Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

The minutes of the meeting held on 4^th September 2024 were agreed and signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Briefing Note of the Director of Adult Services and Housing

The Board considered a report and presentation of the Director of Adult Services and Housing regarding the delivery activity associated with the Coventry and Warwickshire Autism Strategy (2021 – 2026).

Local Authorities and NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICB) had statutory responsibilities to support autistic people as outlined in legislation.  In recognition of these statutory responsibilities and the inequalities faced by autistic people, the Coventry and Warwickshire All Age Autism Strategy (2021-2026) was developed and approved in February 2022.  This five-year joint strategy was owned by Warwickshire County Council, Coventry City Council, NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB and the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, for which all partners were equally responsible and accountable for improving lives of Coventry and Warwickshire’s autistic citizens.  The All-Age Coventry and Warwickshire Autism Partnership Board oversaw the delivery of the strategy.

Key achievements associated with the delivery of the strategy to date included:

• Development of a co-produced information and advice offer.
• Delivery of a series of 3 Together with Autism conferences.
• The launch of a new commissioned All-Age Community Autism Support Service.
• Significant investment had reduced the waiting times for assessments for children and young people from over 5 years to under 1 year.
• Co-produced a new model for the application of reasonable adjustments to promote equitable access and positive outcomes for autistic people accessing services.
• Introduced a Neuro-Liaison Team supporting CWPT’s mental health professionals working with autistic adults.
• Secured funding for the continuation of the Neuro-Liaison approach and the development of a new MDT approach for autistic people experiencing escalating needs.
• Developed training materials to raise awareness of autism and support inclusive approaches to working with autistic people including e-learning modules and webinars.
• The roll out of the national Oliver McGowan training on learning disability and autism.
• A quarterly Coventry and Warwickshire Autism Stakeholder issued to a growing stakeholder contact list.
• 15 Coventry primary schools engaged in a new national project called Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS).

In recognition of the need to reduce the number of autistic people being admitted to mental health inpatient settings, a range of services aimed at preventing such admissions had been commissioned including:

a)  Community based Admission Avoidance Service for young people age 14+ and adults at risk of admission.

b)  A Key Worker Service for children and young people up to the age of 25, providing strategic support to the child and their family.

c)  An All-Age Intensive Support Team, offering a specialist, multi-disciplinary approach.

Key risks to the ongoing delivery of the strategy were focused on the growth in demand for assessment and subsequent support and the challenging financial climate associated with resourcing this.

Although there had been significant progress in reducing diagnosis waiting times for children and young people, the challenge remained in respect of adults where significant waiting times were still apparent.

Continuation of the Community Autism Support Service was at risk as Coventry City Council was not currently able to identify a funding stream to continue this beyond 2024/25. Such a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

Briefing Note of the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing

The Board considered a report and presentation of the Director of Adult Services and Housing regarding the update on the Coventry and Warwickshire Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022 – 2030 and the positive actions as a result of the Suicide Prevention workstream.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Suicide Prevention Strategy was developed in collaboration with partners, key stakeholders and Coventry and Warwickshire residents.  A delivery plan had been drafted aligned to the 5 strategic priorities, focusing on how we collaborate with partners, identify gaps and opportunities and how suicide prevention is embedded as a system priority.

Real Time Surveillance of Suspected Suicides allowed officers to have real time data of anyone who died by suspected suicide.  The process was coroner led and the Real Time Surveillance Co-ordinator worked with the data to identify clusters, trends and any concerns.  Annual events had been held to showcase the work of partners, locally, regionally and nationally to enable collaboration and strengthen partnership working.  Other Suicide Prevention activity included commissioning system wide Suicide Prevention training, quarterly suicide prevention network meetings, supporting workplace wellbeing forums, attending community events, raising awareness of suicide prevention and risk within key workstreams.

High risk and vulnerable groups had been identified through the strategy work and targeted interventions and focused worked was required to ensure all communities had access to support.

The Cabinet Member for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing, Councillor K Caan, highlighted the positive vision the strategy set out whilst ensuring community access to information, support and services.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Councillor L Bigham, referred to those in isolated communities who were often alone and holding confidences for others.  She advised her portfolio had been looking into loneliness and the ability for people to talk about their feelings, both of which were important elements of the strategy.

Members of the Scrutiny Board, having considered the content of the report and presentation, asked questions and received information from officers on the following matters:

• There were many reasons Coroners reports took time however, within the system, there were ways to identify where there was a potential suicide risk and the risk of further suicides.
• Data by profession was collected although the information given was only ‘employed’, ‘not employed’ or ‘part-time’.  Occupation could not be pinpointed unless it was stated on a sudden death form.
• Coventry and Warwick Universities sat on the steering group and strong links had been made with Warwick University in particular, which had a health and wellbeing team in place.  International students were high priority and awareness campaigns and training rolled out.  Officers worked with mental health teams on talks in schools and some schools had paid for specialist staff training.  Support also existed through the suicide bereavement service.
• Real time surveillance was fairly new and a local picture was still emerging however, Coventry was similar to the national picture, although below national average.  Coventry had a slightly higher suicide rate in females than regionally or nationally.
• Age UK was a part of the network and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

The Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5) noted the work programme.

RESOLVED that the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Board (5) notes the Work Programme 2024-2025.

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved

There were no other items of public business.