Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks

Contact: Democratic Services 01732 227165  Email: democratic.services@sevenoaks.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 45 KB

To agree the Minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 2 April 2014, as a correct record.

 

Minutes:

Resolved:  That the Minutes of the meeting of the Health Liaison Board held on 2 April 2014 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to the sentence in Minute 35 paragraph 3 being amended to read ‘Cllr. Davison informed Members that he had attended a Chair’s PPG meeting and would circulate the minutes when they were received’.

 

2.

Declarations of Interest

Any interests not already registered.

Minutes:

No additional declarations of interest were made.

3.

Actions from the last meeting of the Board pdf icon PDF 18 KB

Minutes:

The Chairman advised Members that the Housing Allocations policy would be looked at a future meeting of the Board.  The Communities and Business Manager would advise Members on the progress of compilation of Members who sat on Patient Participation Groups.

 

Action 1: Communities and Business Manager to inform Members on progress on the collation of a list of Members who sit on Patient Participation Groups.

 

 

 

4.

Referral from Economic and Community Development Advisory Committee

None.

Minutes:

There were none.

5.

Presentation on Autism Spectrum pdf icon PDF 633 KB

Minutes:

The Board welcomed Katie Skinner from Broomhill Bank School who gave a presentation on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 

 

In response to questions Members were advised that the waiting lists to be diagnosed with Autism through Children’s Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) varied between 2 and 18 months.  There had been slight improvements but it was still a frustrating process for parents.

 

Members were informed that there was no evidence to show that Autism was increasing rather that the way special needs were dealt with was improving as there were changes in diagnosis and better medial support.

 

There were support groups for parents, many of these were run by voluntary organisations. Some parents felt isolated as their child entered teenage years and into adulthood. In response to a question about whether there may be further increases in diagnoses, Members were informed that there may be some high functioning adults who had not been diagnosed. Asperger syndrome was no longer a diagnosis and practitioners now diagnosed all those affected as ASD but many preferred being classed as having ‘Asperger syndrome’. Both were the on the same spectrum. Those who had previously been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome would keep that diagnosis.

 

Members were advised that in September 2014 there would be a new code of practice for Statement of Special Educational Needs (SSEN); this would change to Education Health and Care Plans. The changes would mean that some people who have Autism could be in education up to the age of 25 years, but provision and availability varied. Getting into employment was hard as there can be little or no support with the application process.

 

The Board thanked Katie for the informative presentation.  Members felt that it was important to continue to lobby for reduced CAMHS waiting times and to ensure that parents’ groups such as the Parents’ Consortium were supported.

6.

Updates from Members

Minutes:

Councillor Brookbank advised that Kent County Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) had been looking at the service provided by CAMHS and Children’s services.  There had been a problem with contracts but a report on progress would be brought back to the HOSC in September with an update.

 

Members noted that services for mental health were improving and time taken for diagnosis was reducing.  It was not uncommon for a diagnosis to take up to 2 years.  Members discussed whether a representative from CAMHS should be invited to speak to the Committee and agreed that a member of the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) should be invited to speak. 

 

It was agreed that the Chief Officer Communities and Business should contact some of the voluntary organisations who work with those with Autism to provide them with information on grants available through the Council.

 

Action 2: Chief Officer Communities and Business invite a Member of the CCG to speak to the Board about Mental Health services.

 

Action 3: Chief Officer Communities and Business contact voluntary organisations who work with those with Autism to provide information on grants available through the Council.

 

The Chairman advised that Councillor Searles had to leave early and would provide a written report to be circulated.

 

Councillor Brookbank advised that a new Health and Wellbeing Strategy would be presented to the next HOSC meeting.  He also advised that fewer women were using the maternity services at Crowborough as many were using the facilities at Pembury Hospital. 

 

Councillor Davison informed the Board that there were two main issues discussed at HOSC; the concerns surrounding CAMHS and the processing of contracts but also patient transport services.  The system was making progress in comparison to the problems raised last year.

 

Councillor Mrs. Cook advised that she had attended a West Kent Health and Wellbeing Board meeting who were clarifying their responsibilities and the areas that were covered by the Board.  There were concerns that there was a lack of understanding about partnership working.  Mental Health was also discussed.  She would also be attending a meeting with members of Patient Participation Groups.

 

The Chief Officer Communities and Business advised that the link to the latest data on health inequalities would be circulated.  Interesting figures for the District related the higher than average numbers of hip fractures and emergency admissions.  In general data for the District it was better than the national average but in some small areas of the District, statistics were higher than the national average.

 

Action 4: Chief Officer Communities and Business circulate the link to the latest data on health inequalities.

 

Falls prevention for the Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Clinical Commissioning Group was a priority.  A further report on child obesity would be completed, and the work plan would include items such as demographical changes, increasing older people and immigration.

 

The Chairman advised Members of concerns raised by a Councillor over ambulance transportation.  It was agreed that it would be interesting to hear from the service.  Members noted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Mind the Gap monitoring pdf icon PDF 43 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Officer Communities and Business presented a report of the end of year monitoring summary of the Sevenoaks District ‘Mind the Gap’ Health Inequalities Action Plan, monitored by the Health Action Team Partnership. She advised that there were no red targets, however there were some areas that data was missing including some information from GPs.

 

In response to questions, the Chief Officer Communities and Business advised that the number of young people attending HOUSE projects was recorded on a day to day basis and not how many times the same individual attended.  She also advised that the number of members registered with the Sevenoaks District Seniors Action Forum was an ambitious target but since the report was printed figures had passed the 400 mark. Supporting older people would be looked at by the Board at the December meeting.

 

The Chief Officer Communities and Business advised that more than one organisation was reporting back on the number of volunteers assisting in KCC libraries as some of them were also registered with volunteering agencies.

 

Resolved:  That the report be noted.

 

8.

Troubled Families - Progress report pdf icon PDF 134 KB

Verbal update

Minutes:

The Chief Officer Communities and Business tabled a briefing note from the Project Co-ordinator that went to the Sevenoaks District Strategic Board on 2 July 2014.  She informed Members that more families had been identified in excess of the original allocation.  There had been some problems with recruitment and the retention of staff as the roles required intensive work with challenging families.  Further funding had been secured for additional staff to work with the families.  There was a need for recruitment locally and for more administration staff, funding for which was already in place.

 

9.

Work plan pdf icon PDF 21 KB

Minutes:

Members discussed the work plan and agreed that as per the Health Inequalities action plan to meet the needs of vulnerable and lower income households it would be a good to visit local food banks as there were lots of misconceptions surrounding them.

 

It was agreed that the following items be added to the work plan for the following meetings:

 

1 October 2014

Visit to food banks

 

3 December 2014

The Care Act

 

25 February 2015

Mental Health

CAMHS

 

29 April 2015

Children’s centre progress report

 

 

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