Agenda item

The Strategic Director for Social Care and Education submits a report which provides the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission with an update on the outcome of the recent consultation exercise for the Carer’s Strategy. The Scrutiny Commission is asked to note the report, and provide any comments on the overarching consultation findings to the Strategic Director of Social Care and Education and/or the Lead Executive Member.

The Strategic Director for Social Care and Education submitted a report which provided the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission with an update on the outcome of the recent consultation exercise for the Carers’ Strategy. The Scrutiny Commission was asked to note the report and provide any comments on the overarching consultation findings to the Strategic Director of Social Care and Education and/or the Lead Executive Member.

The report provided a summary of the findings of a public consultation exercise undertaken between 28 February 2018 and 22^nd April 2018, on the draft Joint Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Carers Strategy 2018-2021 appended to the report.

The Lead Commissioner, Adult Social Care and Commissioning, provided the following information:

·                  There were 230 respondents, 62 of which lived within Leicester.

·                  Consultation was hosted by County Council, following which each authority was given its own data to analyse. Some themes identified during consultation were:

o   The draft strategy was well received by the majority of respondents who believed it reflected carers’ issues, though more detail was needed.

o   People were a little unhappy on how health and social care worked with organisations.

o   More respite and services were needed.

o   Young carers in the city felt their needs were not recognised in the strategy.

o   Parent carers were underrepresented and their needs not understood.

o   Some of the language could be clearer.

·                  It was felt that the strategy itself could not be wholeheartedly accepted because of the number of young carers who felt their needs weren’t reflected. Therefore, County had been informed the City could not sign off the strategy as yet to allow time for young carers’ issues to be addressed.

·                  The next step would be to meet with young carers and to defer the launch of the strategy until further developed.

The Chair said there were significant concerns around young carers and how the strategy could be moved forward. She added it was something that should not be rushed into to avoid mistakes and ensure young carers were looked after.

The Vice-Chair asked that of the 230 responses received, what were the demographics; how many were carers and how many were service users. The Commission was informed that information was available and a breakdown by district and how people identified themselves, for example, carer, professional, would be provided to Members of the Scrutiny Commission by officers.

Further information was provided, as follows:

·                  Significant progress had been made through approaching Barnardos, to enable recognising carers in schools, helping under 18s with adulthood approaching, who wanted help with their future lives / to go to college / university, but wanted assurance that their parent / sibling would be looked after. It was recognised there was work to be done before a refreshed strategy could be signed off.

·                  Post-consultation the strategy would be revisited. Officers were confident that through a cohesive approach, the strategy would be delivered by the end of the year, to include young carer and parent carer issues raised.

·                  There were carers groups in the city supported by the council. Through new contracts, more peer group support would be introduced. Members suggested that communities should be advised on where to get funding to support community groups, for example, Health Lottery money, ward funding.

·                  Nothing had changed in the support to carers whilst the draft strategy was being updated. Whilst developing the strategy, carers should not have noticed any difference.

·                  Once the strategy was approved, there would be an increased focus on some of the comments, with increased support. There would be procurement of new services. Carers would be worked with using the strengths based approach. There would also be increased emphasis on recruiting volunteers.

·                  Through children’s services’ processes, carers needed to be able to fulfil their lives as children primarily, and not carers.

·                  If someone was identified as a carer, the council was under obligation to support them, and the strategy did not change that obligation to meet that need.

·                  There were some people across the service who met the threshold for support, but who continued to provide care themselves because they believed they had an obligation and duty to carry out care.

·                  There was no direct requirement for a person to tell a GP they were a carer. A piece of work looked at carer friendly GP practices to identify ‘Carers Champions’, people who would recognise when a carer presented at surgery, and this had seen an increase in the numbers of carers identified.

·                  It was confirmed that the services specifically for carers of people with mental health needs and learning disabilities from BAME backgrounds would still be in place.

The Chair noted there was a good support system for foster carers, and wondered if that group of people could offer respite care to carers in between fostering. It was noted that the Shared Lives services already offered short-term respite.

The Chair requested that the Commission receive an update when Adult Social Care had spoken with Barnardo’s and amended the strategy.

The Chair also asked that an update report, including the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) within the strategy and information on their success, be brought to a meeting of the Commission, six months after confirmation of the strategy.

The Chair discussed with Members of the Commission, and suggested that once the strategy had been amended, that Members of Children, Young People and Schools Scrutiny Commission be invited to attend a pre-meeting to be held prior to the next Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission main meeting.

The Chair thanked the officer for the report.

It was AGREED that:

1.          The update report be noted;

2.          The Commission would receive an update after Adult Social Care had spoken with Barnardo’s and amended the strategy following young and parent carer concerns;

3.          An update report on the KPIs within the strategy and information on their success be brought to a meeting of the Commission six months after confirmation of the Strategy;

4.          The update would be brought to a pre-meeting of the next main meeting, where Members of the Children, Young People and Schools Scrutiny Commission would be invited to attend.

5.          A demographic breakdown of the 230 responders to be provided to the Commission Members.