Purpose

To provide Cabinet with an update on the
national and local issues relating to adult social care in
Buckinghamshire

Content

This report provided an update on adult social care, both
locally and nationally. It included details on demand within the
sector and budget as well as information on key work which had
taken place within the last six months. Adult social care
had:-
 

·        
Provided advice,
guidance and support to an average of 3,200 residents each month.
This was helping to manage the increase in demand for
support.

·        
Improved the way that
the Home Independence Team works. This had increased the capacity
within the team, which had improved the number of hours it had been
able to work with residents from 471 hours per week in November
2023 to 652 hours in January 2024.

·        
Made improvements to
hospital discharge. Adult social care staff were now working with
NHS staff as part of an integrated team to assess people in
hospital ready for discharge. Staff were also working with NHS in
the Transfer of Care Hub, a single unit that organised discharges from hospital. As a result of
these changes there has been a 40% reduction in the number of
people who were waiting in hospital unnecessarily when they were
medically fit for discharge.
 
As a result of more people going home or
straight into a permanent placement, the improved support to
residents had also helped the system to reduce the number of
interim care home discharge beds. These have been reduced from 46
in March 2023 to 20 in March 2024 and the length of stay in such
beds had also reduced to 41 days.  These
changes have been better for people leaving hospital and
had meant a better use of available
capacity for the system.
 
However, alongside improvements and
successes, adult social care was still experiencing some
significant challenges, including:
 
·        
Increasing demand for
services and support for people with  more complex
needs
·        
Increasing unit costs
for services, with external care providers struggling with
recruitment pressures and a high cost of living
·        
The national shortage
of qualified professionals
·        
The high number of
safeguarding referrals made to the Council, which was twice the
rate of similar authorities. When triaged, it was clear that many
of these referrals did not relate to safeguarding
issues.

 
RESOLVED –
 
That
the latest developments in relation to adult social care, both
locally and nationally, be NOTED.