Agenda item

Report of Senior Portfolio Lead, Integrated Commissioning.

The Board received a report of the Senior Portfolio Lead, Integrated Commissioning, Neil Jarvis, together with a presentation from the Senior Portfolio Lead and the Chief Executive, Durham County Carers Support, Jenni Wood (for copy see file of minutes).

The Senior Portfolio Lead and Chief Executive, DCCS explained as regards the review of carers support services for adults, parents and young carers in County Durham and the background in terms of The Care Act 2014 and The Children and Families Act 2014 for adults and children respectively and their rights as carers.  Members noted the figures in terms of numbers of carers and referrals to the service, the number of hours delivered by volunteer counsellors, and the various headline figures in terms of benefits and discount schemes.

The Senior Portfolio Lead explained as regards the survey of adult carers, with Durham seen to be above the national average result.  He noted from 12 Local Authorities (LAs) in the region, 50 percent of responses were from County Durham and Members were asked to note the result would also reflect the impact of the pandemic on those carers.

The Senior Portfolio Lead noted that key findings included that carers and key stakeholders being very confident and satisfied with the current support model for carers, meeting the needs of adult, parent and young carers effectively.  He noted as regards carer support services in health settings such as acute and community hospitals and that hospital discharge processes would help identify carers earlier in their caring role.  He added that further support was needed to ensure carers could access services that were increasingly being provided digitally and online.  The Board heard that the focused interventions on ensuring carers were provided with information on support at the earliest opportunity would continue.  The Senior Portfolio Lead noted a need for an increased focus on support in secondary schools for young carers, as well as targeted support during key times of transition for young carers including going to college, university or into the workplace.

He explained that the re-procurement of Carer Services would be progressed in early 2023.

The Chair thanked the Senior Portfolio Lead and Chief Executive, DCCS and asked the Board for their comments and questions.

L Buckley asked as regards links to work relating to health and social inequalities.  The Senior Portfolio Lead noted the work with other services to target those inequalities, where a carer identifies within a service.  L Buckley noted the information required for hospitals to be able to direct to the correct services within LAs and would speak with Officers as regards this.

The Chair noted that it was important that those in a caring role were able to understand that they were in fact in such a role.  He explained, as an example, where an individual may attend an Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department on a number of occasions accompanying the person being cared for, however, at that point they had often been in a caring role for a period of time.  The Senior Portfolio Lead noted that from the national census, there had been a two percent drop in the number identifying as carers, with a one percent reduction in County Durham.  He noted that could be as a result of the pandemic and lockdowns, with people taking on caring roles without realising.

The Head of Children’s Social Care, R Farnham asked if there was a sense we were reaching enough young carers, she noted the numbers referred to seemed low given the size of the County and asked if there was more we could do to reach those young people.  The Senior Portfolio Lead noted the work ongoing in hospitals to try to identify and reach adult carers and within schools to try and reach young carers.  He agreed as regards the size and scale of the county and that there was always more that could be done.  The Head of Children’s Social Care noted it was an issue that could also be picked up within prospectus for young people and young carers.

The Strategic Manager (Partnerships), A Petty asked if there was currently a waiting list in terms of accessing young carers support services.  The Senior Portfolio Lead confirmed there was and noted there was a priority list, to be strengthened via the procurement process.

The Director of Public Health, A Healy asked if the levels of unmet need were known, and how that could be linked with the Joint Strategic Needs and Assets Assessment (JSNAA). She noted that our carers within the county were a great asset.  The Senior Portfolio Lead noted the work of the Team, however, welcomed the link to the JSNAA.  The Chair noted the help of carers represented excellent value for money as where a carer role breaks down the cost can be very high, noting an example being an adult with learning difficulties being cared for by older parents, where an older person becomes ill or infirm.  He reiterated that investing in our carers in the county was a very good investment and would ask that the Board receive a further update in due course following the re-procurement process and that it could be useful for the Board if a carer came to share their experience.

Resolved:

(i)   That the report and presentation be noted.

(ii)  That an update is provided to the Board at a future meeting.