Agenda item

Single Point of Access

Decision:

(a)       That the local development and implementation of the Single Point of Access which is aligned to the Regional vision be supported; and

 

(b)       That the Chief Officer (Social Services) provides an update report to a future meeting of the Committee.

 

Minutes:

The Chief Officer (Social Services) introduced the report to provide an update on the Regional Single Point of Access Programme and the local developments to date in Flintshire.  He provided background information and invited Carol Dove, Project Manager, to report on the Regional Single Point of Access programme.

 

The Project Manager advised that the Single Point of Access aimed to create an integrated and streamlined access route to community health and social care services for all individuals over 18 years of age.  It also provided professionals with a means of sharing information  and providing better coordinated health and social care services.  This would mean a  ‘First Contact, Right Response’ approach where the focus was on what mattered to the person.  She advised that the partners were the 6 Local Authorities, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) and the independent sector.  The goal was to have one Single Point of Access per County with all six up and running by March 2016.  The single Point of Access was being regionally developed to ensure sharing of learning and best use of resources and would be locally developed to ensure it was responsive to local need.

 

The Project Manager referred to the key considerations as detailed in the report and advised that Flintshire was currently reviewing the Denbighshire model, which went live in June 2014, with a view to adopting a similar model in Flintshire.  She reported on the key principles that had been collectively agreed as the foundations for the new Flintshire Single Point of Access and advised that the first stage of the Implementation Plan was to co-locate health and social care staff to form the new team.  The proposal was to have a co-located team by Spring 2015.

 

The Chair thanked the Chief Officer and Service Manager for their overview and invited Members to raise questions.

 

Councillor Hilary McGuill:  referred to the dedicated contact number which had been set up for the Denbighshire model and asked if there would be a dedicated contact number for the Single Point of Access in Flintshire.   She also asked if there would be a bespoke IT system for the Single Point of Access which would incorporate the PARIS system.  In his response the Chief Officer (Social Services) referred to the work that was ongoing around a national IT system which worked around all Authorities and the NHS in Wales to integrate co-systems.  The  Project Manager commented that Denbighshire provided an interim solution which worked for the professionals involved.

 

Councillor Dave Mackie expressed concerns around the use of a temporary system and said that this posed a risk.

 

The Chief Officer (Social Services) acknowledged the points made and explained that the Service was committed to be part of the national solution around public sector values and that it had to make the most of the systems it currently had.  Councillor Mackie responded that he was not comfortable with the approach.

 

Councillor Peter Curtis referred to the Third Sector Event held on 3 July 2014, and asked if organisations such as the Deaf Association and Vision Support had been invited to attend.  The Project Manager confirmed that they would have been invited.

 

Councillor Hilary McGuill referred to the difficulties that may arise with linking into the District Nurses Information Systems and the need to factor in the challenges experienced by Denbighshire in this respect.

 

In response to a question from the Chair concerning the risk of funding, the Chief Officer (Social Services) explained that the Single Point of Access Project including Programme and Project staff was funded through the Welsh Government Regional Collaboration Fund (RCF).  The current proposals were predicted on the basis that the WG Funding would continue until 2016. However, the WG had indicated that the third year of RCF funding may be at risk and that contingency plans had been developed to ensure SPOA could be implemented in Flintshire County Council.  

 

It was agreed that the Chief Officer (Social Services) would provide an

update report to a future meeting of the Committee.

 

RESOLVED:

 

 (a)      That the local development and implementation of the Single Point of Access which is aligned to the Regional vision be supported; and

 

(b)       That the Chief Officer (Social Services) provides an update report to a future meeting of the Committee.

 

Supporting documents: