The Commission received a presentation on the King's Park Moving Together Project and a report on the programme's impact on local communities. It also received an update on the Transforming Outcomes Programme in Adult Social Care, heard from Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Culture, Councillor Christopher Kennedy, on three areas of concern and agreed the minutes of the previous meeting.

King's Park Moving Together Project

The Commission received a presentation on the King's Park Moving Together (KPMT) project from Lola Akindoyin, Head of Programme, and Maralyn Gordon, Chief Executive of the Pedro Club.

The KPMT project is one of 12 local delivery pilot projects in England funded by Sport England. It was launched in 2018 to tackle inactivity in King's Park using a 'place-based' strategy. This strategy involved collaborating with local organisations and engaging with the community on a deeper level. The project has helped to increase the number of people moving more, particularly from Black and Global Majority communities, women and girls, and older people. It has also helped to reduce inactivity levels for the target population groups.

The presentation highlighted the impact of delivering community-based physical activity. One example is the Pedro Hub Cycle Partnership Project, which attracted 424 participants, 91% of whom were adults from Black and Global Majority communities. Of the adults who participated, 96% were women. The project was praised for its ability to attract unusual cycle suspects and increase the feeling that the opportunities offered were for people like me.

Another example is the Pedro Club Partnership Project. This project is a three-way partnership between The Pedro Club, Hackney Council and Sport England to refurbish the Pedro Club building. The project will help to put the building into a good state of repair and improve its facilities. It will also help to support and develop the organisational capacity of the club and enhance and extend its services.

The Commission was impressed by the progress made by the KPMT project and its impact on local communities.

Transforming Outcomes Programme in Adult Social Care

Helen Woodland, Group Director of Adults, Health and Integration, Georgina Diba, Director of Adult Social Care and Operations, Leanne Crook, Assistant Director of Transformation in Adult Social Care, John Holden, Assistant Director of Finance and Alan Rogers, Director at Newton Europe, presented an update on the Transforming Outcomes Programme in Adult Social Care (ASC). This is the third update on the programme.

The presentation began by setting out the financial context for Adult Social Care in Hackney. Demand for ASC services has increased by 45% between 2019/20 and 2024/25, but funding has only increased by 25%. This has resulted in significant pressure on the ASC budget. For example, the forecasted overspend for 2024/25 is £19m, 88% of which is for externally commissioned care.

The Transforming Outcomes Programme (TOP) was launched in 2022 to change how ASC services are delivered. The programme has three key aims:

1. To develop quality and sustainable ways of working that improve outcomes for residents.
2. To understand and measure the financial impact of the programme and the service.
3. To develop a plan for the future that highlights risks and potential opportunities.

The programme is now moving into its ‘Sustain’ phase. In this phase, the focus will be on embedding the changes made during the programme and ensuring that they are sustained in the long term.

The presentation included an overview of the work that has been undertaken as part of the programme. Some examples of this work include:

• Increasing the number of reviews that are carried out in residents' homes.
• Developing a new 'Creative Outcomes Forum' to discuss complex cases.
• Reducing the average size of new care packages.
• Developing a new Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to explore opportunities to support resident autonomy.
• Reducing the average package increase at review.
• Reducing the number of people waiting for an allocation of care.
• Pausing the Reablement workstream until January 2025.

The presentation also included a section on how the financial performance of the programme is being measured. The two key measures being used are:

• Run rate: This measure looks at the impact of improved care and support plans, taking into account the number of care and support decisions being made. The current run rate is £2.8m, excluding the Reablement workstream.
• Financial opportunity: This measure looks at the actual cash changes that have resulted from the more independent care and support plans put in place within the programme so far. The current financial opportunity is £69k.

The presentation concluded by outlining the next steps for the programme. These include:

• Developing a full sustainability plan for each workstream.
• Supporting teams to have more permanency and stability in staffing.
• Launching the Reablement workstream in January 2025.
• Moving to KPI and contract monitoring.

The Commission was supportive of the work that is being undertaken as part of the TOP.

Cabinet Member Question Time

Councillor Christopher Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Culture, responded to questions from the Commission on three themes:

The national crisis in funding social care

The Commission asked Councillor Kennedy whether there is an argument for Adult Social Care to be taken away from local authorities and run on a sub-regional basis, either by the NHS or a new dedicated body.

Councillor Kennedy acknowledged the challenges facing Adult Social Care funding, but said that he was not convinced that moving responsibility to a sub-regional body would be the best solution. He argued that local authorities are best placed to understand the needs of their local communities and to commission services accordingly. He added that local authorities are already working closely with the NHS to deliver integrated care and that this partnership is essential to ensuring that residents receive the best possible care.

Councillor Kennedy said that he was open to exploring alternative approaches to funding Adult Social Care, but that any changes would need to be carefully considered to ensure that they do not have a negative impact on the quality of care that residents receive.

The profile of current ASC service users in Hackney

The Commission asked Councillor Kennedy about the profile of current ASC service users in Hackney and how it has changed since before the pandemic. They also asked about waiting lists for ASC services.

Councillor Kennedy said that the profile of ASC service users has changed significantly since before the pandemic. There has been a sharp increase in the number of people needing support, particularly those with complex needs. This has put a strain on ASC services, and waiting lists have grown.

Councillor Kennedy said that Hackney Council is committed to meeting the needs of all ASC service users, but that this is a challenge given the current funding constraints. The council is working to improve efficiency and to reduce waiting times, but this is a difficult task.

Shifting funding to prevention

The Commission asked Councillor Kennedy how funding is being shifted to prevention in the local North East London health and care system.

Councillor Kennedy said that there is a growing recognition of the importance of prevention, and that funding is starting to be shifted in this direction. However, he said that this is a slow process, and that there is still a tension between treatment and prevention budgets.

Councillor Kennedy said that Hackney Council is committed to working with its partners to promote prevention. The council is investing in a range of prevention initiatives, such as the King's Park Moving Together Project. The council is also working to ensure that prevention is embedded in all of its policies and strategies.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The Commission agreed the minutes of the previous meeting, which was held on Thursday 14 November 2024. You can read the minutes here: item 7b draft mins 14 Nov 24 HiH.