Agenda item

Report of the Director of Transformation and Partnerships - presented by the Strategic Manager, Public Health.

The Chairman introduced the Strategic Manager – Public Health, Chris Woodcock to speak in relation to the Overview and Scrutiny Review of Home Safety – Safe and Wellbeing Visits (for copy see file of minutes).

The Strategic Manager – Public Health reminded the Committee of the review undertaken in conjunction with the CDDFRS and Public Health in terms of Safe and Wellbeing Visits (SWVs) and noted that the evaluation that had been completed by the Teesside University on the SWV initiative, as set out at appendix two to the report.

The Committee noted that the review had made several recommendations, including in terms of: annual review via the Safe Durham Partnership (SDP) as regards the SWV framework document; information sharing protocols and making best use of data collected; ongoing monitoring of the SWVs via the SDP and Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) and communication of outcomes with Firefighters; quality assurance in terms of the SWVs, including via the evaluation undertaken and focus groups with staff to feedback operationally as regards issues such as ongoing training and assessing whether pathways being utilised were fit for purpose.  The Strategic Manager – Public Health noted that there had been value established in several areas, and example being that of interventions in cases of falls and issues of loneliness.

The Chairman thanked the Strategic Manager – Public Health and reminded Members that former Councillor and Vice-Chairman of the Committee, T Nearney had chaired the review and had commented on the importance of the work and the ability of Firefighters to be able to get people engaged and willing to talk about several issues, due to their trusted high standing with the public and their high levels of skill and training.  The Chairman asked Members for their comments and questions.

Councillor J Considine noted that in her local village there as a project being undertaken looking at the issue of social isolation and noted that recommendation two of the review had noted local data that may be useful in relation to this project.  The Strategic Manager – Public Health noted that there was the framework in place, giving an overview, however he was not sure that the SWV information was broken down at that level.  He added that Public Health information in relation to isolation may be available at the ward level and he could look at this further.

The Chairman asked as regards communication of the information sharing protocol as he had noted that members of the Community Action Team (CAT), when dealing with an issue in his Division, had been unaware of the protocol.  The Strategic Manager – Public Health noted this would be an issue raised as regards awareness within the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) and with partners.

Councillor A Patterson noted that several of the AAPs were looking at the issue of social isolation and the report may be useful for those AAPs.

Councillor J Charlton asked who Members should contact as regards SWVs, was it their local Community Fire Station.  The Strategic Manager – Public Health noted that he would look into this issue.  Councillor J Turnbull noted that he had attended SWVs with the CDDFRS and that he felt they had been a great success, targeting areas where issues had been flagged up from other data sources.  He added that the Firefighters from the CDDFRS were well respected and trusted by the public.

Chief Superintendent A Green noted the comment in terms of some Officers from partner organisations not being aware of the information sharing protocol did not mean information was not being shared effectively.

He explained that data that was shared automatically and information was utilised to make the relevant referrals to partners such as Age Concern or Public Health where appropriate.  He added that the data was very useful in this respect and reassured the Committee that the information was being shared as per the protocol in place.

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer noted that as Members had received several updates in relation to the recommendations of the review the Committee was asked to confirm that they were happy to sign off the review of the recommendations as being completed.

Resolved:

(i)       That the report be noted.

(ii)      That the review of the report recommendations be noted as completed.