Agenda item

[To receive a report and presentation on Transforming Care Plans (TCP) for adults, children and young people with Learning Disabilies and/or Autism across the Black Country]. 

A presentation was given on the Transforming Care Plan (TCP) for adults, children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism across the Black Country. A copy of which is attached to the signed minutes.  

In summary, Dr Helen Hibbs, the Chief Officer for Wolverhampton CCG and Senior Responsible Officer of the STP stated in April 2016 the Black Country CCG’s and Local Authorities had formed a partnership to transform care for people with learning disabilities and/or autism.  The programme aimed to reduce the number of people with learning disabilities and/or autism residing in hospital so that more people could live in the community, with the right support, near to their home.   A board had been established to ensure the success of the programme.  The BBC Panorama programme in 2011 had exposed the abuse of young people with learning disabilities at Winterbourne View Hospital and ultimately led to the closure of the hospital.  NHS England had decided something radical needed to be done to transform care in the specialism.  The Black Country TCP was now working with people with learning disabilities and autism, their families and carers to agree and deliver local plans for the programme. 

Dr Helen Hibbs, the Chief Officer for Wolverhampton CCG and Senior Responsible Officer of the STP remarked that using the nine principles from the National Service Model and guidance from NHS England, the TCP had developed a new clinical model for learning disabilities in the Black Country.  The National Transforming Care Programme mandated that each TCP met the nationally prescribed trajectory for bed reduction by March 2019.  For the Black Country this meant reducing CCG commissioned beds from 41 to 16. 

A Member of the Panel referred to an individual who had autism who had been struggling to find work since leaving sixth form college.  He found it difficult to engage customers in the jobs he had taken and thus was not kept on long-term.  He had not been deemed eligible for PIP (Personal Independence Payment) by the Department for Work and Pensions.  He was therefore really struggling to find an income because of his autism.  In response the Chief Officer for Wolverhampton CCG and Senior Responsible Officer stated that they were looking at the autism pathway and she was happy to provide some more information to the Councillor.  It was important that people with autism were given a care worker to help them maintain employment.  She added that relationships with the Department for Work and Pensions were also important.  The Director for Adult Education commented that the Council encouraged people to challenge PIP assessments.  The Council also had a number of initiatives to support people into work including job coaches. 

The Chair of Healthwatch asked for a future agenda item to be on the role of the third sector in supporting people into work who had specific health conditions.  She was also aware of a nine-year-old child with autism, whose parent was having difficulties with a referral request.  She offered to send the main details of the case to the relevant people.  

Resolved: That the Health Scrutiny Panel note:-

a)    The programme of work taking place across the Black Country and in Wolverhampton.

b)    The progress to date in supporting local citizens with learning disabilities and/or autism out of hospital and to live as independently as possible in the community.

c)     The new clinical service model being implemented across Wolverhampton and its implications for Wolverhampton.