Agenda item

Briefing Note and Presentation of the Executive Director, People

The Board received a briefing note and presentation of the Executive Director, People which provided an overview of the action taken within Coventry and Warwickshire in response to the Winterbourne View Report which placed a number of requirements on local areas including a joint plan for high quality care and support services. A copy of the document ‘Coventry and Warwickshire’s Local Response to Winterbourne: A Work Programme for 2014-16’ was set out at an appendix to the report.

Key requirements also included the development of a local register of patients with learning disability or autism and challenging behaviour in Assessment and Treatment units by April, 2013; a duty on local areas to review all hospital placements by 30^th June, 2013; and to move everyone inappropriately placed to community based support by 1^st June, 2014. The Board were informed that all timescales had been met. An appendix to the report provided details of the individual patients identified as being part of Coventry’s Winterbourne cohort.

Attention was drawn to the co-ordinated response from the Care Quality Commission; NHS England; Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust; the City Council and Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group and to the responsibilities for each organisation.

The presentation also included information on the 91 people with learning difficulties who were currently placed out of the city; detailed an individual case study; and highlighted the next steps to be undertaken.

The Board questioned the officers on a number of issues and responses were provided. Matters raised included:

·  Clarification about the roles and responsibilities of the partner organisations

·  The monitoring of standards and quality throughout the city

·  Details of the development of potential new supported housing schemes to provide additional places in the city and proposals to relocate Coventry residents currently placed out of area

·  Comparisons with other local authorities and concerns about a lack of data

·  An assurance that the requirement for a ‘duty of candour’ for providers is in place and that any bad practices are picked up and dealt with

·  Does the Council’s whistle blowing policy apply to third party providers

·  Further details about the 91 out of city placements

·  Monitoring by other local authorities and reciprocal arrangements

·  The potential development of the Hawthorne Lodge site

·  Proposals for dealing with future numbers of young people who are likely to want to live as independently as possible.  

RESOLVED that:

(1) Officers to work to continue to ensure a speedy repatriation of Coventry residents currently placed in accommodation outside of the city, back to Coventry when it is safe and appropriate to do so.

(2) Officers to continue to work to ensure that there will be adequate future provision for young people with learning disabilities or autism who have high support needs and/or challenging behaviour.

(3) Opportunities be taken to share appropriate bench marking data and best practice with other local authorities.

(4) Board members to be provided with the detailed list concerning Coventry adults with learning disabilities and autism who are placed out of the area.