The Aberdeenshire Clinical and Adult Social Work Governance Committee met on Monday, 17 June 2024, to discuss various issues including safe staffing, risk management, and health and safety within the partnership. Key decisions were made regarding the Health and Safety Group's action plan and risk mitigation strategies.

Safe Staffing Concerns

The committee revisited the issue of safe staffing, which had been raised in a previous meeting. Concerns were noted about the potential risk of facilities shutting down due to staffing shortages. Assurance was provided that the committee is aware of the risks and is considering various factors, including budgets and the needs of different types of facilities. It was agreed that this matter would remain on the agenda for ongoing monitoring.

Reporting Requirements and Staff Burnout

There was a discussion about the reporting requirements for both the Council and NHS Grampian. Concerns were raised that the Integrated Joint Board (IJB) might need to take on additional reporting responsibilities, which could lead to staff burnout. The committee agreed to review the exact reporting requirements and provide feedback in future meetings.

Complaints Benchmarking

The Partnership Manager, Central provided an update on the lack of national benchmarking for complaints related to Care at Home services. It was noted that the Adults Services Senior Officers Group would explore whether there is learning to be done across other partnerships. A further update will be provided in the June meeting.

Whistleblowing Policy Review

An update was given on the ongoing review of the Council’s whistleblowing policy. The review aims to align the Council’s policy with the NHS's national policy, although challenges were noted due to the differences between the two policies. The review will be reported to the Council’s Business Services Committee in June, and an update will be provided to this committee at its next meeting.

Partnership Risk Group (PRG)

The AH&SCP Chief Nurse presented a briefing on the work of the Partnership Risk Group (PRG). The group is gaining traction in terms of engagement and is moving towards more proactive risk management. Specific mention was made of the Brucklay Ward at Fraserburgh Hospital, which has a strong reporting culture. The committee discussed the need for more local handling of complaints, which are currently managed at a national level through the NHS.

Health and Safety Group

A report from Paul Gleisner, Health and Safety Advisor, was presented, outlining the remit and risk management information of the Health and Safety Group. The committee agreed to note the contents of the report and recognised the group's role in monitoring health, safety, and fire management within the partnership. The committee also agreed that the steps laid out in the report sufficiently mitigated the risks, subject to the receipt of the Health and Safety Group’s action plan and risk plan.

Risk Register

The Service and Development Manager presented an update on the status of risks on the risk register. The committee agreed to note the update and the proposed process to review IJB Risk 8, which concerns the risk of failing to deliver expected standards of care. The committee also requested further work on the Primary Care Improvement Plan risk, with an update to be provided at the next meeting.

For more detailed information, you can refer to the Public reports pack and the Minutes of the meeting.