Agenda item

This report provides information on Haringey’s approach to Quality Assurance and outlines Haringey’s ambition to develop a community wide partnership approach to assuring quality across the Health and Social Care system.

The panel considered the report, and presentation, of Beverley Tarka, Director of Adult Social Care.

Beverley Tarka commenced her presentation by providing information on the Council’s new duties as set out in Sections 5 and 48 of the Care Act 2014. The panel noted the changing landscape for adult social care in terms of both the Care Act and the Council’s commissioning intentions,  as set out in the Corporate Plan and Market Position Statement. As a result of these changes, it was explained that the Council was strengthening its approach to quality assurance and contract monitoring. 

The panel was informed that Quality Assurance was important to ensure local services were safe and of a high standard. It was recognised that everyone, including people who use services, relatives, carers, providers, staff delivering the service, social care staff, health practitioners, safeguarding professionals, and regulatory bodies, had a role to play to ensure improvements could be made to the quality of care provided across Haringey.

During the discussion, reference was made to the governance arrangements that were in place and information was provided in relation to how quality would be assured in respect of safeguarding, social work practice, provider services and commissioning, and in relation to the opportunities that were available to develop a community wide partnership approach to assuring quality across Haringey’s Health and Social Care system.

The panel considered the information contained in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 of the report and a number of issues were discussed, including:

-       Whistle-blowing policies and protocols for social workers, care staff and external service providers.   

-       The aims and objectives of the Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB)  and the purpose of the Adult Social Services Quality Assurance Board. The panel agreed that it would be useful for the Director of Adult Social Care to provide members of the scrutiny panel with a diagram to clarify the governance arrangements for Quality Assurance and Adult Safeguarding in Haringey  

-       The roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders, including elected councillors, and looking at ways in which the Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel could add value to adult safeguarding and quality assurance issues.

-       Definitions for quality and the Care Quality Commission’s framework for quality – safe, effective, caring, responsible, well led.

-       Measurements of quality including issue relating to contract monitoring, complaints, compliments and other feedback.

-       The shared strategic focus that was provided through the Health and Wellbeing Board, SAB’s Quality Assurance sub-group and Quality Workshops.

-       The Adult Social Care and Improvement and Quality Action Plan for 2014/15 and 2015/16 concerning the actions listed in relation to work enhancing the quality of life for people with care and support needs.

-       Haringey’s Market Position statement, published in June 2015. It was explained that this set out Haringey’s plans to work with providers to develop diverse high quality care locally to meet local need and the Council’s strategic priorities whilst delivering value for money.  

AGREED:

(a)  That the content of the report and presentations, outlining Haringey’s approach to Quality Assurance and ambition to develop a community wide partnership approach to assuring quality across the Health and Social Care system, be noted.

(b)  That the Director of Adult Social Care be asked to provide members of the scrutiny panel with a diagram to clarify the governance arrangements for Quality Assurance and Adult Safeguarding in Haringey.   

(c)  That a member briefing be arranged, by the Principal Scrutiny Officer, to enable panel members to further consider how the Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel could best contribute to adult safeguarding and quality assurance issues. It was agreed that this should take place during November 2015.