Agenda item

(To receive a report by Justin Hackney, Assistant Director Specialist Adult Services, which provides the Committee with an update on the Lincolnshire Transforming Care agenda)

The Chairman invited Justin Hackney, Assistant Director of Specialist Services, to present an update on the Lincolnshire Transforming Care agenda.

The Committee was advised that the transforming care agenda had emerged as a national response to the Winterbourne View Hospital report, concerning the abuse of adults with a learning disability which had been published in December 2012.

It was highlighted that in Lincolnshire, a Lincolnshire Transforming Care Board had been established to ensure that the Lincolnshire Transforming Care Partnership worked together to develop and implement the Transformation Plan in line with the national service model. 

It was highlighted further that at the onset of the Transforming Care agenda, Lincolnshire had been recognised as one of the systems leading the way.  An example was the reinvestment of the funding for the former Long Leys Court into an alternative NHS specialist community services for adults with a learning disability and or autism, which had avoided future in-patient admissions.  The Committee was advised that Long Leys Court had been a specialist in-patient facility for adults with a learning disability and challenging behaviours and had been provided by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT). 

It was noted that during 2019/20 there had been a noticeable change in the number of transforming care new admissions and that these new admissions had care needs that represented significant challenges for commissioners, as there was a deficit in the support required to meet the complex needs of these people.

It was noted further that Lincolnshire had continued to be successful in facilitating a number of longer stay Transforming Care in-patient discharges.  The care for these people post-discharge had been provided by residential or alternative community based services.  It was highlighted that for the 2019/20 financial year there had been six long term Transforming Care in-patient placements that were either fully or partly funded by the Council.  Full details relating to the current position in Lincolnshire was shown on pages 41 and 42 of the report pack.

The Committee noted that to improve performance, governance arrangements for the Lincolnshire Transforming Care Partnership had been strengthened, and at the request of the Executive Director of Adult Care and Community Wellbeing and the Chief Executive of NHS Lincolnshire there was to be a review of existing lead commissioning arrangements for adults with a learning disability, autism and/or a mental illness with a view to identifying which commissioning agency would be best placed to lead on the commissioning of care and support for people with different levels of need and dependency.

During discussion, the Committee raised the following points:

·       A question was asked as to where patients who had a Ministry of Justice Section status were looked after. The Committee was advised that most were looked after out of county.  It was noted that it was planned to reduce out of  area provision and have patients ideally closer to home;

·       Independent housing provision – The Committee was advised that provisions were in place to enable more integrated arrangements to be in place, alongside a strategy in the coming year;

·       The location of out of county placements.  The Committee was advised that this information could be provided; and

·       Current target for Lincolnshire Transforming Care Partnership – It was reported that the target was to have no more than 21 adults and two children with learning disability and or autism in mental health related in-patient care as at 31 March 2021.  The Committee noted that as at 4 November, the Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group confirmed there were 37 adults and one child placement.  As detailed in the report on page 42 due to the complex nature of the patients, these circumstances posed significant challenges to the Lincolnshire Transforming Care Partnership.

The Chairman extended thanks on behalf on the Committee to the Assistant Director of Specialist Services for the presentation, and highlighted that a greater understanding of mental health issues would be useful for members of the Committee to have and that this should be considered as a future agenda item.

RESOLVED

That the update on the Lincolnshire Transforming Care agenda be received.