Meeting documents

Apologies for absence were received from Christopher Reid, Andrew Clark, Lorna Hume, Alison Lewis and Julie Richardson.

The minutes of the meeting held on the 31 May 2012, to be agreed as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on 31 May 2012 were agreed as a correct record after the following amendments had been made.

The agenda pack is to be split into separate documents (agenda/reports).  Email link to agenda papers to be included in email to Board members.

Action: Sharon Griffin

Page 2

PIP is shaping up etc

A request was made for additional information on PIP.  Andrew Clark is to be contacted.

Action: Sharon Griffin

Confirm if comments about the letting of Advocacy Service to a private sector organisation from outside the county have been passed to AFW.

Action: Chris Reid

Diagram from Prevention Matters Programme to be obtained.

Action: Chris Reid

Page 4

Five Ways to Wellbeing

Working Group to be contacted to provide a response to the question about the translation of campaign information into other language.

Action: April Brett/Sharon Griffin

Representative from the team leading the next stage of the Healthy Minds campaign to be invited to a future meeting of the PSDPB.

Action: Chris Reid/Sharon Griffin

Page 5

Section 106 Funding & the Prevention Matter Programme

Remove ‘Section 106 Funding’ from title of the agenda item.

Action: Sharon Griffin

Page 10

Day Opportunities

Bharti Quinn advised that brokers are paid an inclusive fee of between £18-20 per hour based on the complexity and length of involvement.

Page 10

Strengthening Transitions Arrangements

2^nd paragraph – 10 pathfinders to be amended to 20.

Jane O’Grady/Tracy Ironmonger to be invited to a future meeting to provide an update on the Public Health & Prevention Agenda.

Action: Chris Reid/Sharon Griffin

Page 12

‘Headway has received funding from the Roald Dahl Trust’ – to be amended to ‘Headway could receive funding if they have clients under the age of 25’.

Action: Sharon Griffin

Page 14

Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Vulnerable Adult Board

Clarification to be given on how those with hearing impairment make a report to the Safeguarding team.

Action: Charles Owen-Conway

Update from Alison Lewis and Debi Game

Debi Game and Stephen Archibald, Bucks Service User and Carer Organisation (SUCO) were welcomed to the meeting.

Debi gave the following update.

·        an update paper was presented to the Executive Partnership Board on the 21 May 2012.

·        SUCO has two new members and it is hoped that a third person will be recruited before the next Board meeting on the 30 July 2012.

·        Alison Lewis and Ian Cormack are stepping down from their current roles as Chairman and Vice Chairman of SUCO.

·        SUCO are looking to expand and reinforce the Board and recruitment is underway.  Meetings have taken place with Bucks County Council, Oxford Health, Carers Bucks and Hightown regarding the work of SUCO and how best to approach the recruitment of service users and carers to the Partnership Boards.  A letter has also been sent to Bucks MIND.  Individual voluntary organisations have been contacted directly. 

·        Recruitment of a 50% Service User and Carer representation on the PSD Board is required by the Executive Board. In order to give SUCO time to recruit enough additional service users and carers, the elections should take place in October this year.  In the context of the PSD Board that would mean holding elections before the meeting on the 29th November and would allow for further discussions of process at the meeting of the 27th September. 

·        With regard to the process for electing co-chairs, discussions are taking place with the BCC to develop a policy which will apply across all Partnership Boards. The policy is in draft and Nadiya Ashraf will have responsibility for signing it off as part of her role as Lead Commissioner Carer and User Engagement.

SUCO are specifically looking at recruitment of Service Users and Carers to the PSDPB at present and members were advised to actively encourage anyone they know would like to be involved.

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

Are there any particular areas not represented on the PSDPB?  Older people and carers are not represented on the PSDPB. Service users attend the PSDPB meetings but they are representing other organisations.

With regard to the request for representation from an older person, is there was an age restriction.  There is no age restriction in place; however there would possibly be a preference for someone over the age of 50 years or more.

Is it possible to have clarification of the role of SUCO.  Debi Game explained that SUCO have been commissioned by the County Council to recruit and support service users and carer representatives for the Partnership Boards.  Stephen Archibald added that SUCO is not currently a legal body in its own right; it is hosted by Carers Bucks.  The long term aim is for SUCO to become an independent functioning body in its own right, providing support to service users and carers.

Will voluntary organisations will be consulted about membership.  Consultation with voluntary organisations is seen as a very important part of the recruitment of members for the Partnership Boards.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Update from Lorna Hume, LINk Support Officer.

This item was deferred to the September meeting of the Board as Lorna Hume was unable to attend.

Update from Ted Piker, Scrutiny Support Officer and Councillor Brian Pollock.

Members will be given the opportunity to discuss the questions circulated by email on the 26 June 2012.

Councillor Brian Pollock and Ted Piker, Scrutiny Support Officer, Wycombe District Council were welcomed to the meeting.

Councillor Pollock explained that he and Ted Piker attended the PSDPB meeting in March and the purpose of attending the meeting today was to provide a brief update on work which has taken place since then as follows;

A Task & Finish Group has been set up to look at how the Wycombe District Council is dealing with people with disabilities though its services.  The Task & Finish Group met formally in April 2012.  Membership includes Ian Cormack and Alison Lewis.  Ian Cormack is Chairman of the Bucks Carers partnership Board and is himself a carer.  Alison Lewis is Chairman of both the Bucks Service User and Carer Organisation/Self-Directed Support Service User and Carer Reference Group and Wycombe Area Access for All. 

Officers and Councillors have been consulted and have provided some very valuable feedback.  The aim is to seek feedback on services which cut across various providers.  An open house meeting was held in Marlow on the 24 May which went very well.  Positive feedback was received about the following services;

·        The Park & Ride service in Wycombe

·        The Marlow Town Bus to Maidenhead and Wycombe

·        Access to the Swan Theatre

·        Age UK – the provision of Handyman Services

·        The Befriending Scheme

·        The Lunch Club and volunteers

Areas to be looked at include;

·        Health, Social and employment needs

·        Access to Stoke Mandeville Hospital due to the relocation of several specialist hospital services from High Wycombe to Stoke Mandeville.  There is also great concern about the distance to these services and the effect on the elderly, carers and relatives

·        Cuts to day services and mental health services in the County

·        The provision of nursing homes for young people with disabilities to support different age groups and their needs

·        Wheelchair access onto public and private transport (buses & taxis)

·        Education of shop owners around the requirements and attitudes of those with learning difficulties

·        Access to buildings – Sainsbury’s in Marlow

·        Access to information – the provision of a dedicated person?

·        ‘A’ Boards outside buildings which block pavements

A visit to Northants County Council is going to be arranged to look their Centre for Independent Living.

Advice is being sought on the areas of questions and engagement approaches with disabled people to get their views.  Members were given the opportunity to discuss the questions circulated on the 26 June 2012.  During discussion the following comments were received.

Transport

·        Access to transport is poor. 

·        There is a lack of public transport services where needed i.e. villages.

·        There are problems with mobility scooter access on public transport

·        Taxis are hard to get and are expensive.  Councillor Pollock explained that any new licensed taxi has to have disability access.  Comments about the charging structure will be fed back to the relevant department in Wycombe District Council as reports received have been about private hire vehicles.

·        A voluntary sector organisation is providing Community Buses in the Risborough area (a registered bus service using  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Members were referred to the PSPD Priorities 2012-2013 Action Plan in the agenda pack and were asked for comments on the priorities, actions and outcomes shown.

During discussion, the following comments were made.

Outcome 1 – Helping people to speak up and to be active citizens

·        It is now a statutory responsibility for public bodies to engage with disabled people to make their views known.  There needs to be a more co-ordinated way that the needs of disabled people are met by the County Council in the areas they are responsible for i.e. transport, planning and the wider remit.  There needs to be identification of where the responsibility lies to lead the overarching engagement and to bring together the various arms of the Authority as well as what areas are not engaging with disabled people.

·        The actions need to have more focus and to be re-written as a smart goal which is measurable in some way and includes a time frame and achievements.

·        Clarification is needed of which organisations are being referred to in the action plan and their parameters i.e. taxi licensing and a clear action

·        Details of how a priority is going to be achieved and what the success of a priority would look like need to be added to the Action Plan.

·        The outcomes and statutory requirements should be monitored and reported back to enable any weaknesses to be identified.

·        How would fulfilling Equality Duty be addressed and reported back i.e. inviting representatives from areas such as transport to attend PSDPB meetings to give an update.

Outcome 2 – Supporting Carers

·        There is no requirement in the Action Plan for statutory organisations to report back. Would SUCO pick this up?  This would be addressed at the Carers Partnership Board.  Nadya Ashraf to be invited to a future meeting.

Action: Christopher Reid/Sharon Griffin

·        The Carers Partnership Board is providing support to carers.  To what extend does the PSDPB need to be included.  Debi Game explained that Service Users would be included under the Physical & Sensory Disability heading and there would be linkage with the PSD and Carers Partnership Boards.

·        The Supporting Carers outcome impacts on the PSDPB as Board members should be using their knowledge and experience to challenge gaps.

·        There should be ‘themed’ Partnership Board meetings to address each outcome heading and ensure that priorities are met and representatives from specific areas i.e. housing and support invited to a meeting of the Board.

Outcome 3 – Day and employment opportunities

·        Bucks Sport is carrying out a large piece of work around the creation and signposting to suitable sports and physical activities.  The Board needs to have clarification on the work being done to see how they can support this.

·        Is it possible to ask representative from an employment organisation to attend a meeting of the PSDPB.  Elaine Norris explained that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is reforming the benefits system (Welfare Reform) and is offering more support for those who need help in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Update from Andrew Clark, Chair of trustees, Bucks Disability Service (BuDS)

This item was deferred until the September meeting as Andrew Clark was unable to attend.

Elaine Norris, DWP explained that changes to benefits are ongoing and asked if members were happy for her to provide an update from a DWP perspective at the next meeting.  Members agree for the update to be added to the next agenda.

Action: Sharon Griffin / Elaine Norris

The next meeting of the Board will take place on Thursday 27 September 2012, 10.30am, Seminar Room 1, Green Park, Aston Clinton.

Dates of Future Meetings;

29 November

The next meeting of the Board will take place on Thursday 27 September 2012, 10.30am, Seminar Room 1, Green Park, Aston Clinton.

Dates of Future Meetings;

29 November