As social care leaders, we have a duty to care for, and support, every member of society. In the West Midlands. Our vision is for:
- sustainable social care and health systems providing better care and support, independence and social justice
- thriving local communities and economies that support a sustainable care market and workforce
- an effective response to the new CQC assurance process from April 2023
To achieve this we are focusing on activities under four key objectives:
1 Adult social care reform, assurance and improvement: with a focus on preparing for CQC
- Assurance Programme inc. Readiness Reviews to prepare for CQC
- Social Work Practice Review Programme
- Wider reform support: Implementation Plan, integration, housing
Outputs to include:
- 14 completed Practice Reviews and Readiness Reviews
- New Toolkit to support Assurance
- Briefings, support and tools to support wider reform agenda
2 Providing safe support: a sustainable care market and workforce, NHS relations
- Market fragility, workforce & provider risk management
- Cost of care and MSP support
- Share and expand best practice on Making Safeguarding Personal
- Joint workforce initiatives with West Midlands Employers
Outputs to include:
- Service continuity & marketresilience arrangements in place
- FCC exercises complete and MSPs published
- Support on key workforce issues e.g. strategic planning, International Recruitment
3 Working with people: social justice and supporting fair & thriving local communities and economies
- Development of Regional Co-production Advisory Network
- Joint programme with NHS Midlands on LD&A
- Regional Programme Equality Impact Assessment
Outputs to include:
- New tools to support councils with co-production
- New research, quality standardsand support for LD&A providers
- Completed regional ESHIA (Equality, Social Inclusion & Health Impact Assessment)
4 Leadership and innovation: with continuing focuses on digital, data and research
- Thematic Network Delivery
- Identify, capture and share digital and data practice
- ASC research development & scenario planning for the future
Outputs to include:
- Work programmes and cross-Network learning
- Online repository of good practice
- Strengthened research capacity &a long term vision for ASC
Highlights of programme in 2023-24:
- Preparations for CQC assurance – Delivery of our Assurance Readiness Reviews and Social Work Practice Reviews
- New partnerships and initiatives to support adult social care workforce including on apprenticeships (HEE) and international recruitment (West Midlands Employers)
- Supporting development of our Regional Co-production Advisory Network and its impact in influencing co-production practice
- Time, resource and commitment to planning for the future – scenario planning exercise with the Strategy Unit
- Research Champions to plan and undertake social care research activities supported by University of Birmingham and NIHR
- Continued leadership and joint oversight of key issues with NHS Midlands and care provider partners
- Delivery of our thematic networks contributing over 3000 hours of focused time for peer-to-peer learning, improvement and innovation
- Ongoing commissioning and care market (including housing) support to commissioners to support with cost of Care & Market Sustainability Plans
- Continued leadership of regional learning disability and autism programme with NHS Midlands with a new focus on SEND
- Publish regional Data and Business Intelligence Strategy and support further utilisation of our Data Hub locally, regionally and nationally
- Being on the front foot in supporting national adult social care digital transformation programmes and raising awareness of key issues like the digital switchover
Outcomes
These activities are directed towards achieving the following outcomes for people who draw on care and support:
- I have care and support that is coordinated, and everyone works well together and with me
- I have care and support that enables me to live as I want, as a unique person with skills, strengths and personal goals
- I feel safe and I am supported to understand and manage any risks
- I can get information and advice about my health, care and support and how I can be as well as possible – physically, mentally and emotionally
- I can live the life I want and do the things that are important to me as independently as possible
- I can get information and advice that is accurate, up to date and provided in a way I understand
- I live in a home which is accessible and designed so that I can be as independent as possible
- When I move between services or settings, there is a plan for what happens next, who