26/7/2006 - Scrutiny launched into older people with complex needs

Cumbria's Health and Well-being Scrutiny Committee is looking into how older people with complex needs are being dealt with in the county.

The scrutiny is being launched at a stakeholder event in Whitehaven this afternoon. The event will be chaired by Copeland District Councillor Anne Bradshaw, who is also a member of the Health and Well-being Scrutiny Committee. 

The committee has been successful in a competitive bid to receive around £10,000 from the Centre for Public Scrutiny to support the review. It is the second time the Health and Well-being Scrutiny Committee has bid successfully for funds - making it the only council in England to have had a double success with the Centre for Public Scrutiny.

The scrutiny will look at the following areas before making recommendations to the relevant agencies:

- The experience of users and carers across different communities in Cumbria.

- How well set up we are in Cumbria to implement the recent White Paper proposals for older people with complex needs.

- How Cumbria’s current Framework Agreement for care management of older people with complex needs is being implemented.

"As a full-time wheelchair user, this issue has particular resonance for me. The recent White Paper firmed up plans to devolve more care for older people with complex needs into the community. We need to be sure that care provision works from the 'bottom up' rather than 'top down' so that the specific needs of service users are being addressed and the NHS and social services are working together to ensure the correct funding is in place," said Councillor Bradshaw.

This afternoon's Scrutiny of Joint Care Management of Older People with Complex Needs will take place at Whitehaven Civic Hall. The new scrutiny will be explained and stakeholders - including service users, carers, service providers, representatives of the voluntary sector, and commissioners - can give their views.

The programme is as follows:

1pm Introduction and briefing on the scrutiny - Councillor Anne Bradshaw, Chair of the steering group for the scrutiny.

1.15pm National perspective on Action Learning - Tim Gilling, Centre for Public Scrutiny.

1.20pm User and carer perspective - Sonia Morgan, Age Concern South Lakeland and Steve Pollard, South Lakeland Carers.

1.30pm Two examples of good practice:

- Integrated Care Project (Morecambe Bay) – Carole Keegan and Dee Houghton.

- Generic Home Care (North Cumbria)

2.00pm Introduction to the Discussions - Facilitator: Eileen Waddington

- What are the important features of integrated care to get right?

- What are the main challenges to meeting the White Paper targets and delivering integrated care?

- What are the main questions to cover in the scrutiny?

3.20pm Feedback.

3.45pm End of the Event.