Issue - meetings

That the report be noted. 

The Director of Community Services introduced a report for the Committee to note and consider elements of the 2013/14 Mid Year Improvement Plan Monitoring Report relevant to this Committee for the period October to December 2013.  The Director of Community Services invited the Head of Adults Services to report on the Improvement Plan sub-priority reports on Independent Living and Integrated Community Social and Health Services which were appended to the report.    

                        Councillor Stella Jones referred to the target of 300 days for delivery of a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and asked for a breakdown of how the figure was calculated.  The Head of Adults Services advised that a breakdown could be provided but explained that the wait for an occupational therapy assessment would be no more than three months.  Once a decision had been made, then discussions would begin with partners in Housing on the scoping and level of work required.  In response to a further question from Councillor Jones about the short amount of time required to provide a stairlift if it was privately funded, the Head of Adults Services said that DFGs were generally for more significant changes to properties, some of which would require planning permission, and that the provision of a stairlift fell below the DFG boundary. 

                        The Director of Community Services explained that the three steps in the process were:-

                        1. Waiting for an Occupational Therapist assessment

                        2. A decision on whether the adaptation was appropriate

                        3. Ordering the necessary equipment and implementing it.

            The Director of Community Services advised that time for an occupational therapist assessment had reduced significantly and those with high priority would be assessed immediately, medium priority would be assessed within a month and the maximum wait for low priority was three months with the average waiting time being six weeks.  Self assessment to identify the need for small pieces of equipment and minor adaptations was introduced in April 2013 and offered a fast track service for people who had low level needs which could be met without the need for a face to face assessment.  He added that the Social and Health Care Overview & Scrutiny committee had been instrumental in the introduction of self-assessment.  In the first six months, 97 referrals were received for self assessment and of those that resulted in an intervention, 72% were provided with equipment or a minor adaptation without the need for a home visit.  In response to a query from Councillor Jones about the number of referrals to occupational therapy per month and following a question from Councillor Andy Dunbobbin about the number of children and adults who had applied for DFGs, the Director of Community Services and Head of Children’s Services advised that they could provide the requested information following the meeting. 

                        Following a question from Councillor McGuill about the provision of wellbeing services at Llys Eleanor for patients with dementia, the Head of Adults Services advised that work still needed to be undertaken in this area and that a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59