Agenda item

To consider the Annual Report of Healthwatch Blackpool for 2016-2017 including key findings from service reviews and changes made as a result of the involvement of the organisation; and to consider the operational Work Plan for 2017-2018.

Ms Sheralee Turner-Birchall, Chief Executive, Healthwatch Blackpool and Healthwatch Lancashire and Ms Katie Taylor, Senior Project Officer, Healthwatch Blackpool presented Healthwatch Blackpool’s Annual Report for 2016-2017 and Work Plan for 2017-2018.

Ms Taylor explained that Healthwatch acted as the independent ‘voice of the service user’ for people using health and social care services. Healthwatch undertook surveys and other activities including directly speaking to people to obtain the views and experiences of service users, friends and family and staff. Healthwatch made recommendations, including trends identified, to commissioners and providers of services.  Healthwatch Blackpool was commissioned by Blackpool Council but was independent.

Ms Taylor reported that the Healthwatch contract for Blackpool had over the last two years been provided by Groundwork (until April 2016) and then Empowerment until the end of 2016. Healthwatch Lancashire took over contract provision for Blackpool from Jan 2017 and formed Healthwatch Blackpool. The two organisations were separate legal entities but retained the ability to combine and share resources as necessary. Healthwatch Blackpool comprised of 1.5 full time equivalent staff (one full time Senior Project Officer and one part time Project Officer). The Chief Executive also committed some direct time.  Wider ad-hoc support from Healthwatch Lancashire covered communications, specific projects and other areas of work. The flexible access to pooled resources had been working well.

Ms Taylor added there had been a transitional period from the start of the contract, January 2017, through until the start of April 2017 when the first full year started.

Transitional work had included retaining and carrying forward Empowerment work, publishing Empowerment service reviews, setting up organisational systems and refreshing the website amongst other activities.

Ms Taylor referred to Empowerment work which had included five service reviews one of which had concerned the quality of community mental health services for adults. The other reviews had covered care homes, carers’ support, outpatient services at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals and services provided at the Harbour (Lancashire Care Foundation Trust’s in-patient mental health facility within Blackpool).

Ms Taylor explained that Healthwatch Blackpool developed its Work Plan following feedback from the services users and the public. Work undertaken during 2017 had included reviews of community pharmacies, access to mental health services, access to cervical screening and a winter pressures review of Accident and Emergency services at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals.

Ms Taylor added that several projects were planned for 2017-2018. These included regular ‘Enter and View’ inspections (nine GP practices had been visited and nearly 350 patients consulted) and reviewing Learning Disability and Autism services (a broad group including carers had been consulted with GP and dental services satisfactory but hospitals particularly for communications were not). Progress with John’s Campaign at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals (more flexible visiting hours especially for family and friends of dementia patients) had been considered. Resilience support for young people using services had also been considered including what support they wanted, e.g. for reducing self-harm and mental health issues. Another key piece of work was helping ensure that the public and voluntary sector were well-informed about the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (long-term transformation and integration of health and social care services) for Lancashire and South Cumbria. A meeting had been held recently at the South Shore Community Centre to discuss transformation with over 35 people present.

Ms Taylor reported that proactive approaches were pursued to seeking ‘hard to reach’ group’s views e.g. people on ‘assisted bin’ collection although there were some information sharing barriers. Other innovative approaches included ‘pop-ups’ (stands and stalls at the town centre, schools and other community venues or groups), online and physical ‘voice boxes’ seeking people’s views and ‘on the buses’ surveys on how transport services affected access to health and social care services. Ms Turner-Birchall added that it was important to target people in the right environments and at the right time, i.e. consulting ‘Experts by Experience’.

Ms Taylor concluded that a significant area of work was measuring the impact of Healthwatch Blackpool’s work (and that of the previous Healthwatch body, Empowerment) including trends identified, responses from commissioners and service providers to recommendations and improvements made to services. An Impact event would be held towards the end of 2017 and Scrutiny Members would be invited.

Members noted that Healthwatch contracts were for two years and that there had been three Healthwatch providers over the last two years. They queried how smooth the transitional arrangements had been and whether longer-term contracts would allow for more effective planning and better value for money outcomes. Ms Turner-Birchall confirmed that effective transition had taken place within a short timescale including carrying forward the previous provider’s work. She agreed that longer contracts of three to five years duration  would provide better staff retention referring to the fact that previous staff had left rather than be transferred over and also loss of some volunteers (staff and volunteers had since been recruited). She added that service users and other stakeholders would also find continuity beneficial. Best use of resources was also important focusing on achieving the most value for money impact for improving services. This included influencing various strategic groups and other stakeholders’ forums. She added that there were people from Blackpool with local knowledge on Healthwatch Blackpool’s Board.

Members noted the modest size of Healthwatch Blackpool’s budget and queried the use of consultancy fees. Ms Turner-Birchall explained that corporate services (Human Resources and finance) were brought in but did provide good value for money and that any savings were reinvested in the service.

Members identified that people receiving home care services were isolated and queried how their views were sought. They also noted that service providers might be selective when referring Healthwatch Blackpool to people. Ms Taylor acknowledged that this was a challenge. They did talk to home care providers who were prepared to pass on Healthwatch Blackpool’s details and other information to people being supported within their own homes. She added that they were also discussing the issue with the Council who commissioned some home care services. This would also ensure that Healthwatch Blackpool and the Council were not duplicating effort. The assisted bin information was one method of identifying vulnerable people and going to groups such as at daycare centres was another approach. Ms Jeannie Harrop, Senior Commissioning Manager, Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group added that she it would be good to work with Healthwatch Blackpool, e.g. linking in with community and district nurses.

Members queried whether performance or other risk alerts were received and/or made. They noted that there were alerts or recommendations to relevant bodies contained within the Annual Report. Ms Taylor confirmed that information was shared to some extent and Healthwatch Blackpool aimed to alert service providers, commissioners and regulators to concerns early on. Ms Turner-Birchall added that the majority of the Annual Report had concerned work of the previous provider, Empowerment and added that Healthwatch Blackpool would raise issues including those directly identified by Healthwatch staff themselves. She explained that Healthwatch Lancashire operated a multi-agency information sharing approach which she hoped to develop within Blackpool. Ms Karen Smith, Director of Adult Services confirmed that the previous provider, Empowerment, had indeed operated along multi-agency lines.

Members recognised that Scrutiny and Healthwatch work complemented each other and that it was useful for Scrutiny to have the service user ‘voice’ at meetings for additional evidence-based challenge to service commissioners and providers and also for Healthwatch to potentially identify, through their reviews, areas that could benefit from in-depth scrutiny. Ms Turner-Birchall agreed that there was common ground aiming to improve services for people and suggested that social care should be a key growing area of focus. She highlighted the five-year health and social care integration programme (Sustainability and Transformation Plan) and how integrated health and social care could benefit primary and secondary care service, better understanding of care homes and how they impacted upon the health and social care economy and also end of life care was growing in importance.