This is a request for information issued by the policy, research and advocacy department at the
British Red Cross under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
The information requested relates to the implementation by your council of the Care Act 2014 which
came into force on April 1st 2015.
We would like to know:
- What actions has your council taken to comply with Clause 2 of the Care Act 2014
(“Preventing needs for Care and Support”)?
Please see the links below for records of decisions taken by our Health and Strategy Board on the 11th June 2015.
http://democracy.devon.gov.uk/CeListDocuments.aspx?MID=1165&RD=Agenda&DF=11%2f06%2f2015&A=0&R=0
http://democracy.devon.gov.uk/CeListDocuments.aspx?MID=1165&RD=Minutes&DF=11%2f06%2f2015&A=1&R=0
The strategies which were agreed are also available online at:
http://www.devonhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/strategies/
- a) Have you developed a ‘local approach to prevention’ as per Section 2.23 of the Care and
Support Statutory Guidance (“Developing a local approach to preventative support”)
updated in February 2017?
– Yes
– No
– The council is in the process of developing one
b) Does your local approach clearly specify a range of examples of all three types of
prevention set out in Chapter 2 of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance (“Preventing,
reducing or delaying needs”)?
– Yes
– No
Further to the information provided above which provides information in response to these questions, we also have a range of other approaches to preventing needs from developing. For example, in our Carers Offer there are three levels of support – the first of which is a universal service that is designed to support carers early in their journey. We fund a number of voluntary organisations to deliver early support to people – both as infrastructure partners and in specific areas of service delivery. Further, we have a range of integrated place-based solutions and our health and care teams have access to a voluntary sector co-ordinator whose task is to link people to community supports.
Another example would be the preventive holistic lifestyle offer which is funded by Devon County Council:
- a) Have you developed a ‘commissioning strategy for prevention’ as per 2.24 of the Care and
Support Statutory Guidance (within “Developing a local approach to preventative support”)?
– Yes
– No
– The council is in the process of developing one
b) Does this commissioning strategy clearly specify a range of examples of all three types of
prevention set out in Chapter 2 of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance (“Preventing,
reducing or delaying needs”)?
– Yes
– No
Yes, the strategy covers preventing, reducing and delaying needs and the approach is multi-faceted, from primary prevention including many of our Public Health functions to our level 2 and 3 offer. Further information regarding the strategy is set out in the link in the response to question one.
- a) Have you identified ‘services, facilities and resources that are already available in your
area, which could support to prevent, reduce or delay needs’ as per section 2.26 of the Care
and Support Statutory Guidance (”Developing a local approach to preventative support”)?
– Yes
– No
– The council is in the process of doing this
Please see the answer to question 1 above and the link to the strategy.
b) If yes, how did you identify these services, facilities and resources?
We have a range of ways in which we do this and we encourage organisations to post details about their offer on our online community information resources, Pinpoint
- a) Have you identified ‘unmet need’ as per section 2.30 of the Care and Support Statutory
Guidance (”Developing a local approach to preventative support”)?
– Yes
– No
– The council is in the process of doing this
b) If yes, how have you done this?
Yes Devon County Council continue to do this.
Identifying unmet need is an on-going duty, in the same way that meeting eligible need is; it is a constant undertaking rather than a one-off piece of activity. Identifying an individual’s unmet need, in the main, will take place through the needs assessment process both for adults and carers; at least when we are approached or people are referred to us. This process will consider the broader needs that a person has and the needs that they might not self-identify that they have. DCC work closely with primary care with GPs across the county working with us to identify unmet need, particularly within the carer population.
Needs at the population level are identified through the annual JSNA, this in turn shapes the strategies we have in place for meeting our statutory duties including preventing and meeting needs across Devon; our Prevention Strategy is of particular relevance here.
Through our involvement and engagement work we ensure a continued connection to communities across Devon so that community groups, voluntary groups and groups representing service user and carers can highlight the specific challenges and needs that specific populations and communities have and how our strategies can be effective in responding to those challenges now and the challenges of the future.
- What actions has your council taken to comply with Clause 3 of the Care Act 2014
(“Promoting integration of care and support with health services etc.”). Please give details.
In Devon we have a history of integrated working with the NHS; a history that predates the 2014 Act.
Commissioning:
Since 2008 DCC has had joint commissioning managers and functions in place alongside joint commissioning strategies for, amongst others, Carers, Mental Health and Older People, these arrangements pre-date the formation of CCGs and have continued under the NHS restructure. The Chief Operating Officer of South Devon and Torbay CCG is also a member of DCC’s Head of Adult Commission and Health’s management Team.
Health colleagues where significantly involved locally during the implementation stage of the Care Act as key participants in the local governance arrangements that led to the understanding of the requirements placed on us and the shaping of a local response. A key response was the development of Joint Prevention Strategy: Living Well and Ageing Well in Devon, co-produced by DCC, CCGs and district authorities (I guess this doc will be talked about in more detail in earlier responses)
More latterly we have been fully engaged in the BCF working with Health to achieve better population outcomes (reduced emergency admissions and reduced delay hospital discharge) across Devon through better spending of Health and Care funding through pooled budget arrangements. We also have a joint contracting framework for the commissioning of care packages in the community and are in the process of developing similar arrangements for residential care.
Delivery:
In Devon we have a history of joint delivery of health and care operations. Our Deputy Directors of Health and Care Operations are joint posts with operational staff working to them in joint teams in co-located office. Since 2005 we have had a Section 75 agreement in place for the delivery of MH services through the local NHS Partnership Trust.
Staff training developed during the Care Act implementation stage was shared with health colleagues to support a system-wide understanding of key elements of the national legislation. In addition to this our prevention training has been shared with CCGs including General Practice, as too has our online community directory ‘Pinpoint’ that enables people to find solutions in their local community to their care and supports needs, as well as preventing and reducing them.