Agenda item

To receive a presentation to review the Quality Account 2017/18 of Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) and submit comments for inclusion in the Account.  Report to follow.

Julia Cottier, Service Director- Central and East Cheshire and Audrey Jones, Head of Clinical Governance attended the meeting to present the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) Quality Account 2017/18.

The Committee were advised that CWP provides services across Wirral and Cheshire, but specifically for Cheshire East services included Learning Disability, Adult Mental Health, Substance Misuse and Increasing Access to Psychotherapy Services (IAPT).  IAPT services had dropped between 2016/17 (41,656) and 2017/18 (20,457) Julia advised this was because this service was only being delivered in the south of the borough but there are plans to expand it to Children and Young People (CYP)..

In terms of inpatient activity, CWP were slightly above the national average for patients with no fixed abode.  CWP faced other challenges that related to inpatients such as a 92% bed occupancy, where the national guidance was 85%, 30% fewer home treatment staff and avoiding a ‘turnaway’ situation, that meant that any person who needed an inpatient bed should get one.

Julia advised the Committee that the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) had faced external changes in Third Sector organisations such as grant cuts and decommissioned services.

In terms of the CWP workforce, sickness was in line with the national average, but both turnover of staff and the use of bank or agency staff was less than half of the national average.  The types of challenges facing the work force included the national shortage of key Mental Health professionals such as consultant psychiatrist and nursing roles.

New developments included a CAMHS crisis line that would operate up to 10pm in the week and over the weekend across Cheshire and Wirral.

Julia gave some examples of quality improvement over the year, the Substance Misuse Service (SMS) worked on a project to prevent avoidable drug related deaths by training non-medical professionals to administer naloxone when a person was overdosing.  Also, Trust staff had shared best practice at a number of Dementia Friends sessions and events to celebrate Nurses Day and Dementia Awareness Week.

The Committee asked for clarification about the placement of patients within the CWP footprint.  Julia advised that CWP had kept people placed within the footprint over the last two years, but staff were working with a higher occupancy rate than guidance would suggest.

The Committee asked for some clarification about recruitment, Julia advised that vacancies are advertised on Facebook as opposed to newspaper adverts because CWP were looking for a mix of skills across the organisation. 

Julia was asked why there was an increase in people with no fixed abode, she could not give any reasons why but the data pointed towards an increase for the area.

There was some discussion about the impacts of social media on young people and the effects on their mental health.  Julia confirmed CWP were seeing more impacts of social media on young people’s behaviour.

RESOLVED:

(a)  That Julia and Audrey be thanked for their presentation and that the Quality Account 2017/18 be received and noted; and

(b)  That Helen Davies Scrutiny Officer submit the official letter of response from this Committee for inclusion with the Quality Account for CWP.