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Meeting Details
Date: Tuesday 11 October 2022
Time: 11:00 – 13:00
Venue: Microsoft Teams Meeting
Agenda Item 1: Welcome and Introduction
1.1 Welcome and introductions made. Communication prompts posted to the Teams Chat window, and their use explained. No reasonable adjustments were requested. Members reported no declaration of interest.
Agenda Item 2: Minutes of previous meeting 9 August 2022 and matters arising not on the agenda.
2.1 Because of a technical issue, the minutes for the last meeting were not available to members before this one. After confirming that a new draft was acceptable to the Co-chairs, the Coordinator sent the draft version to members during the meeting. Members were asked to email comments and corrections before the next Board meeting.
Agenda Item 3: Learning Disability and Autism Board update With Rachel Gates
3.1 Rachel Gates outlined the current challenges for the Learning Disability and Autism Board (LD&A Board), with specific focus on feedback from Peer Review earlier this year. The LD&A Board are considering splitting into two new Boards to focus on both subjects equally, albeit in two shorter meetings rather than one longer one. The LD&A Board is also considering how to actively use experts by experience going forward, not inviting them to Board meetings.
3.2 Rachel Gates asked the Board the following questions:
-Does this seem like a good idea?
-Who do we speak to about this?
-What would be the best way to use experts by experience going forward.
The Board discussed the questions and raised feedback. Board members reported that under the current system, autism is often overlooked in favour of Learning Disabilities and organisations like wellbeing services are often ill-equipped to answer condition specific issues. Splitting the Boards would allow high level focus to be brought upon autism-specific issues, so long as individuals with comorbid mental health or learning disability needs are accounted for in the new system.
3.3 Agreed: The Board unanimously agreed that splitting the LD&A Board is a good idea and will support the LD&A Board to make changes.
3.4 Action: Co-chairs to draft a letter of support for the idea of splitting the LD&A Board.
Agenda Item 4 : Autism Preventative Service update with Karen Dures
4.1 Karen Dures, Project Lead for Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) and Autism Development at Norfolk County Council, gave a presentation on a new Autism Preventative Service that is being developed to support autistic adults without a learning disability. With funding currently available from Norfolk Adult Social Care, the plan is to recruit and operational autism lead and put in place a specialist preventative service. The Service is planned to: support individuals at an earlier age; provide a specialist enablement service for those known to Adult Social Care; reduce the number of autistic people requiring a Care Act Assessment or allocation to the social care team; and meet the needs of autistic adults in receipt of social care support
4.2 Karen Dures outlined ways that Partnership members could get involved with the recruitment process for the Operational Autism Lead and to develop the Preventative service and asked Board members to share details with their contacts.
4.3 Action: Coordinator to distribute Karen Dures’ presentation to Board members with contact details for Karen and Tracey Walton, NCC Autism Commissioning manager.
Agenda Item 5 : Co-Chair Update with Trevor Key
5.1 Co-chair Trevor Key gave an update on the various projects he is involved in, particularly the Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board (NASB). Trevor Key reported that following events earlier this year, NSAB held a Progress Summit on the Safeguarding Adults Review for Joanna, Jon and Ben on 6 September
The summit concluded that steps must be taken to implement Ethical commissioning, with greater transparency, scrutiny of owners, improved monitoring and more training for staff. Curators of Change will identify best practice to inform an ethical commissioning framework.
A coalition for change will be set up comprising an independent group of children and adults with lived experience of learning disability and autism to focus on those that are at significant risk of institutional care because of ‘challenging behaviour’.
The independent consultancy Organisation Tricordant has also been commissioned to run a Building the Right Support Review. The Review will ensure that planning data is ‘joined up’; identify what support need to be in place to support people through through major life transitions; Identify community provision needed to minimise inappropriate inpatient episodes; understand future inpatient needs governance and financial flows.
A new policy for addressing racism in Norfolk, especially in regards service users, is being developed. This will include supervisor training, a script to challenge racist language and behaviours, and will explore setting up a project around restorative work with service users.
Changes to the law governing care homes and the Mental Health Act have been proposed. These will change the rights to run a care home, ensure fit and proper assessment with more focus on ‘preferred elements’, limit the scope of reasons to detain someone under the Mental Health Act and ensure actions from reviews are peer reviewed and appropriately challenged.
NHS Norfolk is implementing changes to Safe and Wellbeing Reviews, with a focus on being ‘good’ rather than ‘good enough’. Reviews will additionally consider the physical health care, quality of Life, and level of meaningful activity undertaken by subjects. Commissioners taking part in reviews will also be required to ‘sit and see’ as part of their visits.
Trevor also reported that since implementation of the CQC’s ‘Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture’ guidance for regulating providers supporting autistic people and people with a learning disability in May 2022,
-22 applications have been withdrawn by applicants
-69 applications have been turned down.
5.2 Relevant website links and links to relevant documents were shared with the Board.
5.3 Agreed: Trevor Key will continue involvement with NSAB and report progress to future Board meetings.
Agenda Item 6 : Board Independence update with Lee Gibbons
6.1 ASD Helping Hands officially took over the Norfolk Autism Partnership on 3 October. Since the last meeting they have hired a new member of staff to run the Learning Disability Partnership, Lucy Adcock, and moved into new offices. Lee Gibbons introduced Lucy Adcock and showed pictures of the offices. While the offices are open for anyone to drop in, Lee and Lucy are happy to arrange time to speak to Board members by appointment.
6.2 There are currently five adult social groups in Norfolk affiliated with the Partnership, with additional unaffiliated groups in King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth that have consulted with the Partnership. It is hoped that additional groups will be developed in future
6.3 The Board discussed whether meetings will be held in-person, virtually or as a hybrid in future. Co-chair Adrian Grant stated that he would be unable to attend in-person meetings.
6.4 Action: an anonymous questionnaire will be developed to find out the Partnership’s views on meeting set-up.
Agenda Item 7 : Any Other Business and Wellbeing Check
7.1 Tracey McLean will shortly be leaving her post. She asks that her deputy Rebecca Crossley is invited in her place. Coordinator asked all members to send names of deputies to Lee Gibbons for future reference.
7.2 As this will likely be the last meeting they are involved with, the Board thanked Andrew, the current Partnership Coordinator, for his hard work.
7.3 Wellbeing check performed via email survey
Date, time and location of next meeting
PLEASE NOTE: Future meetings will be arranged by ASD Helping Hands. A new schedule of meetings will be forthcoming.