To report on the national performance indicators position and other performance management information for the Strategic Housing Divisions within the Adult Social Care and Regeneration Directorates.

The Committee noted the report on the performance indicator position and other performance management information for the Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing Divisions within the Adult and Community Services Directorate. The following areas of consideration were highlighted by the Improvement Manager:

·          Of the 17 indicators for Adult Social Care with the latest position data, there were 10 PIs that were on target or better, three which were rated as amber and four highlighted as red. Thirteen PIs were performing better than the 2007-08 position.

·          There were improvements in indicators C31, C62, C72, C73 and D40 which were all likely to exceed the targets set. D55 (Assessments) and D56 (Waiting time for care packages) were both behind the desired target, but it was likely that the targets would be achieved.

·          PIs E47 and E48 indicated that no one from the Black and Minority Ethnic community had been assessed in year to date, largely because no one in this category had come forward.  There was an argument that the Service wasn’t reaching these communities and, as a result, greater emphasis would be put on them within the public information strategy.  The only way of monitoring the success of the campaign was whether or not there was an increase in the number of service users from these groups.

·          The Annual Review Meeting had taken place on 21st July. It was based on a series of focus group discussions with staff, members and other stakeholders. A draft copy of the Performance Assessment Notebook had been received from the Commission for Social Care Inspection. The final version would be due by the end of October.

·          The most recent user involvement activity was a satisfaction survey of people who used residential or nursing care provision. 131 responses had been received, of which 72.5% said they were extremely/very satisfied with the standard of care and 81.7% said they felt safe. 67.2% said that they were extremely/very satisfied with the meals that they were provided with. Sixteen user involvement sessions had been delivered across the County with more than 100 people attending.  The events would help to inform a joint Council and Primary Care Trust Involvement Strategy. The findings from the events would be published during October, with the first draft of the Strategy available by the end of the year.

·          The Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) and Evidence Portfolios were now implemented internally, with plans in place to extend the QAF to the independent sector. Herefordshire had recently been recognised by authorities in Wales as a trail blazer in this field.

In reply to a question from a Member, the Improvement Manager said that whilst the Local Area Agreement would supersede a number of PIs, the six reported from Adult Social Care would remain, and a broader range of indicators would be reported to the Committee in the future.  The new indicators were prefixed by NI, and there were a total of 198 across the Council. There would be 35 PI’s in the Local Area Agreement in order to monitor the progress of the Adult Social Care Directorate.

The Director of Joint Commissioning said that he would produce a paper for the next meeting of the Committee on how the PI’s were made up.  He also undertook to provide a briefing on the Comprehensive Area Agreement which would be in place shortly.

RESOLVED:

That    (a)        the report on Adult Social Care and Strategic Housing Performance be noted; and

(b)               areas of concern continue to be monitored.