Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Mike Larkin, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

Councillor S Corcoran declared a non-pecuniary interest by virtue of his wife being a GP.

Dr Patrick Kerans declared that he was a GP partner in a practice in Knutsford, the Chair of, and a shareholder, in Vernova Healthcare CIC and that his wife worked for the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 28 July 2020.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held 28 July 2020 be confirmed as a correct record.

In accordance with paragraph 2.32 of the Committee Procedural Rules and Appendix 7 to the Rules a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the body in question.  Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question or make a statement at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

There were no public speakers.

To receive a presentation on the achievements of the Cheshire and Merseyside working collaboratively to reduce suicides.

The Board received a presentation on the work undertaken by Champs in relation to preventing suicides in Cheshire and Merseyside.

The Cheshire and Merseyside Health Collaborative had published their ‘No More Suicide’ strategy plan in 2015 and, following a review in 2017, had decided that work should be scaled up and actions accelerated to reduce suicides and work towards ‘Living Works’ accreditation to become a Suicide Safer Community as a region.   The presentation to the Board outlined the steps which had been taken to meet the actions within the plan.

RESOLVED:

That the presentation be received.

To consider the establishment of a Reducing Inequalities Commission, as a sub-group of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

The Board considered a report seeking to establish a Reducing Inequalities Commission, as a sub group of the Health and Wellbeing Board, which would have the remit to lead and co-ordinate work across Cheshire East that focused upon reducing the inequalities experienced by residents of the borough.

Within the Cheshire East Place Health and Care Partnership Five Year Plan and the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, the need to address the inequalities evident through the Tartan Rug was a priority.  Additionally, Covd-19’s impact on those facing these same inequalities had led to NHS England and Improvement making addressing the inequalities a priority in the Covid-19 Phase 3 recovery planning.

Dr Matt Tyrer would take the lead in the establishment of the Commission and nominations for membership would be sought from partners and other organisations that had a role to play or an interest in reducing inequalities across the borough.

RESOLVED:

That the Cheshire East Health and Wellbeing Board agree to the establishment of a Reducing Inequalities Commission, as a sub-group of the Health and Wellbeing Board, with the remit to lead and co-ordinate work across Cheshire East that focuses upon reducing the inequalities experienced by residents of the borough.

To consider report on the performance of the Better Care Fund, including the Improved Better Care Fund in Cheshire East in 2019/20.

The Board considered a report on the performance of the Better Care Fund, including the Improved Better Care Fund in 2019/20.

The end of year report formed part of the monitoring arrangements for the Better Care Fund and included an overview of the scheme, patient stories, the financial income and expenditure, Better Care Fund metrics and the next steps for the programme,

RESOLVED:

That the Better Care Fund programme performance for 2019/20 be noted.

To consider a report on the progress, performance and key risks in relation to the Cheshire East Carers Hub Service. 

The Board considered an update on the progress, performance and key risks in relation to the Cheshire East Carers Hub Service.

The report detailed the Service’s achievements for 2019/20 against the five key priorities of the Carers Strategy Delivery Plan 2018.  It also outlined the effects of Covid-19 on the service and number of referrals it received, and the action taken to support the carers registered with the Hub.

RESOLVED:   That the Board

1          note the progress of the Cheshire East Carers Hub with the single carers’ assessment route and the planned review and service engagement and consultation;

2          note the contribution of the Cheshire Carers Hub against the five key priorities of the Carers Strategy Delivery Plan 2018; and

3          note the response of the Cheshire East Hub during Covid-19.

To receive an update on the SEND Written Statement of Action and the preparations for the SEND Re-visit.

The Board considered an update on progress against the Cheshire East SEND Written Statement of Action, produced following the Ofsted and CQC inspection in March 2018.

The appendix to the report detailed the progress and actions that had been taken to address the significant weakness relating to the two areas identified: Area 1 – the timeliness, process and quality of education, health and care plans and  Area 2 – the lack of an effective autism spectrum disorder pathway and unreasonable waiting times.

Ofsted and the CQC were due to carry out a re-visit before the end of April 2020 but this had been suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  It had been announced that from autumn 2020 Ofsted and the CQC would be conducting a limited number of visits to local areas regarding their SEND arrangements and preparations were continuing for the re-visit. 

RESOLVED:  That the Board

1          note the progress to date against the SEND Written Statement of Action and preparations for the SEND re-visit; and

2          endorse the progress report documents in the Appendix to the Report.

To receive a verbal update on ‘Test, Trace, Contain, Enable.’

Dr Matt Tyrer gave an update on the Test, Track, Contain and Enable system.

He reported that over the last fortnight the situation had been rapidly changing, with the number of positive covid-19 cases starting to rise.  Cheshire East had at present the lowest numbers in the Cheshire and Merseyside region.  The data being received was being monitored and investigation being undertaken to see if there were patterns, trends and clusters relating to particular localities, venues and workplaces.  So far there had not been a need to deploy any additional testing capacity in Cheshire East.

A communications plan had been developed in conjunction with the NHS  and other local authorities across the region so that a coherent approach to messages being sent out was taken.

The work of the Local Resilience Forum and Strategic Coordination Group had been stepped back up and an Action Plan agreed.

An announcement was expected from the Government shortly outlining further restrictions which would come into effect and these were expected to include a further reduction in opening hours in the hospitality sector with closure at 10 pm, implementation of the rule of six and increased use of face masks.

RESOLVED:

That the verbal update be noted.

To receive a verbal update on the Cheshire East Place Partnership.

The Board received an update on the Cheshire East Place Partnership.

It was reported that the Partnership Board had met on 2 September and was looking at how to work to manage the recovery of services at the same time as delivering services and  planning for a second spike of Covid-19.  Work was continuing with the development of the integrated care partnership and new ways of commissioning.   There were still financial challenges to services, which Covid-19 had added to, and new ways of working were being introduced.

RESOLVED:

That the update be noted.