Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Jake Kearsley and Councillor Laura Bluff.

None.

The minutes of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel held on the 11th May 2023 were approved as a true record.

[A period not exceeding 20 minutes for

Statements from up to 5 members of the public on

matters within the Panel’s remit, proposing action(s)

which may be considered or contribute towards the

future development of the Panel’s work programme].

There were no public statements made.

The Chair and Members of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel gave consideration to information provided to young adults (aged 18–25) experiencing mental health problems in Doncaster.  This included the support to young adults who transitioned from receiving support from Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to being supported by Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS).  An updated was also provided on a new provision established in Doncaster (‘Better You’), a service offering mental health support to young adults aged 18-25.

Reece spoke about his experiences with Better You and how it had been better than when previously dealing with social services and other services.  He explained that he had never felt listened to before and had struggled with confidence and opening up, however, this had changed once he had started engaging with this service.  He added that he can be himself and will only receive calls to check if he is ok which he greatly appreciated.  Reece spoke about how the service had helped him resolve issues with his Universal Credit and that he had progressed to gaining full-time employment.

A discussion took place that included the following areas;

Joint Appointments – It was shared that CAMHS took the lead with joint appointments and that there was a link to the Care Co-ordinator in the AMHS, when enabling a transition into adult services.  It was explained that there were also Peer Support Workers (who have lived experience of mental illness).  Reference was made to the Transition Policy currently in place and it was outlined that Care Co-ordinators tended to be Band 6 Nurses within Adult Services that supported the transfer.  It was noted that Mental Health Services were currently being redesigned and therefore roles may look different in time.

Specialist Wheelchairs - It was clarified that new wheelchairs and aids made available to children and young people were individual to the user.  In response to whether these wheelchairs continued for users entering into adulthood, it was confirmed that these were reassessed and redesigned as needs changed and formed part of an ageless service.  The Chair expressed a wish to discuss this further outside of the meeting.

Contract Extension – It was noted that the mobilisation of the Doncaster ‘Better You’ service had been delayed in terms of establishing the premises and services and was therefore still considered a pilot.  It was explained that to make informed decisions, a robust set of both qualitative and quantitative information over a period of around 12 months was required.

Andrea Butcher explained that they had commissioned an independent survey through the Citizens Network, who were designing the report and undertaking interviews with RDasH and referrers.  Members were informed that they were working closely with commissioners who had visited the service and received the data (which included individual stories) demonstrating the impact of the service.

It was explained that the root cause analysis was undertaken to ensure that gaps in the service or access with young children were identified.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The Senior Governance Officer presented the Scrutiny Work Plan that had recently been agreed by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee and the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED: That

•             the workplan update be noted; and

•             an update on Mental Health Support to Young Adults (18–25-year-olds) in Doncaster be provided at a suitable time and to explore the potential for the Panel to visit the Doncaster Better You service.