Agenda item

Report of Chief Superintendent Mike O’Hara, West Midlands Police and Chair of Coventry Multiple Complex Needs Board

The Board considered a report of Chief Superintendent Mike O’Hara, West Midlands Police and Chair of the Coventry Multiple Complex Needs Board, which provided an update on the evaluation of the Multiple Complex Needs programme within Coventry and informed of the plans for future governance. A copy of the evaluation report was set out at an appendix to the report.

The report indicated that the purpose of the Board was to set the strategic direction and report to the Health and Wellbeing Board, on one of the priorities in Coventry’s 2016-19 health and wellbeing strategy, to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals with multiple complex needs. The Board had also been responsible for work around rough sleepers.

Reference was made to the work of the Multiple Complex Needs Operational Group who ensured delivery of projects, identifying, managing and flagging risks. The projects covered included:

Case Management Forum – where individuals were discussed using a person-centred asset-based approach.

Experts by Experience – developing an approach to meaningfully working with people with lived experiences and establishing a co-production approach in Coventry

Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) – cross-sector approach that aimed to ensure people received co-ordinated support, helping individuals to reach their full potential and to contribute positively to their communities by flexing the system and undertaking systems change

Steps for Change – a multi-agency weekly drop in advice & information shop to address problems of homelessness, begging & drug/alcohol addiction in the city centre

Evaluation – a project to establish the extent to which the programme improved outcomes from an individual, organisational and system perspective

Housing First – a pilot with support for up to 109 individuals who were rough sleepers with multiple needs.

An evaluation of the Multiple Complex Needs project was carried out in late 2018/ early 2019 and was largely positive, with respondents in agreement it had influenced the way organisations worked with the bringing together of experts and professionals leading to better working relationships and outcomes. The success of both STEPS and Experts by Experience had been highlighted. Challenges noted included difficulties of improving outcomes through available resources, referencing both the lack of funding and lack of a MEAM coordinator.

Issues highlighted for consideration included engaging with other organisations, in particular expanding out from the voluntary sector to include involvement from mental health and social care; more explicit consideration of housing; sustaining Steps for Change; embedding multiple complex needs thinking in more Panels and Council strategies; and refreshing the Vulnerable Persons Forum.

The Board were informed that since the evaluation was carried out, there had been a number of strategic and operational changes which had addressed some of the points raised by the evaluation. This included a review of the Vulnerable Persons Forum and additional funding secured to support homelessness. The Strategic Housing Board was chaired by the Chief Executive, where Housing and Homelessness was considered from a City Council perspective and the strategy was set and supported by the Housing and Homelessness Operational Group. Delivery of Housing First was now being overseen by the Housing Commissioner and Head of Housing, with support as required provided by Public Health and reporting into the Strategic Housing Board.

Moving forward it was proposed to integrate and mainstream multiple complex needs work across programmes and initiatives in the Council. New housing contracts were currently being revised and it was envisaged that a Complex Needs Panel would be established, addressing the work currently overseen by the Operational Group and Board.

The report highlighted options for the future governance for Multiple Complex Needs. It was proposed that the Multiple Complex Needs Board be dissolved with the Operational Group being retained in a transitional state whilst housing contracts were being revised and the Complex Needs Panel set up. The Group would continue to oversee the remaining projects, Case Management Forum, Experts by Experience, Making Every Adult Matter and Steps for Change, being accountable to Public Health and Insight. In due course the work would be overseen by Housing with support from Public Health when required.

The Board acknowledged all the work that had been undertaken with very little additional financial resource.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The findings of the evaluation be noted.

(2) It be noted that the context around the work has changed significantly since the inception of the Multiple Complex Needs Board in 2016.

(3) The proposal for future governance of Multiple Complex Needs, including consideration of both the Operational Group and the Multiple Complex Needs Board, be noted.