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SSNW eNews
The newsletter of Social Services North West (NWASSA)
Number 3 July 2000
Page 1
NHS is the No 1 Priority for the next year
The June 2000 meeting of Social Services North West, held in St Helens, decided the Annual Work Programme for 2000
– 2001. Top priority of member authorities, surveyed during May, was the issue of our interface with the National
Health Service, particularly at regional level.
Reporting on his visits to consult with member authorities, SSNW Co-ordinator Peter Hewitt said that four main
issues emerged as those supported by a high proportion of member authorities:
Interface with the NHS regionally, especially re issues of reconfiguration of services, and mental health
Performance Assessment – developing a regional perspective on how the complex new arrangements are developing, and offering a constructive critique
Quality Protects, especially in relation to corporate parenting and certain specific aspects of developing high-quality services for children
Financial issues, including use of special grants and charging policies.
Other issues, attracting support from a smaller number of authorities, were:
Children’s agency budgets and foster care
Community/continuing/intermediate care
Human resource issues, including recruitment, retention and training
Asylum seekers
Homeless young people
Neighbourhood renewal/Community regeneration/Social inclusion.
More on Page 2 about the meeting on 16 June
New Leadership for Social Services North West
A new Chair and Deputy Chair were elected at the June meeting. Councillor Cliff Morris, Bolton’s Cabinet Member
for Social Services and Health was unanimously elected as Chair, whilst neighbour Councillor Brian Strett of Wigan,
Cabinet Member for Health and Social Services became Deputy Chair.
Arrangements for minority party representation were also endorsed, with Councillor Frank Roderick of Liverpool
emerging as spokesperson for the four-strong Liberal Democrat Group. County Councillor Christopher Holtom of Lancashire
remains the only Conservative member.
Councillor Paul Cummins of Sefton steps aside after six years on NWASSA, having served as Deputy Chair 1997 –99
and as Chair for 1999 – 2000. Councillor Alan Stephenson had also served six years, and was Deputy Chair 1999 –
2000. Both were sent a letter of thanks for their service to the organisation, and in particular for their commitment
over the past year to reviewing and reshaping Social Services North West to tackle the demands of the new century.
Support Team
The appointment of Elaine Trotter as part-time Clerical Assistant from 1st June completes the staff team, which
also includes Peter Viggers as full-time Professional Assistant and Peter Hewitt as part-time Co-ordinator. Elaine
can be contacted mornings on 01772 262451 and will link you to other members of the support team if needed.
Page 2 More from the meeting on 16 June
Key finding from consultation: SSNW must raise its game
During visits to member authorities to prepare the Annual Work Programme, the Co-ordinator heard strong views that,
if Social Services North West is to continue in the future, it must ‘raise its game’ to meet the rapidly changing
context in which local authority social services now have to operate. This should involve not only a formal annual
work programme and more effective use of SSNW staff resources. Also needed is an appropriate and effective political
profile for what is, after all, an organisation for political representatives of social services authorities. The
view was strongly and almost universally put forward that unless this clear political role could be sharply identified
and developed in the months ahead, the whole future of the organisation should be questioned.
In addition to the key work areas listed on Page 1, there was support for continuing the organisation’s long-standing
work in the field of major incident management, and for retaining capacity to respond to any new and urgent issues
which arise. In progressing all of these issues, the continuing support of Directors and staff of member authorities
will be essential, with the expectation that time and effort invested should be at least balanced by the benefits
gained by authorities.
Building links with regional and national bodies
SSNW secured a meeting on 10 July with Regional Chair of the NHS Executive Professor Joan Higgins – more on page
3 facing. The aim of achieving closer links with the LGA was furthered when their Head of Social Affairs, Health
and Housing, John Ransford, replied to our approach as follows: "You should know that the regional agenda
is developing here and your initiative is timely. The Social Affairs and Health Executive want to arrange some
regional meetings and it would seem sensible to do this in conjunction with you. There are various aspects of a
creative national/regional relationship which we can pursue."
SSNW members agreed to host a meeting in the Autumn which leading LGA members would attend. This will give us an
opportunity to feed current concerns direct to national representatives, and to showcase our work. Chair Councillor
Cliff Morris has offered Bolton as the venue – more details will follow as soon as a date is fixed.
Children’s Rights
Members were disappointed with the Department of Health response to their campaign for the appointment of a Children’s
Rights Commissioner. They decided to write to the 62 MPs whose constituencies are in SSNW member authorities, urging
them to ensure that the remit of the Commissioner for England, as well as Wales, will be sufficiently wide to ensure
that the wishes and best interests of children can be safeguarded and promoted. Already about a dozen replies have
been received.
The meeting also received reports on the developments across the North West under the Quality Protects initiative,
and the commissioning of external placements for children and young people.
Members also received reports on:
Asylum seekers – updating on the current position and efforts to ensure quality provision and proper reimbursement of costs
No Secrets – the DH guidance on multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse
Performance Assessment – a synopsis of the integrated approach the Government is now taking to this issue, and ways in which SSNW can make a constructive response.
Page 3: Priority Issue: Working with the NHS
Hectic pace of change
The last few weeks have seen a welter of health-related issues confronting Social Services North West, fully justifying
the No. 1 priority given to NHS matters in the work programme
Creating a 21st Century NHS
First came the Government’s rapid consultation process to feed into its new National Plan. Thanks to member authorities
for their quick responses, we were able to identify SSNW’s three priorities as follows:
-The need for close partnership across health and social care, to ensure effective delivery of both services and to promote healthy living and social inclusion.
-The need for effective ‘whole system’ services at primary level, to plan care effectively before and after hospital; to ensure rapid-response community support, and to ensure appropriate use of rehabilitation and intermediate care.
-The need for local accountability of services – Primary Care Trusts should be no less representative of community interests than PCGs
Bombshell on care of older people
Then, out of the blue, came the proposal from the NHS Confederation that Primary Care Trusts should be given responsibility
for commissioning social as well as health care for older people. SSNW’s 16 June meeting agreed a robust response,
comprising letters to the Secretary of State and our 62 MPs, together with our first extensive media campaign.
In our press release, SSNW Chair Councillor Cliff Morris said: "We work very hard to make sure that our services
(home care, residential care and other support) mesh in with our health service colleagues. As part of local councils,
we can make the links into other vital community services such as housing. A takeover by the NHS would make things
worse, not better."
"We understand the Government’s concern to improve the NHS and conquer problems such as bed blocking",
Councillor Morris went on. "At a local level, we work very closely with NHS colleagues. Our joint efforts
to ensure continuity of health and social care services through the long millennium holiday were praised by Government
and held up as the model for the future – health and social care services working together to provide a seamless
service to those in need. The last thing which older people need is for this process of continuous improvement
to be disrupted by organisational change which will take the focus away from those we are here to serve. What we
need," Councillor Morris concluded, "is the chance to continue the improvements we have made in the quality
of our services and our co-operation with health service colleagues."
Meeting with Regional Chair
This was the context for the meeting of SSNW Chair Cliff Morris and Deputy Brian Strett (together with minority
spokesperson Frank Roderick) with the Regional Chair of the NHS Executive NW, Professor Joan Higgins. After the
meeting, Councillor Morris said: "Professor Higgins shares our commitment to partnership between health and
social care services in the North West. We told her of our belief that this could best be achieved through creating
the right constructive working relationships between members, managers and professionals in the respective services."
The meeting dealt with a wide range of issues, including the development of Primary Care Groups/Trusts, resource
allocation, mental health services, continuing care agreements and performance assessment. Various joint actions
were agreed, including a meeting between health authority chief executives and directors of social services in
the North West to progress the partnership commitment at local level.
Professor Higgins and Councillor Morris will write shortly to all health and social services organisations in the
region, informing them of the matters discussed and the actions agreed. "I am delighted with the meeting,"
concluded Councillor Morris. "We have agreed to meet again early in 2001 to review progress".
Page 4: Conference Programme Autumn 2000
Wednesday 27 September 2000:
Emergency Planning Society / Social Services North West
" WE’RE ONLY HUMAN "
Looking at the human responses of staff in the thick of a major incident. Even the most thorough preparation and
training cannot always guarantee how individual staff will react on the day. The aim is to understand the problems
caused by human fallibility and to ensure a humane response is made to those directly affected and their relatives.
We will also look at the issue of victims challenging the authority of staff, the similarities between coping with
major disasters and other traumas which staff encounter in their day to day work.
Target audience: Members of the Emergency Planning Society, members and officers from Social Services and Health
Authorities
Friday 6 October 2000:
Social Services North West Foster Care Group
SHARING INITIATIVES IN FOSTER CARE PARTNERSHIPS
The aim of this Consultation Event is to promote a sharing of vision and ideas. It will help member authorities
to implement the National Standards in Foster Care guidance and look at its relationship with Quality Protects,
within a framework that enables the development of an increasingly professional role for foster carers. Presentations
will be made by four member authorities on relevant topics to highlight good practice including mental heath, education,
finance and support. There will also be presentations by representatives of the National Foster Care Association
and the Department of Health.
Target audience: Members and senior officers from social services authorities, foster care representatives.
Friday 13 October 2000:
Social Services North West – Major Incident Networking Co-ordinators
DEALING WITH DEATH – THE PADDINGTON RAIL CRASH
A conference presented by Ruth Harrison, a respected emergency welfare specialist and counsellor, who works closely
with Scotland Yard. The presentation will also include contributions from two survivors and a Detective Inspector
who was heavily involved in the incident. It will be very much a ‘how to’ event based on evidence and includes
a a video showing the aftermath of the crash in some detail, and a video of relatives visiting the site. The question
is addressed of how to break the news to families (who may not be allowed to see or touch their deceased loved
ones), and common responses and ways to deal with them. The needs of children are considered, and what is generally
most effective when imparting information. The programme will address the lessons learnt; the problems of joint
working, positive experiences and the practical difficulties in understanding roles and their limitations. It will
also include moving presentations by relatives - including the twin brother of one of the deceased and the sister
of another - for the purpose of showing what helps people through tragedy and their need for information and support
.
Target audience: Social services, health, emergency services and EPO staff involved with major incident work.
Date to be arranged:
SSNW and NW Training and Development Team for Learning Disability Services
THE NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR LEARNING DISABILITY SERVICES and
NO SECRETS: Protecting Vulnerable Adults from Abuse
FULL DETAILS OF CONFERENCES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE SSNW OFFICE
Contact Us Click to email us for conference details
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