Healthwatch North Tyneside Minutes of Board meeting Date: 6 November 2013 Present: Peter Kenrick (PK Chair), Linda van Zwanenberg (LvZ), Lindsay Perks (LP), David Robinson (DR), Dean Titterton (DT), Claire Easton (CE), Bea Groves (BG) In attendance: Haley Hudson, North Tyneside Council and North Tyneside CCG (HH), Johanne Mears (JM), Meg Woollam (MW), Helen Bedford (HB), Carrie Miller (CM) Apologies: Julia Charlton (JC), Lisa MacDonald (LM), Jill Prendergast (JP), Iain Kitt (IK) 1. Apologies, welcome and introduction. 2. Agreement of minutes of last meeting 3. Matters arising not on the agenda: 4. Opportunity for the public to raise issues 5. Report from the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWBB) and development session The Chair welcomed everyone to today s meeting. The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as an accurate record. All matters arising would be covered as part of the main agenda. The board would like to make sure the public were aware of the dates for board meetings and that they could attend. Action JM/MW to look at ways of publicising board meetings including issuing a press release to News Guardian. The health and wellbeing forum due to take place on 19 October was cancelled as some of the board members due to feed back on their specialist areas were not able to attend. Board members gave an update on development of community forums for their specialist area. Where they provided a written update this will be attached to the minutes and paced on the Healthwatch North Tyneside website. CE, carers specialist, is planning to hold a caring, health and wellbeing forum every 4 months following the community and voluntary sector carers forum. The first forum is on Thursday 21 November and will look at whether the Carers Charter has made a difference to carers. The frequency of the forum can be increased at a later date. CE is also holding a carers Healthwatch information point on the first Thursday of each month. 1
DT, children and young people s specialist a written report was provided to be circulated with the minutes. In summary a framework is being developed to engage with young people through a variety of means and how this information will be used to influence strategy. Proposals include; YP health and well-being event with the Participation and Engagement Team, outreach to YP working with partners (stall/activity) at an established event, such as Young Mayors music event and participating in existing C&YP provider s events that will glean information from workers and providers on the ground. Action - LvZ/DT to talk about how young volunteers can get involved and what role may be available to them. DR, learning disabilities specialist, is looking into holding an event in January at the Langdale Centre to look at the big issues in learning disabilities followed by topic based events on the issues raised. LM, mental health specialist, was unable to attend the meeting, HB gave feedback on her behalf. The LINk wellbeing and mental health forum had spent time looking at what went well and how they saw the forum developing in the future. LM is looking at this and other existing networks. She wants to draw in other organisations and look at information exchange. IK, older people s specialist, was unable to attend the board meeting and the specialist board member for physical disabilities and sensory difficulties has not yet been appointed. Healthwatch England Hub - JM told the board that 20 people could have read-only access to the Healthwatch England hub to see information and personal experiences of North Tyneside services. Board members can record experiences on a spreadsheet which will be uploaded to the Healthwatch hub. Under the terms and conditions two team members are to act as moderators for information submitted for the hub. Action - JM to arrange a session for board members to consider the spreadsheet and if necessary following this to ask Abdel Elsheikh, Healthwatch England, to deliver a session in North Tyneside. Health and wellbeing forum offers people the opportunity to be linked into their Health and Wellbeing Board through PK, Healthwatch representative on the board. There was a discussion on the forum and the network of community 2
forums and how they needed to link into existing networks. It was acknowledged that the health and wellbeing forum needed reviewing and its purpose made clear to people attending. Health and wellbeing board development session PK attended this session on 5 November. He said that the role of Healthwatch was not well understood by Health and Wellbeing Board members and that the board still felt very much like a council committee. 6. Involvement with the integration projects Action - PK to circulate notes of the Board s Development Session when they are received from Marietta Evans. HH attended the board meeting to give an update on the five project boards established for the health and social care integration project. HH had circulated a brief for each project board. The board agreed the following representation: Children and young people (disabilities and special needs) DT Learning disabilities services DR Urgent care CE Healthy living LM to be nominated subject to her agreement Pioneer programme older person s pathway IK It was acknowledged that there would be a lot of crossover between boards and Healthwatch reps need to keep board members informed and involved. HH reported back on a meeting on 30 September for potential project board members for the health and social care integration programme. Feed back from the attendees included the positive impact of the involvement of senior representatives, Jim Mackey from Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust, Paul Hanson from North Tyneside Council and Mauya Cushlow from North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group. Most of the feedback was on the structure rather than the projects. There were mixed views on community and voluntary sector (CVS) involvement in the project boards and the potential conflict of interests if CVS reps were also providers. Engagement Board is led by Annie Laverty, LP will represent Healthwatch on this board and JM also hopes to attend. LP is also on the CCG patient forum and said members did not understand that Healthwatch and its independent and statutory roles. Joint Commissioning and Quality Executive HH said work on establishing this board had not yet begun and a chair 3
was still to be appointed. PK asked that he should represent Healthwatch on this Executive. HH had circulated a briefing note that described some people s views about Healthwatch that had arisen during the review of joint commissioning arrangements. Item 2.7 sated: this centres on whether Healthwatch is there to scrutinise commissioning decisions to ensure public and patient views have been properly taken into account or if Healthwatch is there to scrutinise the actual decisions made. PK said his view was the former but that if pubic and patient views had not been taken into account then Healthwatch may need to scrutinise how the actual decisions were made. The board agreed with PKs view. CM said it was important that Healthwatch should influence decisions as well as scrutinise them. 7. Healthwatch North Tyneside HH referred to potential conflicts of interest for commissioners and providers as some conversations will be of a commercial nature and no providers will be involved. CM reported that there were still two vacant board positions; finance lead and physical disabilities and sensory impairment specialist. CM said that Healthwatch should be working towards becoming independent and would need to choose which body corporate to adopt. The board also needs to agree its terms of reference. BG said whatever structure was decided on it should be simple, appropriate for the role and terms of reference and the admin weight to staff should not be overwhelming. CM raised the issue of organisational liabilities that Healthwatch would need to consider and outlined some of the Carers Federation current contracts such as the office lease, mobile phones and photocopier. When Healthwatch became a social enterprise staff could be TUPEd from Carer s Federation but could potentially be made redundant if there was a new structure with different staff and roles in Healthwatch. Carers Federation have stated that they would work with Local Healthwatch to plan for any redundancy payments, but must look to ensure these potential costs are met. Action - CM and BG to meet and discuss options and report to the board at next meeting. LP and LvZ have begun to develop strategies for Communication and Engagement and Volunteering. 4
Action - JM to circulate draft strategies produced by LP, LvZ for other board members to comment on before 3 Dec. 8. Operational update JM had circulated an operational update. LvZ asked about the responsibilities of Healthwatch and PALS for information and signposting. JM explained how we worked together. 9. Policy development Eight draft policy documents had been circulated to the board. LP had some comments to make regarding the Decision Making Policy. BG asked that these be forwarded to her. Action All board members to read the draft policies and send amendments or suggestions to BG by 15 November ready for adoption by the board at the next meeting. 10. Discussion on priority areas for Healthwatch North Tyneside (planning session) PK expressed his thanks to JP for going through the initial drafts and making comments in advance of the board meeting. PK proposed that, given this is the first year of Healthwatch, the Board should take the priorities in the Health & Wellbeing Strategy as the baseline for discussion on Healthwatch priorities. It could focus on the issues that have so far been raised with Healthwatch as well as issues from Specialist Board members. Partners priorities can be parked for the time being until we have come up with our initial priorities. It was agreed that the board meeting scheduled for 3 December should be an informal meeting to focus on discussing and deciding on the priorities. Discussion on social enterprise options will be deferred to January 2014. 11. Timing of future meetings (discussion on options e.g.12-2pm, 3-5pm or 5-7pm). 12. Any Other Business NTCCG invitation Action JM and PK to meet and plan 3 December session The board agreed to review times for meeting as BG has teaching commitments on Tuesday afternoons. The meeting on 3 December would be held in Wallsend from 12 to 2pm. Future board meetings could also be held at this time. Action - CO B to book a room at Action for Blind People for 3 December and confirm times for Jan and March with PK. North Tyneside CCG has invited Healthwatch to a meeting to look at commissioning intentions on 21 November. A copy of the invitation letter has been circulated. 5
CQC national board meeting is on 20 November in Sir Bobby Robson Suite, St James Park. Healthwatch North Tyneside is invited to attend. Tobacco declaration Action - PK to circulate the email for board members views and then respond by the deadline of 8 November. LvZ raised the issue of how other local Healthwatch share information about services in North Tyneside. For example Healthwatch Northumberland making visits to North Tyneside General Hospital. Action PK to make response for Tobacco regulation 6