Agenda item

Presentation by Chief Social Work Officer on the Strategic risk facing the Council and social care services and the internal controls and governance in place to manage/mitigate those risks to demonstrate how risk management is embedded within services. (Verbal presentation)

The Chairman welcomed Mr Murray Leys, Chief Social Work Officer, to the meeting.  Mr Leys was in attendance to give a presentation on the strategic risks affecting the social care service and the internal controls and governance in place to manage and mitigate those risks.  Mr Leys began by advising that the Social Work service cared for the most vulnerable people in the community.  His role as Chief Social Work Officer was to own strategic risks and ensure that there was an understanding of what the risks were and how these could be alleviated to achieve outcomes.  He highlighted the Corporate Risk Register which detailed that failure to protect adults and young people at risk might result in harm to them, and reputational damage to the Council and Integration Joint Board.    He explained that there were also Risk Registers in place for: Adult Protection Unit, Emergency Duty Team, Criminal Justice/Community Justice, Safer Communities, Mental Health, and Learning Disability Service.   Mr Leys referred to the social care landscape, the demographics of which had seen a significant increase in the number of people requiring care, with a reduction in the number of people delivering care.   He discussed the risks associated with funding pressures, difficulty recruiting and retaining experienced social workers, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), challenges of providing care in a rural area, and the integration of health and social care.  Mr Leys then referred to the risk associated with Strategic Commissioning and explained that as well as SB Cares, who provided 74% of care provision in the Scottish Borders, there were other external homecare providers, all of which had to be contract managed by the Council.

3.2       In terms of ongoing improvements and transformation of the service, Mr Leys was investigating new ways of working, for example, mobile working whereby services could be accessed through the Council’s website, self-assessment, telehealth, telecare and medication carousels.   Future strategies would include Personal Care for Under 65s, Dementia, and Physical Disabilities.

3.3       In response to questions, Mr Leys advised that he could apply to the Court for guardianship powers to support adults and young people at risk.   With regard to the amalgamation of Bordercare and East Lothian’s Emergency Duty Teams, Mr Leys explained that the existing Bordercare IT system was out of date and replacement would have had a significant cost implication, the new contract had mitigated this risk.  Mr Leys added that scripts had been put in place for staff to ensure they asked appropriate questions and he was confident that the new level of service would have an acceptable risk.  With regard to the risk associated with recruitment and retention of staff, Mr Leys acknowledged that there was a need for more carers and that vacancies often had to be filled by agency workers.    The Council worked closely with schools and Queen Margaret University to encourage young people to join the profession.  There was also ongoing dialogue with care providers regarding the increased funding they received being utilised for staffing and not organisational costs.   The Committee then asked for clarification on special measures for care homes. Mr Leys advised that when this happened there was a multi-agency group of professionals involved. Admissions were stopped and adult protection procedures were instigated.  The Committee then discussed dementia care and Mr Leys clarified that presently, throughout the Scottish Borders, there was a shortage of residential beds with only three vacancies.  By 2022 there would be additional specialist dementia beds, provided by the public and private sector, which he considered would meet demand.  The Chairman thanked Mr Leys for his attendance and informative presentation.

            DECISION

NOTED the presentation.