Health and Social Care Programme MARCH 2019 INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Partners Prepare for Boundary Change
National Safeguarding Week 2018
Welsh Community Care Information System (WCCIS)
Integrated Autism Service (IAS)
Our Neighbourhood Approach
Celebrating Carers
Partners Prepare for Forthcoming Boundary Change Welcome to the 16th (and final!) edition of the Western Bay newsletter. As you may be aware, from 1st April 2019 Western Bay as we currently know it will be no more as we bid farewell to our partners in Bridgend. The decision for the change in the existing Health Board boundary layout was announced by Welsh Government last year, and its implementation has been the main focus of our work during recent months.
Regional Partnership Board, said: “Looking back, we can be proud of the positive and dynamic relationship we have established as ‘Western Bay’, and we are hugely grateful to our Bridgend-based partners across all sectors who have been instrumental in ensuring the delivery of health and social care services of the highest possible standard.
What does this mean?
“This is a period of great change for us all and some elements of the transition process will take time, but we’re enthusiastic about the future and look forward to this next phase as the new West Glamorgan Regional Partnership”.
From 1st April, the Cwm Taf University Health Board’s boundary will incorporate the Bridgend area, and its title will become ‘Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board’.
Work is currently underway to build on everything that’s been achieved so far and to factor in the changes required to prepare for the ‘new look’ partnership.
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board will adopt the new title of ‘Swansea Bay University Health Board’, with the geographical footprint covering the areas of Neath Port Talbot and Swansea.
This includes:
This in turn impacts upon our arrangement as a regional collaborative, and following an engagement exercise involving staff and citizens earlier this year, the new title of ‘West Glamorgan Regional Partnership’ was selected. Cllr. Rob Jones, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council and Chair of the current Western Bay
disaggregating the content of the current Western Bay Population Assessment devising a new structure, ensuring that coproduction is embedded across all work streams developing a revised communications plan, including an action plan outlining how the partnership intends to ‘rebrand’ and increase visibility of the partnership and its impact on the lives of those receiving services.
This newsletter is available in different formats. Please contact 01792 633805 or email west.glamorgan@swansea.gov.uk. Mae’r cylchlythyr hwn hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg. Ffoniwch Swyddfa’r Rhaglen ar y rhif uchod i ofyn am gopi neu ebostiwch west.glamorgan@swansea.gov.uk
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This year’s conference focused on the theme of ‘exploitation’ and featured a range of expert speakers who delivered presentations on how to identify indicators of exploitation, steps that can be taken to help prevent it, and the types of support available to those affected.
National Safeguarding Week 2018 Regional conference explores the devastating impact of exploitation National Safeguarding Week is always a busy time for colleagues involved in safeguarding across the region, and this year was no exception. 12th November saw around 160 members of staff gather together at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium to share experiences, learn and network. The event was organised by the Western Bay Safeguarding Board, a partnership comprising senior representatives from Local Authorities, South Wales Police, Education, ABMU Health Board and numerous other statutory and voluntary agencies. The Board aims to protect adults and children at risk from all types of abuse, covering the areas of Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea. This year’s conference focused on the theme of ‘exploitation’ and featured a range of expert speakers who delivered presentations on how to identify indicators of exploitation, steps that can be taken to help prevent it, and the types of support available to those who are affected. Jan Pickles, Board Member of the National Independent Safeguarding Board set the scene for the session, and went on to
provide an overview of the role of the Safeguarding Board. The programme also included Chief Superintendent Martin Jones of South Wales Police who played a series of video clips highlighting the impact of ‘County Lines’ on local communities. Other speakers included Rachael Eagles of Calan DVS, Ray Foulston of Trading Standards and Jasmin Ahmed, a regional MARAC (MultiAgency Risk Assessment Conference) Coordinator. A number of other support organisations were also present with information stands and attendees were encouraged to browse the ‘marketplace’ area and interact with stallholders.
Integrated Autism Service In the Summer 2018 edition of our newsletter we featured an introduction to the newly established Integrated Autism Service (IAS), which will provide support, advice or appropriate signposting for autistic individuals (children and adults) and their families and carers, as well as training for professionals. In our region, the service’s official launch is due to take place later this year, and preparations are gathering pace. Western Bay IAS Manager Catherine Vaughan, said: “A lot has been going on behind the scenes and the service is really starting to take shape. We’ve recruited to almost all of the roles in the team and are looking forward to
getting started as soon as our new colleagues have worked their notice periods. “Our work will focus on establishing a diagnostic assessment service for adults and developing personcentred post diagnostic support”. Welsh Government have committed £13 million up to 2021 to develop the IAS across Wales. Further information can be found at:
www.asdinfowales.co.uk
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WCCIS
The ‘Welsh CommuniTy Care informaTion sysTem’ The Welsh Community Care Information System (WCCIS) is a single information platform that supports the integrated delivery of innovative, person-centred community health and social care. It will allow local authorities and community health services to share care records and optimise services for citizens across Wales, as required by the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.
Progress across the region... The implementation of WCCIS across the Western Bay region has been making positive progress. Swansea Council are well into their implementation phase, having signed a Deployment Order (DO) last October. Officers from relevant services (both social care and health) have been engaging with the project to map out processes and review documentation in readiness for the system to be best configured. WCCIS ‘champions’ have been identified and regularly meet to share advice and recommendations, whilst also receiving practical insight into and hands-on experience of the system. The system is due to go live at the end of February 2020, and a training strategy is being developed to ensure all staff receive the necessary support during the change. The WCCIS outline business case for ABMU Health Board was approved in November 2018, which allows the project to move forward. A full business case and draft DO are now being prepared for review towards the end of the year. Readiness and engagement work to develop a service led plan is beginning, which will support relevant teams to work on an integrated basis. Normally, implementation begins 12 months following the signing of the DO, but ABMU Health Board are keen to review opportunities in order to accelerate their implementation. Bridgend Council continue to develop the system to better meet service requirements. A recent milestone was the
configuration of the system to manage foster care payments, which went live at the beginning of February. The WCCIS mobile app will soon be available for national user testing, and Bridgend Social Services will contribute to a small, controlled pilot alongside health staff based in the Community Resource Team. The eventual roll-out of the mobile app will provide advantages for communitybased staff, providing access to caseloads and associated information/forms remotely via handheld devices, and increase the benefits being realised under the ongoing implementation of the system across integrated teams. Neath Port Talbot met regularly with the Regional Team towards the end of 2018 to work through WCCIS functionality and identify any business change required to adopt the system. Following completion of this review, initial findings have been fed back to the Director of Social Services and next steps are now being considered.
A key area of work for the new West Glamorgan Regional Partnership will be ‘Our Neighbourhood Approach’ - a pioneering initiative that aims to transform the way in which people are supported in terms of their health and social care. It focuses on maximising the assets available within communities and centring provision around the ‘whole person’. The approach will initially be piloted in two sites (the Cwmtawe and Llwchwr cluster areas in Swansea, and the Briton Ferry and Melin areas within Neath Port Talbot), with a view to roll-out more widely in the future. The ethos is one of true collaboration as Swansea Council, Neath Port Talbot Council and the Health Board will work co-productively with organisations and local people to build resilient, inclusive communities where citizens feel empowered and supported to manage their own health and personal wellbeing.
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FEBRUARY 2019
Events highlight the hard work and commitment of both Young and Adult Carers across the region March has been a month of celebration for Carers of all ages as two events have taken place to recognise the contribution of Carers from the Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea areas. 1st March saw a group of Young Carers come together at the Halo Centre, Bridgend for a day of fun and interactive activities including football skills, dance classes, art workshops and for the very bravest of the brave - a climbing wall (pictured). The following week (4th March) was the turn of the adults, who gathered at the Towers Hotel in Jersey Marine and were treated to a varied programme of guest speakers, a short film, an awards ceremony and a fantastic upbeat musical performance from Swansea Carers Centre Choir (pictured below). Hilary Dover, ABMU Health Board’s Director of Primary and Community Services and Chair of the Western Bay Carers Partnership Board, said: “Both events were a resounding success, and we were pleased so many Carers were able to join in the celebrations. Being a Carer can be hugely demanding, therefore it’s vital that those undertaking this important role feel valued and supported. “Many have told us that having the opportunity to spend time with others who face the same struggles and challenges can be a real lifeline, and events such as these are a welcome break for those whose everyday lives revolve around their caring role”.
Swansea Carers Centre Choir performing at the ‘Celebrating Carers’ event on 4th March
Young Carers enjoying the activities laid on as part of the event on 1st March