Issue - meetings

Anne Bristow, Strategic Director for Development and Integration, introduced the report and presentation and reminded the Board that Ambition 2020 was a programme to transform services to ensure their sustainability and continued effectiveness, bearing in mind the projected £63m budget gap to 2020/21 and the £10m savings for children and adults care and support that needed to be achieved.  There were four key elements of the transformation programme that were relevant to the Board and its partners, the details of which were set out in the report.  Anne then drew attention to:

·  Growth and competing pressures, including demographic changes.

·  The different types of needs for adults and children.

·  Complexity of needs of clients, such as children coming through special needs schools into adulthood.

·  London-wide shortage of social workers and the recruitment initiatives being undertaken by the Borough.

·  Services updating so they are fit for the 21^st century including the use of technology.

·  Ensuring the right support was be provided to the right people, at the right time.

·  Building on the work that was already happening in GP surgeries.

·  Innovation and joint commissioning to allow partners to work better and cheaper.

·  A new way of signposting individuals to care and support, whilst tailoring that access for existing long-term users.

Chris Bush, Commissioning Director for Children’s Care and Support, explained that for his area the clients were children that met the threshold of needing acute / high level support.  Chris drew attention to:

·  Services had to be flexible, reactive, holistic and provide a joined-up response.

·  The consistency of the professionals the families contacted was clearly important. The principles of planning the services and stability of the workforce was a primary aim.

·  The service would be moving to locality based assistance. 

·  A key change would be the creation of a cradle to grave, children and adults’ disability service. 

·  Work being undertaken to ensure commissioning was more cost effective, offered good value for money and that the right services were available across the Borough. 

·  The savings anticipated would be in the order of £4.4m.

Chris stressed that by targeted early intervention, before children come into care, could have a significant effect on the family and life choices of the child. 

Mark Tyson, Commissioning Director of Adults’ Care and Support, advised that his service concentrated on people with frailty and older people with mental health problems.  It was important that clients had choices in their care and that people feel safe and connected to the wider community.  Mark explained what the changes would mean and drew attention to:

·  The new IT system to support teams.

·  Preventative, front end support.

·  New accommodation based support options

·  Work with partners to review and improve delivery models.

·  Stronger commissioning.

·  The savings would be in the order of £5.4m

Tudur Williams, Operational Director, Service Development and Improvement, advised that over the last few months the work of designing the new service had been based upon the consultation that had been undertaken with service users on what they wanted.  Tudur  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62