Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting

Contact: Alexander Murray, Governance Officer 

Note: Their is a link to view the meeting under the first item of the Agenda. Alternatively please paste the following into your browser's address bar: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MjViNmRhNDQtN2ZhMi00YjFkLTlmNzEtNjMzZWJlYWYzMzU3%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%229762f411-438d-440c-8357-896b35ae8707%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2288dd179b-0acf-4d47-b90b-894a7fd6ad79%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d 

Items
No. Item

1.

MINUTES

To receive and if so determined, to approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 20 February 2020.

Minutes:

It was noted that the Minutes of the meeting held on 20th February 2020 would be referred to the Board’s next meeting for approval.

2.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members to give notice of any interest and the nature of that interest relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the adopted Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

No declarations were made by the Board’s members.

3.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC

A maximum of 15 minutes will be allocated to public questions submitted in writing to Democratic Services (democratic.services@trafford.gov.uk) by 4 p.m. on the working day prior to the meeting. Questions must be relevant to the remit of the Board and will be submitted in the order in which they were received.

Minutes:

It was reported that that no questions had been received from members of the public for consideration at the current meeting.

4.

COVID-19: RESPONSE, RECOVERY, AND REFORM pdf icon PDF 835 KB

To receive a presentation from the Director of Public Health and the Director of Integrated Health and Social Care Strategy.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Following an introduction from the Chair, the Director of Public Health and the Corporate Director, Adult Services introduced a range of presentation material, circulated with the meeting’s agenda, providing details of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in Trafford, and the response measures taken by partner organisations locally.

 

The first set out factual statistical detail of numbers of cases and deaths occurring within the locality, the direction of travel and a number of particular risk factors which had been identified. The management approach in Trafford comprised five principal elements – testing, contact tracing, personal protective equipment (PPE), data analysis and interpretation and community support; and further detail was provided of each of these issues, and exposition of areas of particular complexity or where specialist interpretation was required.

 

An opportunity was provided for members to raise queries or issues regarding the presentations’ content, including in relation to the implications of false positive tests and the importance of providing for the needs of hard to reach groups in any contact testing programme. Attention was drawn to the rich intelligence which had been secured on resources available within the community; and it was noted that a more detailed slideshow would be made available to the Board’s members. This had highlighted associated issues relating to inequalities, mental health, safeguarding and the particular relevance of the pandemic to other factors such as general population health and climate change.

 

The Corporate Director briefed the Board on the provisions of the Coronavirus Act (2020), and in particular its impact on adult social care. It was noted, in respect of the easements of the Care Act 2014, that the Council was currently at, and hoped to be able to remain at, Stage 1, i.e. in a positon of continuing to abide by the terms of the pre-amendment Act.

 

An update was also provided on other key aspects of the approach being adopted within Adult Social Care, including arrangements for hospital discharges, support (including financial) being offered to care homes, measures to increase capacity, developing linkages to the voluntary sector and care hubs, and arrangements for provision being made via homecare and / or under the direct payment system.

 

A further opportunity was provided for questions to be raised; and in discussion the Board’s thanks were noted to Social Care teams, and in respect of the effective broader joint working across the sector in the face of an exceptionally challenging situation.

 

The discussion concluded with a review of initial thinking in respect of Health and Social care, including the integration of a recovery plan with the existing Local Plan. This led naturally into consideration of the final substantive item on the agenda. (The following Minute refers.)

 

RESOLVED – That the content of the presentations, and responses to questions raised, be noted.

5.

NEXT STEPS

To take part in a discussion, led by the Director of Public Health, on the Health and Wellbeing Board’s role in developing the Trafford Recovery Plan.

Minutes:

In the light of the foregoing discussion, the Board undertook a review of those key issues which would need to borne in mind in approaching the future needs of the health and social care environment, including any changes which might be helpful to the Board, in its own operations, in assisting with this process.

 

The Board had already noted the value of integrating and co-co-producing a specific recovery plan with the existing Local Plan, taking full account of the learning from recent experiences, and building sustainability into future arrangements, including any potential future phases of the current pandemic. It was agreed that key issues to be taken into account would include: a focus on prevention; the importance of collaborative working; co-ordination of partner organisations’ individual plans; capacity building; alignment with safeguarding arrangements; and the integration of care homes and the voluntary sector specifically into the planning and coordination of the borough’s arrangements.

 

In respect of the Board’s activity, it was noted that its range of responsibilities could perhaps be better exercised via a range of more specifically targeted task and finish groups. It was suggested and agreed that it would be opportune for the Corporate Director to undertake a review of, and potentially refresh, the Board’s arrangements, including such issues as remit, structure, representation and timescales.

 

Given the nature and scale of the current emergency, members were advised that further information was available, if required, on issues discussed at this meeting; and members were encouraged to forward any further queries arising, and suggest issues which might usefully be included on the Board’s future agenda.

 

In conclusion, it was noted that this was Dr. Sally Johnson’s last meeting as Chair of the Board; and on its behalf the Corporate Director expressed sincere thanks to her for all of her efforts in making a significant contribution to the Board’s work.

 

            RESOLVED –

 

(1)       That the content of the discussion and the suggestions now made be noted.

 

(2)       That a review be undertaken the Board’s arrangements, including such issues as remit, structure, representation and timescales.