Decision details

RESOLVED:  (i) That the performance and improvements described in the Local Account for 2010/2011 be noted.

                      (ii)   That the areas for development and improvement in the coming year be noted.

                      (iii)  That the Local Account, be approved by the Cabinet Member with any relevant changes, for general publication on the Council website.

                     (iv)   That the following Priority Actions arising out the Local Account summarised in Section 5.1 of the Annex 1-Local Account City of York Council 2011 be endorsed by the Cabinet Member. Namely;

·        To enable self funders to access financial advice through CYC by January 2012.

·        To undertake a flexible carers support scheme grant survey and carers’ survey to look at the best way of distributing funds to make the most impact on carer’s lives and wellbeing.

·        To further promote self assessments for adult social carer customers.

·        To promote personal budgets and proactively discuss the financial options with customers right from the first contact.

·        To improve our systems to help deliver information and advice about self directed support.

·        To make Quality Assurance reports available to all on request, in an appropriate format and to circulate to survey responders, prospective residents/relatives, customers and other professionals.

·        To carry out a survey of customers of our assessment and personalisation service in 2012 to obtain feedback on their experience and quality of: personalised support, assessment and support planning, individual budgets, self assessment, achievement of desired outcomes.

·        To extend links into the voluntary sector especially for people who will not require formal ongoing support, to minimise social isolation and encourage continued independence.

·        To work to reduce the levels of delayed transfers of care from hospitals in the city from 2011-12 rates.

·        To support the development of community health capacity to deliver ‘step down’ care and make links to ensure this works in partnership with our reablement service.

·        To develop “quality champions” within the service, to secure ownership of quality and to facilitate the sharing of good practice between teams.

·        To undertake a Carers’ Survey which will provide benchmarking for the national survey in 2013.

·        To carry out a survey of relatives who are willing to talk to us about their relative’s end of life care within the Council’s residential care homes as part of the 2012/13 quality assurance programme.

·        To carry out activity arising from the consultation on the proposed major changes in our residential care homes to drive our transformation programme.

·        To establish a stand alone safeguarding adults team with staff members whose dedicated role is to investigate abuse.

·        To develop an agreed safeguarding pathway with our providers to ensure all safeguarding referrals are dealt with in a consistent manner.

·        To continue to improve our safeguarding processes, including learning from safeguarding children’s services, to provide better guidance to those investigated alleged abuse and those managing these cases.

·        To undertake work through York Safeguarding Adults Board to develop a “York picture” to inform on safeguarding priorities for partners across the city.

REASON:           To enable Adults, Children and Education to meet its commitment to the Promoting Excellence in Councils’ Adult Social Care Programme Board, in producing a Local Account in December 2011.