Meeting documents

Apologies for absence were received from Jackie Clarke, Adele Grass and Mark Wathen.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 16 February 2012, to be agreed as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 16 February 2012 were agreed as a correct record.

Matters arising;

The Clerk to ensure the job titles of any officers and individuals mentioned in the minutes are included.

Action: Sharon Griffin

Page 5

The final draft of the priorities for the Assistive Technology Board is being presented to AT Board members today.  Once agreed the priorities will be sent to the next Executive Partnership Board (21 May) for final sign off.

Adam Willison referred to the Highlight report and explained that the high level report gives details of the 4/5 priority areas being worked on in 2011 which will be followed through in this financial year. The following key points were highlighted;

AT self funder platform

A business case is being put forward for the procurement of a public online self assessment tool for Assistive Technology.  This would allow social care and self funder users to go online and complete an assessment rather than wait for a face to face assessment.  The Equipment Joint Management Group have agreed on the providers which will include Nottingham Rehab Supplies (NRS) and independent retailers who meet pre-defined accreditations i.e. the Buy with Confidence scheme (Trading Standards).  The Community Equipment Services (CES) and county monitoring contracts have been extended until March 2014.  The contracts will remain with NRS and Invicta until then.  Adam Willison and Andrew Evans are working on the development of the new specifications for CES over the next few years.

Telehealth Platform

Presentations have taken place with the GP Northern localities. Southern locality will be in due course.  Presentations in Aylesbury will take place in two weeks time and dates are awaited to meet with the Chief Executive of the Northern Consortia around a GP Telehealth lead.  Interest from GP surgeries varies a great deal. 

Raise AT awareness with key groups

Natasha Salway has been recruited to the post of Telecare Assessment worker to support Paula Brown (Telecare Assessment Worker) as there is an increasing number of referrals.  This is initially a secondment of six months and will allow Paula more time to look at the quality of the services.  Four training sessions have been agreed for this financial year.  The aim is for the Social Care workforce to be trained to a level of being able to assess Telecare as a standard part of care rather than identifying potential needs and making a referral.  30 social workers and OT’s have now been trained to undertake AT assessments as a wider part of their care management responsibilities.  There were mixed reactions from the training i.e. too much information and too little time.  Firas Sarhan, Senior Lecturer, Bucks New University is continuing to assist with the professional development such as NVQ’s and modules through Bucks New University.  David Bone, Carers Bucks has developed a work plan for 2012/13.  The Alzheimer’s Society has received a small amount of grant funding to take over the work from the Dementia Working Group. Closer partnership working with Action on Hearing Loss, Age Concern and Bucks Vision is being looked at to give a more holistic service.

Evaluation and economic development

Bucks New University have agreed to fund a Telehealth Research Centre for Buckinghamshire for a year.  We need to ensure that the facility is well utilised.  Bucks New Univ is being recommended as the primary evaluation partner for Telehealth.

The arrangements for the Meet the Buyer Event at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in September are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Adam Willison explained that there are six main outcome areas for the priorities of each Partnership Board as follows;

• Helping people to speak up and to be active citizens
• Supporting Carers
• Day and Employment Opportunities
• Housing & Support
• Improving Health
• Personalisation

A maximum of three priorities can be given against each outcome.

Following on from the workshop held on the 14 February and discussion at several board meetings, the draft outcomes have been circulated to Board members for feedback and realistic, achievable targets have now been set.

The proposal was made to sign off the final document (attached to the agenda) if there are no further queries.  The priorities will be fed into the delivery plan and work plan and a review will take place after six months to look at progression.

Members agreed to the sign off of the final document.

Report from Andrew Evans, Community Equipment Services Contract and Fund Manager, Bucks County Council

Andrew Evans, Integrated Equipment Service Contract & Fund Manager gave the following update;

In 2006 the Government produced a Transforming Community Equipment Services (TCES) programme to address national issues regarding the provision of aids to daily living.

Community equipment can be separated into two distinct areas:

• Complex Aids for Daily Living (beds, hoists & lifts etc)
• Simple Aids for Daily Living (walking aids, commodes, grab rails etc)

The TCES programme focuses on the future provision of Simple Aids to Daily Living.

Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) and Bucks PCT have integrated the commissioning of community equipment services.  BCC have a retail voucher scheme for simple aids whereby individuals who do not need a full assessment are screened and given a voucher to purchase the specific equipment from a local retailer.

A new service delivery model is being looked at to purchase simple aids.  Key benefits include;

• Increased independence
• Choice of equipment to suit lifestyle
• Improved access
• Elimination of waiting times for equipment
• Enabling OTs to focus on complex cases
• Encouraging growth in the retail market place

The final business case detailing the self assessment tool has been drawn up and will be presented to the Adults and Family Wellbeing Board in May.  A provider/retailer forum is taking place in May 2012.

The business case looked at the tools available and the ADL SmartCare is the preferred system.  The system has an online self assessment which consists of a series of simple questions (mainly multiple choice) which produces an assessment of need.  The assessment is person centred not equipment centred. 

There is the option of either the individual or carer completing the assessment.  The aim is to incorporate the ADL Smartcare tool into a training package for voluntary carers or for qualified occupational to carry out a supported assessment.  This system would not replace an existing system; it would just provide another avenue/option.  Some individuals may still prefer to wait for a face to face assessment but the objective is to try to reduce waiting times (this can be approximately 28 days for a full occupational therapy assessment) by enabling individuals to carry out a self assessment.

The option of booking a room in a clinic or using a room at the County Council for a professional occupational therapist to carry out an assessment is being considered. The system can also be used by third sector partners as a virtual clinic.  There are six retailers in Buckinghamshire which individuals can also visit

ADL SmartCare has held focus groups with occupational therapists and other healthcare professionals to obtain their input and feedback. 

During the discussion the following points were made and questions raised;

Concern was expressed about reaching those people who do not have the time or access to online facilities and are under stress as a carer.

Does the software package have the ability to assess those with cognitive problems.  The system is limited as it is an electronic tool.  Not aware this is built in.

The suggestion was made of exploring the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Adam Willison gave the following update on Telehealth;

• Telehealth has been renamed Assistive Technology to encompass a broader remit.
• The draft strategic business case has been taken to the Clinical Commissioning Board who oversee health commissioning in Buckinghamshire.  Feedback of the priority areas has been received. Grant funding is currently available but may not be in three years time.  A request for further funding will be made to the Clinical Commissioning Board in six months time when the work being done has been evidence.
• 100-120 physical units of Telehealth machinery are being used in the community for vital signs monitoring as well as 25 units to enable remote speech and language therapy exercises.
• There are three existing small, good quality Telehealth projects that were identified as areas of clinical priority within Buckinghamshire.  Two are around COPD and care homes and COPD and monitoring heart failure within the community and the third is around a speech and language therapy.  Case studies around these projects have been emailed to AT Board members.
• A Technology for Health seminar took place at the Oculus on the 13 March during which a multitude of practitioners were asked about their vision for Telehealth.  Good feedback was received from the seminar.
• A monthly Assistive Technology (Telehealth) Overview & Advisory group has been established. This is a small health focused group which will look at the development of health technology solutions in Buckinghamshire.
• A request has been sent to each consortium asking for the leads to attend the meetings to provide clinical steer in clinical priority areas.  A meeting has also taken place with the telephone provider O2 to discuss the use of smartphone applications to provide a link with GP around such areas as wound management.
• Partnership working is taking place with Bucks New University to ensure that the correct focus, evaluation and evidence base.  The objective is to save money and improve patient outcomes.
• Work is also taking place with Nottingham Rehab Supplies (NRS), The Red Cross and Invicta as there are synergies which can be ‘dropped’ into the healthcare system and engineers can improve technical knowledge.
• There is greater emphasis on the provision of health technology equipment in individuals ‘own homes’ and early discharge from hospitals

It was proposed that a 10 minute update on the work being done would be give at each AT Partnership Board meeting.

Action: Adam Willison

Executive Partnership Board

Adam Willison explained that he attends the Executive Partnership Board (EPB) in his role as Telecare Commissioning Manager and that any items to be fed to/from the EPB on behalf of the Assistive Technology Partnership Board can go through himself, David Bone and Margaret Morgan-Owen.

Dates for the Executive Partnership Board are to be sent to Margaret Morgan-Owen.
Action: Sharon Griffin

SUCO (Service User Carer Organisation)

David Bone advised that he has attended one meeting of the SUCO and that he would report back on items raised which were of interest to the AT Board.

Members were advised of the following Partner updates;

Carers Bucks

David Bone reported the following;

• David has met with 673 people to discuss AT equipment which has resulted in the use of over 200 items of stand alone equipment.
• Visits have taken place at Stoke Mandeville, Amersham and High Wycombe Hospitals and talks to increase the awareness of Assistive Technology are continuing.
• The Day Sister at Stoke Mandeville Hospital has requested further talks about the equipment. 
• Carers Bucks currently has six BUDDI units which are funded by the County Council.  As there was not any uptake of the units even though advertisement took place on the local radio station etc it was agreed that the BUDDI scheme would be opened up to anyone at risk of wandering.  Following on from this an individual with Early Onset Dementia/Parkinson’s took a unit on loan for six weeks.  A boundary of one mile was set around the individual’s home and the 24/7 emergency monitoring centre would automatically be notified if the individual went beyond the boundary.  With the permission of the family, this positive use of the BUDDI system will be used as a case study with Local Account.
• Enquiries about the use of the BUDDI system for autistic children are under consideration.
• A new leaflet about the BUDDI system has been produced and the final draft will be brought to the AT meeting in May.
• A DVD of equipment is being produced.  GP surgeries and Dental surgeries will be used to promote the DVD as much as possible.
• The website is being updated and expanded.

Bucks New University

Firas Sarhan reported that a Centre of Excellence has been recently launched at Bucks New University and that the functions of the centre will include;

• partnership working to look at what Assistive Technology equipment and technology is available in geographic areas.
• future ways of research and the targeting of particular groups such as learning disability and dementia.
• Funding
• The evaluation of projects, the benefits for patients, individuals, carers and relatives and development of the way forward.
• Working with other organisations to drive Assistive Technology forward.
• Evaluation of the speech and language therapy programme (client travel to hospital, efficiency, time saved etc).
• Looking at trials and viability studies to establish what is required in the community.
• Joint working on development and an action plan.
• There will be an open day at the University in November.  Details to be confirmed.

The Alzheimer’s Society

Vanda Waters advised the following;

• A draft format action plan will be put together over the next 12 months which will include headline objectives
• The usage of Assistive Technology will be looked at to ensure that values are embedded.
• The provision of sufficient advice to carers and support groups.
• Identification current availability of Assistive Technology equipment.
• Suitability of use of Assistive Technology equipment for dementia.
• The trialling of equipment.
• Innovation and creative use of existing equipment.
• Carrying out a baseline assessment of the Telecare team to ensure that training needs are met.
• The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Adam Willison explained that Mike Brooks, Age UK Bucks has retired and that Giulia Johnson will be replacing Mike on the AT Board.

David Bone reported that he had recently had a meeting with Adele Grass, Different Strokes and he felt that Adele would make a very good contribution to this Board.  It was agreed that Adele Grass would be invited to join the AT Board.

Action: Adam Willison

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 28 June 2012, 2pm, Mezzanine Room 3, County Hall, Aylesbury.

Dates of future meetings

23 August 2012

18 October 2012

13 December 2012

21 February 2013

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 28 June 2012, 2.00pm, Room 84, 2^nd Floor, OCO, Aylesbury.