Content

13.1

The
Strategic Director of Adult Care and Wellbeing introduced the
report alongside the Service Manager for Care Governance and
Improvement. The report provided the quarterly update to Committee
on performance and delivery of the Strategy Living the Life You
Want to Live.

13.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Adult Health and Social Care Policy Committee:-

Notes
progress in delivering upon the Adult Care Strategy Living the Life
You Want to Live.
Endorses the Strategy Delivery Programme and ambitions for the
future.
Notes
the performance update and areas for prioritisation and
focus.
Notes
our approach towards reviewing Early Help and
Prevention.
Notes
the preparations for the CQC assessment, which will take place
before the end of 2025.
Note
the continuing review and activity in relation to co-production,
engagement and market sustainability

13.3

Reasons for Decision

13.3.1

Asking
for regular updates on the Strategy Delivery, our Performance and
CQC will keep the Committee, wider stakeholders, and the public the
ability to hold the Council to account for progress and impact and
will provide an additional mechanism to input to future
development.

13.3.2

Endorsing the Strategy Delivery Programme and Assurance
Programme enables Committee to continue to undertake scrutiny of
the service and strategy delivery plan in an informed and
meaningful way.

13.3.3

Asking
for regular updates and refreshes of the CQC self-assessment,
including wider assessment preparations and communications will
enable Committee to have oversight and assurance that Adult Care
know themselves and are able to drive forward service improvements,
alongside the assurance that we are well prepared for the CQC
assessment process.

13.3.4

Noting
the performance update, enables Committee to undertake scrutiny of
Adult Care performance including strengths and areas for
prioritisation, including the development of our Performance
Management framework / cycle of Assurance, alongside our
improvement plans in this area.

13.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

13.4.1

Alternative Option 1: Do Not Provide an
Update on The Strategy Delivery Plan Progress – When the
Strategy Delivery Plan was approved by Committee in June 2022 the
was a commitment to review the plan regularly and by not reviewing,
we would not be meeting that commitment. Due to the significant
amount that has been delivered on the plan, leaving it as it would
make it harder to identify the priorities going forward.

13.4.2

Alternative Option 2: A different delivery
plan - The real options for the delivery plan are around the
individual elements, which will be worked through as part of the
constituent pieces of work. These will be worked through in
different ways, with many of them resulting in their own future
reports to the Committee.

13.4.3

Alternative Option 3: Do not Review Our
Strategy. The strategy for Adult Care and wellbeing is nearly 3
years ago. Although co-produced the portfolio is in a very
different position now compared to the time when the strategy was
originally written. Undertaking a mid-term review enables us to
refresh our strategy and priority outcomes to ensure that it is fit
for purpose and maintains its relevance.

13.4.4

Alternative Option 4: Do not work in
partnership / collaboratively. It is a statutory requirement to
work in partnership with colleagues across the health, care, and
wellbeing system, as set out in the 2021 White Paper. The Statutory
Duty to Involve also requires us to engage and involve people who
use services, and unpaid carers in the design and delivery of care
and wellbeing. We would not be meeting these requirements if we did
not work in meaningful partnership across, they system, and with
all stakeholders.

13.4.5

Alternative Option 5: Do not Prepare for
the CQC Assessment. The CQC assessment of Adult Social Care
Services is not optional. The outcomes of the assessment are
published on the CQC website and have ramifications wider than
Adult Care and Wellbeing. A negative Outcome would mean that we are
not delivering our duties under the Care Act. In addition, a
negative outcome would impact on the reputation of the Council, the
confidence of our customers and partners, recruitment and
retention, staff morale, and potential funding
opportunities.

13.4.6

Alternative Option 6. Do not share the ACW
CQC Self-Assessment with partners and in the public domain: To not
share the self-assessment and ask for comment would go against the
approach and principles we are embedding as business as usual in
Adult Care. To have both credibility and relevance, it is vital
that this is a report which provides an honest and transparent
narrative for adult social care informed by the voices and
experiences of staff, partners, commissioned providers, VCSE, and
the people who access our services, their families, carers, and
those with lived experience.