file)
·  Health Sub Group. PH is drawing this group together. The group plans to draw information together to avoid duplication and harness collaborative approaches.
·  RB has also been involved in an eye care workshop at the hospital
·  RB has a new specialist nurse uniform which is being received well
·  MA asked that reasonable adjustments/desensitisation work be reported at some point.
3.3
3.3.1
3.3.2
3.3.3 / Learning Disability Self-Assessment Framework (LD SAF)
-  LD Action Plan 2015
FSW explained that the LD SAF Action plan was due to be reviewed this month. Updates will populate the plan over the forthcoming weeks and these will be shared with the Board.
FSW reported that a draft version of the PMLD strategy was undergoing its final edit. This was a piece of work co-ordinated by Speak Up and undertaken by Janice Wycherley, involving an extensive consultation.
FSW/MA will send the SAF document to the Board prior to publication.
-  Employment (Vulnerable Adults)
Julie Smith gave a short presentation about developments with this task and finish group, which was established to develop a supported employment strategy for LD and autism. The breadth of group’s remit has broadened to incorporate vulnerable adults (although commitment has been secured to ensure that the needs of people with LD & autism will not be diluted). The group is taking a two pronged approach: supporting people with additional needs; and working with employers to ensure that they can reasonably adjust their systems and processes.
MA suggested that a supported employment service which includes a matching system could be useful model to explore.
IC questioned the requirement that work should be fulfilling. Are we setting the bar too high? Is the job being sought for therapeutic reasons or for income? The general position expressed was that it is important to try and consider the area of work a person is interested in.
-  LD Week – Living Well events
A Living Well event was held on 16th June, as part of four mini Living Well events. The theme of this event was “Have a Go” and it was linked to leisure and culture. PH reported that representation was made by Culture Warrington, Livewire, Bikeability, Wired Choir and a clay modelling activity was available. This was a well-attended and enjoyable event (although some LD providers did not contribute). From consultation activities, at the event, the major barriers to participation were:
·  lack of information about what’s on
·  transport in the evening
·  lack of support to attend (paying transport costs for support workers is a disincentive.
PH explained that Alyn Jones had pledged to explore carers passes and that there have been calls for a transport summit in Warrington. JS said that she would follow up carers passes.
Low level neighbourhood information is especially important when people with LD are living in isolation (e.g. with family members in the community).
Is there an issue regarding interim support staff not knowing Warrington well enough. Would volunteer support/befriending be an option? Individual Service Funds?
Jane Critchley (HoS Neighbourhoods) provides information about what is going on in neighbourhoods.
ACTION
ü  JS to follow up transport passes with Alyn Jones
3.4 / Winterbourne View
-  Updates, learning and local impact
This initiative is now called Transforming Care. There is a national report about Winterbourne MA will distribute with the minutes for this meeting. A clean bill of health indicates that we are doing the right things to reduce the number of care packages away from home. This item is to be taken off the Agenda now.
ACTION
ü  Item to be removed from agenda
3.5 / Children with a Disability Strategy
-  Progress and challenges
Terry Jones, the joint manager for the Children with a Disability service will be joining the Board.
4 / AOB
There is a new television programme called The Autistic Gardener starting on Chanel 4 at 8pm tonight.

Date of next meeting: Wednesday 9th September 2015, 10am – 12noon