Susan Cooper Corporate Director - Social Services and Wellbeing;

Cllr Phil White, Cabinet Member - Social Services and Early Help

Cllr Dhanisha Patel, Cabinet Member - Wellbeing and Future Generations;

Jacqueline Davies, Head of Adult Social Care;

Andrew Thomas, Group Manager – Prevention and Wellbeing;

Geoff Cheetham – Cymru Older Peoples Forum/Bridgend Older Persons Forum

Kay Harries, Partnership and Projects Manager, BAVO

Zoe Wallace, Head of Primary Care, Primary and Community Services Delivery Unit

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing presented a report on the range of prevention and wellbeing services and community based opportunities for support that were being developed and their strategic importance. She extended a welcome to Z Wallace, Head of Primary Care, Primary and Community Services Delivery Unit, G Cheetham, Cymru Older Peoples Forum/Bridgend Older Persons Forum and K Harries, Partnership and Projects Manager, BAVO. 

The Group Manager, Prevention and Wellbeing outlined the challenges including the legislative framework, health and wellbeing issues, the risk factors, ageing well in Wales, cuts and transformation and how community building would work. He gave examples of local projects including the Cruse/Comfort Café in Ogmore, and the Butterfly Garden in Garw. He outlined accounting for wellbeing improvement and how the “wellbeing wealth” created could be measured. The presentation included clips from the Olympage programme and the Dame Kelly Homes Trust and promoted the multi-generational aspect of some projects.    

The Head of Adult Social Care outlined the points raised in the report including the legislation, prevention and wellbeing leadership, local community coordination, developing age friendly communities, working with social enterprise, cooperatives and mutuals, building resilient communities, information and advice and active Bridgend programmes. An appendix to the report demonstrated the diverse groups of people involved in the projects and how they became more resilient working together. Money had been identified to assist three valley areas with their transport requirements and a steering group had been set up to take the project forward. She referred to Halo and Anwen initiatives and the exercise referral scheme and to building resilience within the communities.     

A member asked about the accuracy of the statement that 75% of women and a third of men over the age of 65 lived alone. The Head of Adult Social Care agreed to check the source of the information.

A Member raised concerns about the reduction in funding for community led services and the expectation that they would continue to have capacity in the future. The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing explained that it was a real challenge to ensure this approach could be sustained. Grant funding had been received to date and bids would continue to be made. Recruitment and workforce planning was necessary to ensure the right skill mix. Work was being undertaken in relation to the third sector, how work was commissioned and how the authority engaged with others. The Group Manager, Prevention and Wellbeing added that it was a challenge to identify investment and what legacy it would leave. Long term sustainability was required and this would not necessarily be cheap or quick. The Partnership and Projects Manager for BAVO agreed that there were concerns regarding funding and she welcomed partnership working. The Head of Adult Social Care added that an array of initiatives was required, big and small and by supporting initially they could then go on to develop themselves.

A Member referred to the dementia friendly work that had been carried out and asked what would happen if funding was reduced and what impact this would have on compliance. The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing agreed that it was a challenge making services sustainable in the long term with reducing budgets. They had to create new opportunities and develop third sector partnerships. The dementia friendly programme was a good example that arose from a jointly pooled grant. The programme had spread through BAVO and then moved into other areas. The Partnership and Projects Manager for BAVO added that there had been a number of positive outcomes from a small amount of funding.      

The Cabinet Member for Social Services and Early Help referred to initiatives such as Tai Chi in the Park and Olympage and the benefits gained for relatively low expenditure. 

A Member congratulated officers on the content of the report and how it enforced the importance of social inclusion and community cohesion across the borough. He suggested that an in-depth analysis would benefit Members when considering the future and proposed cuts to the service. 

The Member also commented on the fact that whilst a lot of Officers referred to the ‘One Council’ approach, there seemed little evidence of this occurring in practice.  Members used the example of this particular item on Prevention and Wellbeing, pointing out that the report showed little of how other Directorates were involved in this work.  The Committee requested clarity over this, both in relation to evidence on this particular subject and in the wider context of how corporately the ‘One Council’ Theme was being disseminated down through the Authority to ensure that all Directorates were working together to achieve joint Corporate Priorities.

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing explained that in terms of the change agenda, statistics were available and a survey would be undertaken as part of the Act. Transport came out as an issue and a corporate steering group had been set up to ensure the best use of the minibuses that had been purchased.

The Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations explained that

in terms of transport, there was an issue although minibuses could help address this. A Member raised an issue with transport and parking issues and said that only smaller buses could navigate through the parked cars in her area. She was aware of an 82 year old resident who volunteered and would not be able to continue without a bus. It would be helpful if the minibuses could operate in areas where buses were unable to operate.  

The Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations explained that the new service would attempt to operate by responding to resident requests. A route would be planned and would be free for over 60’s and a charge would be worked out for those under 60.

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing stated that the prevention and wellbeing agenda and bus services needed to be connected but the basis of the provision of minibuses was an opportunity for capital money to help people. The work of the steering group would need to link in with the public consultation but would not be able to provide all the answers and officers would be unable to comment on bus services. The Head of Adult Social Care added that the buses had not been delivered yet but meetings were ongoing to discuss the logistics of managing the service.  The Group Manager, Prevention and Wellbeing explained that his team were encouraging people to work with different groups to create a better quality of life for people.   

A Member raised concerns about the lack of police involvement and that an opportunity to include the police should not be missed. The Group Manager Prevention and Wellbeing agreed with this point and added that a working group was developing and no group should be excluded. The Head of Adult Social Care explained that two police officers called into the dementia friendly café and there were links even though this had not been reported. The Head of Primary Care, Primary and Community Services Delivery Unit, stated that the fire service should also be included. Trained volunteers were also linked to this agenda and PCSOs were the eyes and ears on the street and able to identify vulnerable people. 

A Member asked how people who fell through the net such as older people without access to the internet could be identified. The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing explained that it was difficult to be all things to all people and it was more about sharing with communities and encouraging a two way process. GP’s were engaged with the project which was still being rolled out. Advice and assistance was available and residents were encouraged to be self- reliant. A link was provided on the website to Dewis, a place for information about well- being in Wales.

The Head of Primary Care, Primary and Community Services Delivery unit added that a practice receptionist could provide a direct link and practice nurses could give information and keep notice boards and websites up to date.

The representative from Cymru Older Peoples Forum/Bridgend Older Persons Forum White explained that he had visited groups to highlight events that were taking place. He was trying to bring in those groups that could not be reached. He had more than 33 people turning up each week for a Tai Chi class followed by a cup of tea and a biscuit. 

A Member asked for more information on the Dublin Declaration and if access to the National Exercise Referral Scheme was means tested. The Group Manager, Prevention and Wellbeing explained that the Dublin Declaration was a commitment to age friendly cities and that access to the National Exercise Referral Scheme was not means tested. The scheme was funded by Welsh Government and 4.5 highly trained staff worked for Halo delivering the programme. The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing added that the exercise referral scheme in Bridgend was heralded as a good exemplar nationally.

The Chairperson thanked the committee and the panel for their contribution and the officers for the report.  

CONCLUSIONS

Prevention and Wellbeing and Local Community Coordination

The Committee complimented the vast amount of work that was being undertaken and the good services that were being provided for the most vulnerable people in the County Borough.

The Committee agreed that the subject of Partnerships and Joint Working in relation to Prevention and Wellbeing, such as in respect of the Police and Fire Service, be put forward for the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s item of Collaboration Working on their FWP.

Additional Information

The Committee requested clarification of the statistic that 75% of women over 65 live alone.

The Committee expressed concern over any proposed future budget cuts to the third sector as whilst the budget involved is not huge, many of the services provided under the Prevention and Wellbeing banner rely heavily on third sector involvement and the resulting impact of removing such services would be extremely significant to local communities.  The Committee asked for clarification over how the Authority expects the third sector to provide more support and take on more provision with less funding.

The Committee commented on the fact that whilst a lot of Officers refer to the ‘One Council’ approach, there seems little evidence of this occurring in practice.  Members used the example of this particular item on Prevention and Wellbeing, pointing out that the report shows little of how other Directorates are involved in this work.  The Committee requested clarity over this, both in relation to evidence on this particular subject and in the wider context of how corporately the ‘One Council’ Theme was being disseminated down through the Authority to ensure that all Directorates were working together to achieve joint Corporate Priorities.

Further Points

The Committee heard evidence that the Public Service Board would be developing indicators that will illustrate how the Ageing Well Plan is contributed to by partners and how the quality of life of older people is impacted.  Members proposed that this be picked up by the PSB Overview and Scrutiny Panel