Sue Lott, Head of Service, Community North and County Acute and Prisons, Lancashire County Council outlined the details of the Council's Adult Social Care Winter Plan for 2020-21 (Appendix A on the agenda item) and the additional capacity that would be mobilised to meet the anticipated demand. The Winter Plan 2020-21 would be considered by Cabinet on 5 November 2020. Further context around the plan were detailed in the report circulated with the agenda and the presentation covered the following in more detail:
Winter Planning - Context
- Funding
- What is in the Plan
- Next Steps
Following the presentation, it was noted that a range of key issues had been considered and planned for during the winter. In terms of designated settings, the Authority had been asked by the Department of Health and Social Care to consider identifying care homes across the County that would be prepared to accept people from hospital who were tested positive for COVID-19. Contact had been made with all providers across County asking if they would be willing to be considered and be able to demonstrate that they could appropriately segregate people so that if they were accepting COVID-19 positive individuals that they were not increasing the risk of transmission to other residents. They then have to go through an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who carry out an on-site inspection. There was also national as well as local concern with regards insurance for the purposes of accepting this level of responsibility. As of 3 November 2020, there were two facilities that had already been visited by the Care Quality Commission in Lancashire. As this was a moving picture, when there was a more definitive position, Louise Taylor agreed to circulate the list to Board Members, of the homes who would be actively accepting people with that designated status.
Work was also continuing with Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackpool Council and the NHS on an agreed specification that it was clear on what would be expected as the commissioning organisations and equally what enhanced support any provider would receive from the Authorities and the NHS services. Some forecasting had taken place to know how many homes might be required and it is about getting the right spread across the County.
The Council's day centres are opening their facilities back up and have supported the independent sector with some financial support. The policy on day centres has been revised to maintain day centre provision during the period of any further restrictions. It had also been agreed by the Lancashire Resilience Forum that day centres were going to be prioritised for the testing pilot to ensure that a regular testing regime can be undertaken by staff.
Resolved: That the Health and Wellbeing Board:
i) Noted the report.
ii) Supported the ongoing work of Adult Social Care to ensure that vulnerable people who needed social care support across the winter period and throughout the pandemic, received the right support at the right time.
iii) Louise Taylor, Executive Director for Adult Services and Health and Wellbeing would circulate a list of homes who would be actively accepting people with COVID-19 when it was finalised.