Agenda item

The Panel received a presentation from Jo McCarthy, Deputy Designated Nurse for Safeguarding and Children in Care and Care Experience and Coopted Member of the Corporate Parenting Panel, which provided feedback from the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENC ICB) ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions, which took place between 21-25 October, as part of Care Week (for copy of presentation, see file of minutes).

The Deputy Designated Nurse explained that Durham’s Clinical Commissioning Group had integrated into the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board and an agreement was made that children in care and care experienced, will be a priority for the Integrated Care Board. This was an opportunity to ensure that all Durham’s young people, including those living outside the county, will have access to the same health offer.  A Children in Care and Care Experience workstream was set up comprising 14 local authorities and, as part of Care Week in October, the NENC ICB hosted the ‘Lunch and Learn’ sessions. Over 500 people attended the sessions which reached wider than the north east and north Cumbria footprint.  The sessions included the participation of young people, including Durham young people, who shared their experiences and their thoughts with regard to the future development of services. The Deputy Designated Nurse thanked the young people for giving up their time to attend the sessions adding that their contributions were of great value to the health perspective, particularly in relation to health assessments and the changes that occur at the age of 18. Some of the young people allowed their videos and poetry to be shared during the sessions which made a real impact.

During the sessions, information was provided on practice areas in Durham including the Peer Mentoring Programme, the support for unaccompanied asylum seeking young people and the Durham Works programme. 

The Deputy Designated Nurse provided an overview of the next steps which included the introduction of a GP Pathway for Care Leavers across the ICB region and the development of a digital health information app, to link with the NHS app. The work will also focus on improving the engagement of young people, with lived experience, in coproduction. There will also be involvement in the work relating to Durham County Council’s implementation of care experience as a local protected characteristic. Luke commented that he would like to see links being strengthened between health practitioners and the CiCC and the Deputy Designated Nurse agreed to discuss with Luke, opportunities to attend future CiCC meetings and she was aware that Karen Watson, The Head of Children’s Social Care suggested that it would be beneficial to have health representation on the implementation board for care experience as a local protected characteristic. She added that many young people, on reaching the age of 18, struggle with the transition to adult services and she would like to have more information on the ICB’s plans in relation to support for trauma as she was aware that some areas provided specialist trauma services for children with care experience, as they transition. The Deputy Designated Nurse responded that she was aware that this was a focus area within the workstream and she would make enquiries to gain more details, for a future update to the Panel.

Designated Nurse, had requested to attend a future regional CiCC meeting.