Agenda item

Presentation by Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust

Josie Spencer, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Operations and Roisin Fallon-Williams, Director of Strategy and Business Support, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The Scrutiny Board received a presentation from Josie Spencer, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Operations and Roisin Fallon-Williams, Director of Strategy and Business Support, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, detailing the outcome of the recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspection of the Partnership Trust. This inspection was a pilot, the first of a new type of process used by the CQC and the Trust had put themselves forward. Councillor Gingell, Cabinet Member (Health and Adult Services) attended for the consideration of this item.

The presentation provided an overview of the Trust which served a population of 1,053,000 with a budget of over £200m. Mental health, learning disability and community health services were provided and the Trust operated from 70 sites. 

The inspection reports included 13 location reports and 1 provider level report, all of which identified areas of good/notable practice and some acknowledging exemplar practices. Examples of good feedback from across the Trust were given along with examples of good practice that had been observed.

The inspection had also identified a number of areas which required improvement which had resulted in 1 enforcement action and 5 compliance actions. Each Directorate already had its own action plan that reflected these actions and the monitoring arrangements were detailed. Reference was made to each of areas which required improvement and to the proposed actions in response. Particular attention was given to the enforcement issue, to ‘ensure that planning and delivery of care meets people’s individual needs, safety and welfare’.

The Board were informed of the system issues; the wider learning from the inspection feedback; and the next steps to taken by the Trust. The presentation concluded with a summary of what the inspection meant for the Foundation Trust application. 

The Board questioned the representatives on a number of issues and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  The importance of working with both the staff and patients to be able to understand dementia patients’ needs and concerns

·  Whether the increased training and awareness of the Mental Capacity Act would be available for temporary as well as permanent staff

·  The rates of pay for bank staff

·  Concerns about 17 year old patients being placed on adult wards

·  Concerns about the CQC findings relating to patients being denied access to bedrooms and communal rooms

·  The increased therapeutic activities for patients, would they meet individual needs as well as group needs

·  Concerns about the lack of beds for young mental health patients with very complex needs

·  How would the Trust ensure that any changes to culture would happen at all of their 70 locations

·  How did the service cope with language barriers

·  Were all the criticisms in the CQC’s findings justified

·  Did the Trust have any concerns that the CQC didn’t pick up on

·  Did the CQC comment on the work around the community support that was provided when a diagnosis of dementia was made

·  Did the Trust have the opportunity to feed back to the CQC on their pilot inspection.

RESOLVED that the presentation be noted and the Board continue to work with the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust during the next municipal year.