Issue - meetings

Mark Tyson, Group Manager, Integration and Commissioning, presented the report and drew the Boards attention to the presentation slides produced within the report and explained how the Peer Review worked and how feedback is taken in the spirit of self improvement.  The Peer Review was undertaken through the auspices of the London Social Care Partnership, between 7 and 10 October 2014 and the emphasis was on councils working together to set standards, share and champion good practice and review each other’s performance.  This reiterated the importance of accountability to the residents for the services delivered to them at a local level.  Mark Tyson added that the Care Act had shifted the focus and created a new style of commissioning, which was the route that LBBD was already following.

Mark Tyson drew the Board’s attention to what we do well, where further work was needed and the proposed actions, the details of which were set out in the report, including the follow-up needed from the workshop held on 3 December.

Councillor Turner asked how this would link to economic regeneration as the jobs created would be largely local and low paid.  Councillor Turner asked if the employers would offer good quality training of the workforce and if there was a local worker involved in the peer review.  Mark Tyson advised that the Personal Assistants Forum and Carers networks had been involved.  Anne Bristow advised that quality standards were always at the heart of what we do and would be levered into this area of employment potential.  The Council’s Regeneration officers recognised that this was a big business opportunity and that there were real long-term jobs and the Council would be looking to see if enough support was being received from Skills for Care, the employer-led workforce development body for adult social care in England.

In response to a question from Dr John, Mark Tyson advised that there had not been a particular session for partners and personal assistants.  The Chair added that she was aware that the review team had certainly met with the stakeholders at Marks Gate.

The Board:

(i)  Received the presentation and report, which provided an outline of the findings of the Peer Review team, and the response developed in partnership through the workshop on 3 December 2014;

(ii)  Discussed the Market Management Peer Review and supported the proposed direction of travel in managing the adult social care market in Barking and Dagenham, as set out in the report.