Meeting documents

Apologies for absence were received from Jane Taptiklis, Gwyneria Waters and Adam Willison.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 23 August 2012 are to be agreed as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 23 August 2012 were agreed as a correct record.

Matters Arising

Page 6

Hate Crime

Angie Sarchet to be invited to the February meeting of the Assistive Technology Board to give an update on the Hate Crime initiative.

Cath Marriott, Community Safety to be contacted to clarify who the letter to attend the meeting on the 8 November was sent to.

Update from Diane Fentiman, Project Manager, AFW Commissioning & Service Improvement.

Diana Fentiman, Project Manager, AFW Commissioning & Service Improvement gave the following update;

Prevention Matters is a programme of activity which includes the development of a service model in conjunction with a range of voluntary sector organisations, the District Council, County Council and Health. Over 100 plus organisations were involved in the design of the services model.

The Department of Health made additional funding available to Adult Social Care during 2011/2014, £4million of which has been transferred to fund and implement the Prevention Matters programme.

The four key components to the Model are;

• Community Links Officers
• Community Practice Workers
• Intelligence Hub
• Volunteer Hub

The aim of the programme includes;

• Looking at the provision of more effective support to individuals before the need for intense Social Care and Health intervention.
• Support and facilitate interventions to keep individuals as independent as possible
• The introduction of Community Practice Workers (CPW) and Community Links Officers (CLO).
• The Development of an intelligence hub to pull together and monitor evaluation and evidence

There will be 14 CPW’s across the county who will be employed by voluntary sector organisations.  The CPW’s will be attached to 4/5 surgeries as part of a GP Locality.  There will be 7 CLO’s.  They will initially be recruited via the County Council (the Localities and Safer Communities Team).

The CLO will build up centralised community information aligned to District Council areas i.e. assets, key people in the community.  They will also identify those who are under the radar and those who are coming through the services and help to report and predict patterns.  Part of the funding is to support the development of a system to provide long term information.

CPW’s are assigned to GP Localities.  Individuals who are likely to deteriorate in health in the next year will be flagged up via the GP.  Additional triggers and social care indicators are also being looked at to identify older people living in rural locations who are socially isolated and are not yet eligible for social care but could be in the future.  Focus will also be on those who have been through a period of rehabilitation/reablement who are in receipt of some services to help maintain their independence with the right support systems.

Part of the role is signposting to services and linking into the right activities as well as short term intervention to understand the needs of the individual.  If the individual would like to attend a day centre or club, the CPW is able to accompany them on their first visit to ensure that they are comfortable in the new surroundings and that they settle in.  Triggers would be set for a review at 3, 6 and 12 months to see if anything else is needed or the individual has had a change to their life/circumstances.  The information gathered by the CPW is fed into the system and intelligence hub and is used to inform and predict the needs of individuals.

Engagement will take place with a range  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Report from Maria Lloyd, Community OT

Maria Lloyd, Community Occupational Therapist began her report by explaining that Environmental Control Assessments (ECS) are a small part of her job and they are a health funded provision which has just been carried over to Social Care when the OT services was TUPE’d from Bucks PCT.

Maria took members through a Powerpoint presentation, which included a video of three cases studies and highlighting the following key points;

• ECS are defined as the use of a single switch with a control system to operate facilities within the environment of the individual.
• Assessments in Buckinghamshire care carried out by the Community OT service and budget/ordering is managed within the Telecare service.

There are several different switches which are suitable for people with no limb function (chin switch) and limited upper or lower limb function (jelly bean switch and guarded plate switch).  There are currently several different systems; The Primo and the EVO Assist can be operated by direct access (pressing on an icon) or indirect (switch). Vivo need switch access and has a voice announcement of menu options.

• ECS is for clients of any age referred via the Central Access Team for assessment.
• Clients need to have a permanent and substantial disability which prevents independent use of their own environmental home facilities i.e. telephone, doors etc.
• Assessment is carried out by the Community Occupational Team ECS Assessor.  This is then presented to the Panel (budget holder and other ECS Assessors) who make the decision on provision.
• Assessments are carried out at the client’s home.  The best option of equipment is discussed as well as a basic demonstration of the use of the system.

Maria explained that Social Services permit the Community ECS OT’s to carry out service provision.  Possum and Steeper RSL are the main providers.  The service is not promoted due to the small budget.  Referrals usually come from another health professional.

During the presentation the following questions were asked and points made.

How much do the units cost and how do individuals pay for them?  The control unit is £1200.  The switch needed to operate the infra red control is £137.  A complete system would be approximately £4,000.  Health funding is available for individuals who meet the criteria.  The criteria for provision is mainly for clients with critical needs/risk, and only one out of three individuals in the ECS video would now receive health funding.

Could technology potentially be used to reduce Social Care costs?  Adam Willison is to be contacted for feedback at the next meeting.

Action: Devora Wolfson

There are a lot of people who could potentially benefit from using the system such as those diagnosed with MS, a physical disability or cognitive awareness. The number of children using the system is very small.

Devora Wolfson explained that the care needs of a child in Great Ormond Street Hospital were reduced by providing Telehealth equipment.

How many clients are currently using the ECS system?  There are currently approximately 16 clients in North Buckinghamshire who are using the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Report from Adam Willison

Phil Prior, Telecare Officer, took members though the Assistive Technology highlight report, emphasising the following key points;

There are still four main projects; AT retail platform, Telehealth platform, raising AT awareness with key groups, AT economic development opportunities.

AT Retail platform

The target for completion of the project is November 2012. 

Telehealth Platform

The Speech Therapy and Vital Signs projects are running well.  Training for vital signs is taking place mid October.  Problems experienced with the equipment have been resolved.  The Medications Management project has commenced.  The Smoking Cessation literature review has been completed and a preferred way forward for Public Health is awaited.

Raise AT awareness with key groups

Work is taking place in conjunction with Firas Sirhan and Bucks New University to pilot an Assistive Technology course for Health and Social Care workers.  16 people have been lined up for the pilot which will determine the future roll out of development opportunities.  Telecare awareness training is now taking place in house with the assistance of David Bone.  The first training day has taken place.  Timings need to be adjusted as a full day’s training was considered to be too long.  Assessment workers are now able to refer clients for assessment.

AT economic development opportunities

Adam Willison attended a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in September.  The event was very successful.

The first draft of the Swift report for monitored Telecare has been released.  Case reviews are being gathered and internal and external data is being merged.  An update will be given at the next meeting.

Action: Phil Prior

Margaret Morgan-Owen advised that the Alzheimer’s Society have recruited an AT worker.

Members were advised of the following Partner updates;

Carers Bucks

David Bone gave the following update;

• Talks to promote the use of Assistive Technology equipment continue
• Corporate training has taken place. Bucks County Council employees attended
• Three Buddi units are currently out for use - one to Tunisia for a family with a son with LD, one for a young man, 16 years old with Asberger's attending college in Watford and one for a lady taking her husband with dementia to France.
• The criteria has been opened up to use by those who have Learning Difficulties.  Further feedback will be given at the next meeting.

Action: David Bone

• The back page of the BUDDI leaflets has been changed.  Advice the BCC may be able to provide a BUDDI unit has been removed.
• Leaflets about the BUDDI unit have been sent out.
• David has attended a GP surgery in Stokenchurch to give a talk on AT devices.  The talks will be expanded to other GP surgeries.
• A DVD on Telecare equipment will be sent to GP surgeries to be played in waiting rooms.

During the update the following question was raised;

What is the cost of the BUDDI equipment? There BUDDI system costs £299 to purchase and there is the ongoing cost of the control centre/monitoring system (between £10-£20 a month).  Encouragement is being given to purchase the system which would result in the costs coming down. 

Action on Hearing Loss

Jackie Wheeler

Action on Hearing Loss made a bid for the new sensory services contract which was successful.  The Buckinghamshire Integrated Sensory Service will start on the 1 October 2012 and will offer an assessment of visual, hearing and deaf/blind needs for adults and children who live in Buckinghamshire. Involvement in the development of this new service is being encouraged and discussion groups will be set up around the county. Bucks Vision will still exist but as a charity.  Staff will be TUPE’d over.

Bucks New University

Firas Sarhan

• Bucks New University are working closely with Bucks County Council on a pilot for Health and Social Care workers to teach them about Telecare and Telehealth.  The pilot will start in February 2013.  Consultation has taken place about the topics to be addressed.  The course is will run for 15 weeks and will provide 30 credit modules.
• The launch of the Telehealth Centre of Excellence at Bucks New University took place three weeks ago.  35 people from the public sector, private industry have expressed interest in project evaluation.

The Red Cross

Makyla Greaves supplied a written update as she was unable to attend the meeting (see attached)

No items were raised.

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 13 December 2012, 2.00pm, Mezzanine Room 1, NCO.

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 13 December 2012, 2.00pm, Mezzanine 1, County Hall, Aylesbury.