Agenda item

Adult Social Care Performance Report March 2021

A report outlining the key areas of performance of Adult Social Care during 2019-2020 which is based on performance against the national Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework dataset which is monitored annually.

Minutes:

The Executive Director of Social Care and Health submitted a report outlining the key areas of performance of Adult Social Care during 2019-2020 which was based on performance against the national Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF) dataset which is monitored annually.  An overview of performance for Adult Social Care against all ASCOF measures in 2019-2020, as well as an update on current performance, was attached to the report at Appendix 1, an Action Plan addressing the areas for development for two key performance targets was attached at Appendix 2 and a visual representing a snapshot of Adult Social Care Performance was attached to the report at Appendix 3.  Melissa Wise, Assistant Director of Commissioning, Transformation and Performance, attended the meeting and gave a presentation on the performance report.

The report stated that key highlights included the Borough’s high performance compared to other local authorities with regard to the number of older people newly admitted to Residential and Nursing Care homes and the number of people with Learning Disabilities living in their home or with their family.  Reading performed less well in the measure of the number of people aged 18 to 64 who had been newly admitted to Residential and Nursing Care homes and the number of people using Direct Payment to pay for their care and support.

The report detailed two areas that had been selected where performance had been good in 2019-20 and a further two areas where there was a need to focus on improvements, as follows:

·         Long Terms Needs of Older Adults (aged over 65) met by Admission to Residential and Nursing Care Homes – Following a continued focus on supporting people to be independent in their own homes in-line with the Council’s ‘home first’ approach, Adult Social Care had continued to ensure that the number of older people (aged over 65) who had been placed in residential and nursing care homes in the previous year was reduced.  This strong performance had continued into the current year and the service now had the second lowest rate of new admissions to residential and nursing homes in the south east.

·         The proportion of Adults with a Learning Disability who live in their own Home or with Family – The service continued to work with people with a Learning Disability to ensure they were living in settled accommodation, ensuring that as far as possible people lived in their own home or with their family.

·         Long Term needs of Younger Adults (aged 18 to 64) met by Admission to Residential and Nursing Care Homes – Despite concentrated focus on keeping people in their own homes, there had been a very slight increase in the number of younger people who had been placed in residential and nursing care homes in the previous year.  This had been due to a lack of alternative options available to meet the needs of younger people and equated to 15 people a year in total.  Work on producing an Accommodation Strategy for vulnerable adults would continue in the current year with a focus on sourcing alternative accommodation for younger adults.

·         Increase use of Direct Payments – Direct Payments had increased by 71% since 2016/17, from 12.1% to 20.7%.  Whilst Direct Payments remained a priority for Adult Social Care, the lack of alternative services available to meet people’s needs beyond the Council commissioned services had resulted in a slower uptake.  The Personal Assistant (PA) Market Development Transformation Project had started to increase the number of people employing PAs.

Resolved –

(1)     That the performance of Adult Social Care in Reading for 2019-20 against similar Councils, the South East and the national Adult Social Care Framework (ASCOF) indicators be noted;

(2)     That the associated Action Plan to address two key areas of development be endorsed.

Supporting documents: