Physical Disabilities and Sensory Impairment Partnership Board

5 December 2017 2pm – 4:15pm

March Community Centre, Station Rd
March PE15 8LE

Minutes

Present

AB Amanda Bavin Registered Speech To Text Reporter

Erika Brown Hunts Society for the Blind
EB
Pauline Brown Independent Member
PB
James Catmur Independent Member
JC
Helen Kidd Sensory Rehab Team, CCC
HK
Graham Lewis Development Officer, CAIL
GL
Mick Scadden Independent Member
MS
Helen Reed Housing Strategy Manager,
HR
Cambridge City Council
Trish Reed Interim Service Development Manager –
TR
Housing Related Support
People and Communities,
Cambridgeshire County Council

1. Welcome, introductions and apologies

Apologies: Flora Raffai, Heather Davison, Lee McManus and Cllr Howell (Cllr
Howell advised that he was required to attend a County Council meeting which had
to take priority)

2. Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising

2.1 Minutes
The initials JM to be corrected to read as JC (James Catmur)
The minutes were agreed.

2.2 Matters arising

Fen House, Fen Road, Cambridge, CB4 1UN

Tel: 0300 111 2301 Email:admin@cambridgeshirealliance.org.uk
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All actions other than the item about Tinnitus to be transferred to the action log and
looked at later in the meeting.

3. Updates from board members

 JC talked about PIP and they said action was said to be about to happen and
shall report back; GL noted it is important to keep an open mind
 EB says numbers and services ensue as normal and 170 confirmed for party
next week, lots of volunteers and drivers
 Helen Kidd: Rehab lists are growing and more referrals are ongoing. Plenty of
work going around. The teams used to work together and have now parted. Part
of the Preventative area now and lung care training and prevention of hospital.
Assistive Telecare Technology and Adult Early Help. The flat in Godmanchester
is exemplary of this. Training courses happen there and there is equipment there
such as bathwater runs over alerts, pressure matts for people so that a carer can
be alerted during the night if someone gets out of bed. Helen said it is worth
going along to have a look and could organize a visit. Erika thought it was for
professionals. Helen Kidd says it is usually people who have a professional
need. PB showed a bracelet that is an alerter. It acts as an intercom. Someone
at First Port will call and ask if you are ok and call the emergency services.
Sensory team provided this. The intercom also works with the doorbell. A Pager
system on the bed is also there in case of a fire alarm. Helen Kidd explained
that this is why ATT and Sensory has been paired together.
 PB: Queries why the minutes reflect that the sensory team were recorded as
saying that they did not have enough work. GL: Mary Goddon(part time social
worker) has now retired and that the sensory team were now working working
social workers in the different locality teams to provide appropriate support to
people with sensory needs.

4. Feedback from other meetings

4.1 Wheelchair User Forum

GL reported that this was the second meeting of the Wheelchair User Forum (WUF)
was held on 24th November 2017

A representative from the CCG and Provide was invited to attend. The CCG also
passed on the invitation to Provide however Provide did not make contact or attend.
A representative of the CCG attended and took notes about what people were
saying about their experience of the wheelchair service about untimely responses,
staff being rude to people

After 1st April 2018, the CCG will be starting the process to tender for the wheelchair
service contract.

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WUF spoke about good service design collaboration with the CCG, how they could
help write questions for the tender contract, review of answers to the questions, so
that the CCG could get the best service possible. CCG rep was very interested.

WUF has been developed as an extra opportunity for engagement with wheelchair
users and is separate to the 4 Partnership Boards. The WUF has asked to develop
Terms of Reference to enable it to become more established and clear in its role.

The County Council has allowed CAIL to use some of last financial years partnership
boards underspend to support the development of the wheelchair user forum. The
County Council recognised that if people cannot take up their full independence by
having a wheelchair that suits them, then they cannot have a full and independent
life and this becomes then a social care problem.

PB on the WUF: Does it include people using scooters who have a mobility problem?

GL Scooter users are welcome but scooters are not funded by the wheelchair
service and as such they are a private purchase

PB is that a problem perhaps on with the wheelchair service then as scooters can be
more mobile and useful?

GL stated that scooters might be more practical for people as people have space for
bags etc which they don’t have on wheelchairs

MS says he borrowed a wheelchair (for a friend) from a service in cambs and is now
being asked to return it. GL said that there is a second hand shop JC noted that
there is one in St Neots.

GL noted that the Wheelchair User Forum would be open to scooter users and
people from Peterborough as the wheelchair service covers Peterborough and
Cambridgeshire as they have the same service as it is part of the CCG.

5. Updates from the PD and SI Teams

HK had given a fuller report under agenda item 3 and so it was agreed to accept that
as the report.

6. Housing Adaptions Patheway

Trish Reed reported that new funding has been available from the Better Care
Funding following the Care Act to develop ways improving integration between
services. Goals can include reducing hospitalization.

Capital funding doubled. 1.8 million to 3.6 million.

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Performance was assessed.

Three key findings from the review:

1. Upfront advice and information for people and what their options were. OT
referrals, level access shower or adaptation etc. If people had earlier info
provision they could make decisions sooner.
2. Home Improvement agencies and the time it takes to get an adaptation done,
expediency and grants being tracked as the time taken to respond increases
the risk of the individual falling etc.
3. Funding – CC is still putting revenue funding into the agencies, had lost a
revenue grant. CC should put their resource upfront into the prevention
service

2 pilots running at the moment until end of March

1 service for children with disability, families are being approached early on and
whether a move at an early stage might be better and long-term beneficial.

There is funding for a fulltime post in April. Trial in Huntingdonshire, feedback

from all involved is being waited for. Another trial is South Cambs for older people
and is in the process of being assessed. Working with HOOP (Housing Options
for Older People) and Older People and looks at issues such as size and space,
garden size, price, high council tax, heating price. Sheltered housing and extra
care housing which offers support and care onsite.

Adult Early Help team from April will be picking up on those early needs and
liaising with people.

Silverlinks is recruiting older people who have moved to act as a mentor for
others interested in doing the same, peer support style.

Pushing prevention agenda, empowerment and control for people for where they
live etc. rather than falling into a crisis and moving into a home.

MS: When you do an adaptation to a private house, is the cost reimbursed or not
by the Council? Such as by a charge on the property should it be sold?

Trish says some do and some don’t

MS asks why and Trish says Helen Reed will elaborate later.

MS asked why doesn’t CCC buy house and then use it with adaptation rather
than costly process of ripping it out and having to install in a different home.

Trish says it is being looked at

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PB says housing being developed isn’t suitable and why is there not a better
liaising process pre-construction? Handyman scheme (delivered by Age UK
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough) is mentioned and asks whether the CCC
pays for this or whether it is private.

Trish says it is jointly commissioned and there is a small charge.

Helen R says there is a small charge but some works are free. Many people want
to contribute. It shouldn’t exclude people who can’t afford it.

PB Development should be the focus rather than adaptation

Helen Reed: Development is developer led. Better relationships being fostered

with developers. It is not as straightforward as we would like unfortunately.

GL Consultative Planning Group – PB used to be on it and GL is now on it and

there is reference to housing that is few in number that is appropriate for
adaptation. Feedback is that there is less financial reward for developers from
accessible homes and that there is less of social affordable housing on offer.

MS: Explained that he went to look at a property in Godmanchester. The

developers response: We haven’t got show houses anymore, we offer people the
opportunity to buy off plan. That doesn’t suit him.

GL wondered if a tactile plan is provided.

MS we want to see what we buy and get the feel of the layout, can’t do this when
the property is off plan.

Helen R and Trish Reed agreed

GL many people don’t have the visual imagination

JC asked the PDSI PB have you have tried buying an adapted house? It is
incredibly difficult to find them and what it is and what it means. You go and see
and this is what it is for and it doesn’t meet needs or specifications or purpose.

JC has been trying to look for an adapted house and people need help finding
these houses. Newbuilds’ bathrooms are so small no adaptions can be made.
Why can this be done in Scotland do it and we can’t. Application of the law is
different it seems.

PB developers are financially driven

HR land prices are so high as well. Such properties need more space and
developers don’t see it as viable

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 JC criteria for adaptable or accessible is very different

7. Cambridgeshire wide Disabled Facilities Grant Policy

Trish Reed, from Cambridge City Council explained that a joint policy being worked
on across district and county council’s on how funds are used by councils and to
develop a standardised approach from all councils.

Mandatory facilities grants are a statutory duty provision. Some of the councils have
provided top up funding. That money that comes through doesn’t have to be spent
on just one thing but can be used for wider purposes to ensure that a home is
accessible. Up until now it has only been used for statutory grants. A joint policy is
being worked on across the county to enable people to live at home independently.
The policy will look at the kinds of help able to be provided. Interventions might help
people leave hospitals quicker or prevent hospitalisation. Making homes warmer e.g.
improved heating systems, security, hazards in the home. Supporting moving versus
adaptation with financial help available to aid moving if that was considered the
better option.

Trish explained that there is a funding issue in that the government has increased
amount available to councils but demand is increasing as there is an ageing
population and people with disabilities are living longer.

The aim of the new policy is to ensure appropriate spending to maximise benefit.
The draft policy will be consulted on. There are 5 districts and agreement sought
from all 5. Consultation will most likely happen in the new year. PDSI will be given
the opportunity to comment on this.

PB Used to own a home in Cambridge and fell down the stairs once. Her
Godmanchester flat has a range of benefits which she mentioned in the pre meeting
discussion with the County Council about transforming services.

PB asked couldn’t the councils buy empty houses and turn them in to social
housing? People living on their own will be more likely to suffer accidents are of
concern.

HR asks whether PB is talking about a large home with a number of people living
there or independent homes.

PB is talking about homes where people live together in a sort of community.

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HR from the district council’s point of view there isn’t money to go to buy homes in
that way. There is the ‘New Build’ programme, care homes are being built. HR thinks
that PB is talking about what are called extra care schemes or sheltered housing
schemes which are aimed at people over the age of 55. There is some provision
there and they are working with the county council to establish what other kind of
provision is required. There are a number of different housing models that will suit
different people and different circumstances.

EB: In Huntingdonshire it seems that nursing care and less of the sheltered
accommodation is being built. The sheltered element isn’t there. It seems that the
over the 55 is there without the support.

Trish says there is a provision by the 5 main housing providers. There are support
services there but there isn’t a scheme manager there. It is for anyone anywhere.

JC when you have this new policy will you publish it and will it be made readily
available for people

HR their general policy isn’t to automatically put it in different formats and they want
to know what formats are needed as it needs to be as understandable as possible.

GL certainly the consultation will be go out but asks about regional provision
differences, ‘postcode lotteries’ between the district councils that people don’t
understand. If the policy is put out at consultation, it might be helpful if there is a
case study by each district or regional wide.

GL noted that people need to be able to find the policy easily and also to be able to
understand what it is saying. GL gave the example of Healthwatch providing a copy
of their report in to the Accessible Information Standard; the document is made
available in EasyRead, audio, Braille and 24 font and standard. The travelling
community has the largest number of minorities and in Braille. The use of EasyRead
also helps people who have English as a second language and also people with low
literacy levels (eg members of the Traveller community who may not have completed
school).

MS With the Healthwatch report it aims at informing the practitioner of the need of
the user.

Action: GL asked to invite Healthwatch to attend a future meeting of the PDSI

Partnership Board to explain the background to their report, their findings and
the next steps that are being taken.

GL the point is that people should only explain their need once and not multiple
times and from the beginning have their needs attended to without the lengthy
explanatory process and questions

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HR is interested and says that transparency requires it

GL says that as Helen R was asking how to consult, that we would like to meet with
her to discuss the process. If Helen R wanted to attend the 4 Partnership Boards
there may be a way of CAIL can work with her to streamline this streamline this to
collectively identify themes. This could be done by a single meeting inviting
representatives from all the partnership boards. GL happy to discuss with Helen R
on how to consult the broader community further.

HR asks how to arrange this and the detail of this

PB thinks it is very important that you are involved that the public inform on what
they want and need and recommendations have been made previously and haven’t
been listened to

GL there is a model of coproduction and it is difficult to do pure coproduction

HR said that there are statutory requirements in consultation and agreement across
the 5 districts is difficult. Good reasons as to why this can’t be done can be given.
There is a balance with having to take it forward.

PB sometimes because we are talking about people with special needs and people
say we are a minority but special needs is increasing, it is more relevant

8. Adult Social Care Forum - items for and from

There had been an issue with Direct Payments and the transfer of managing the
Direct Payments from Pendrill’s Trust to Purple. This meant that weren’t able to pay
for their care; Helen Duncan (principal social worker) raised it with the relevant team.
This was speedily acted upon and it was a systemic issue relating to the handover
from one provider organisation to another.

9. Action Log

All actions have been completed.

A concern was raised regarding the usefulness of having the Action Log on an excel
spreadsheet as it was difficult for people to use.

Action: GL agreed to review and explore different ways, such as using word.

10. Any other business

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PB asked if is there something like the partnership boards for people with Dementia?
There will be a meeting for friends of people with Alzheimer’s in Godmanchester to
help explain the process of diagnosis etc

GL The Older People’s Partnership Board covers this are bringing together
organizations who provide support early on.

ACTION: PB to forward pavement etc email shall be forwarded to GL.

MS closed the meeting and thanked everyone for coming.

Date of next meeting: Thursday 22 Feb, 10.30am – 12.30pm Orchard Park

Community Centre, Central Ave, Orchard Park, Cambridge CB4 2EZ

Kindly note there will be a meeting of service users just before each meeting
between 10:00am and 10:30am

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