Meeting documents

Faye Ewing, Simon Kearey, Jim Burness, Martin Phillips, Mike Appleyard, Beverley Underwood, Alan Finch, Jonathan Rush, David Montague, Mimi Harker, Sian Chattle, Cathy Colsell, Andrew Smith, Bob Smith, Katie Galvin, Conan Hassim, Elaine Hassall, Trevor Boyd, Barbara Poole, Linda Walton, Marilyn Heath, David Wight.

Notes of previous meeting are attached.

The minutes of the Chiltern and South Bucks Joint Strategic Partnership meeting held on 18 May 2016 were received; copies of which had been previously circulated.

RESOLVED that:-

The minutes were approved and accepted by Councillor Ralph Bagge as a correct record. 

Presentation and Q&A session - Ralph Bagge (Leader of South Bucks District Council) and Isobel Darby (Leader of Chiltern District Council).

Councillor Ralph Bagge and Councillor Isobel Darby delivered the presentation.

The key challenges for Buckinghamshire were highlighted. The revenue support grant will be reduced to zero by 2018/19. The population will grow and there will be a 75% rise in over 65s by 2037 which will put additional pressure on already stretched adult social care services. Demand for children’s services will increase, between 2011 and 2015 there was a 12% increase in looked after children. Housing demand is predicted to increase by 21% between 2013 and 2033. The county needs 9,000 new affordable homes. This will impact on other services such as Waste.

Reorganisation of local government in Bucks should be designed to sit at the heart of wider reform and transformation in the county. Without this, consolidation of local government into a single tier, (whilst providing some short term savings), will not create the improved outcomes and long-term sustainability that our residents require. Unless this happens there is real danger that an inward-focused reorganisation of local government will get in the way of much needed integration and transformation in the health and care system and other key aspects.

There is an increasing demand on expensive services. There is a need for integration and transformation in the health and care system and other key aspects of public sector reform. Without reform, the savings associated with becoming a unitary council will be consumed by cost pressures elsewhere. We need to find a better way to do the existing better first otherwise there is a risk that the underlying issues will not be addressed.

The emphasis should be on improved outcomes for our residents.  This can be achieved by building a broad consensus, placing greater emphasis on early intervention and prevention, building new relationships with communities at a local level and having visible and accountable leadership, engagement in decision-making and resource allocation.

Radical change is required to ensure local government in Buckinghamshire is sustainable and meets the changing needs and aspirations of our residents and their children in the long term.

The Districts’ shared vision is built on the following principles:

•   Financially sustainable matching the needs and aspirations of residents now and in the future.

•   Rooted in communities - involvement and engagement with residents in the design and delivery of local services.

•   Services and functions designed and delivered across optimum geographies - both within and beyond Buckinghamshire.

•   Reframing our relationship with people to promote independence.

•   Securing the best outcome for people while effectively managing demand.

•   More collaboration, partnership working and community leadership - within and beyond Buckinghamshire.

Deloitte were commissioned to carry out an independent strategic level analysis of alternative governance arrangements for Buckinghamshire. The purpose of this report was to help the district councils form a view of which option best serves the interests of residents and will secure improved outcomes. They looked at options for one, two and three unitary models. We also asked them to look at alternative delivery models for services  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

Natalie Judson - Community Link Officer, Prevention Matters, Bucks County Council.

Natalie Judson from Prevention Matters, Bucks CC delivered the presentation.

The Ageing Population Task and Finish group was established at the Joint Strategic Partnership meeting in October 2015 when it was decided a working group would be set up to focus primarily on dementia. The group has an action plan which details the group’s achievements and aspirations.

People can live well with dementia. There are around 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK. This will rise to over 2 million by 2051. Dementia which includes Alzheimer’s disease has now overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death in the UK.

Dementia costs £26.3 billion a year. Unpaid carers supporting people with dementia save the UK purse £11.6 billion a year. Carers Bucks support over 2,000 carers of people with dementia.

The group has had some significant successes since being formed in October 2015. These include:

·    34 GP practices across the CCG committed to become dementia friendly

·    Trading Standards - Fire and Rescue have been installing CCTV cameras on behalf of Trading Standards in South Bucks for those at risk of becoming targets of fraud. Trading Standards have been raising awareness of rogue trading and related crimes.

·    Community Safety team introduced a community cards scheme that aimed at raising awareness of dementia and encouraging intergenerational activities.

·    Amersham Tesco held a Dementia friends information session and have two community champions in the Amersham and Gerrard's cross stores trained to deliver sessions to other employees. This has given them more confidence to interact with customers living with dementia.

·    Amersham dementia alliance group was formed.

·    Carers Bucks have developed a training programme for carers to help them manage on a day to day basis.

·    All library staff will have attended dementia friend training by March 2017.

·    Reading well books have been made available on prescription. The list includes a range of books offering information and advice about dementia and normal aging, support with living well after diagnosis, practical advice for carers, personal accounts, and suggestions for shared therapeutic activities.

The group organised a confronting dementia event in May 2016 which was very successful with lots of people attending to find out more about dementia.

There are lots of actions members of the Joint Strategic Partnership can do now to help people living with dementia. These include:

·    Hold a dementia awareness day in your local community

·    Encourage others to attend dementia friends training

·    Influence decision makers on funding us to obtain a full time post to focus solely on dementia

·    Talk to local businesses - look at changing physical environments

·    Encourage hobby and interest groups 

There are several organisations set up to help people living with dementia:

·    Lindengate in Wendover offers a range of indoor and outdoor activities geared towards mental and physical stimulation. http://www.lindengate.org.uk/

·    The Alzheimer’s society offers memory support services. The service aims to offer one-to-one support for individuals and their carers, from their initial concerns about memory loss, through diagnosis, to planning for the future. Anyone in Buckinghamshire who  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

Jacqui Sheppard - Dementia Champion, Community Services Representative, Home Instead

The training was led by Jacqui Sheppard from Home Instead. Each of the attendees committed to become a dementia friend at the end of the training. The training helped to explain more about what dementia is and what action we can take now to help those living with dementia.

Nominations for the 2017 Chiltern District Council Youth Awards are currently being accepted. You can make a nomination here http://www.chiltern.gov.uk/youthawards2017

Buckinghamshire residents are being invited to come along to public information events to find out from local GPs what is happening with health services in their local area.

The sessions will include presentations from healthcare professionals about what’s going on in the local area to meet people’s health needs, and how this fits into wider plans across Buckinghamshire. People at the events will be able to ask questions and contribute their views as part of the continuing dialogue between the public and health and care services across the county. Details of when these sessions will take place can be found here https://www.chilternccg.nhs.uk/events/

May 2017 and will be held at Chiltern District Council offices in Amersham.