Agenda, decisions and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be found here. 

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered. 

The Chair welcomed everyone and noted that this would be the last meeting for Alex Stephen as Chief Finance Officer.

The Committee resolved:-

to record its thanks to the Chief Finance Officer for his contributions to the Committee and for the assurance he brought to the role, and to offer him best wishes for his new role.

Members were requested to intimate any declarations of interest in respect of the items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest intimated.

There was no exempt business.

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 26 April 2022, for approval.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             with regard to Article 4(i) of the Minute (Minute of the previous meeting of 1 March 2022), to instruct the Strategy and Transformation Lead to provide further assurance regarding numbers of carers; and

(ii)            to otherwise approve the minute as a correct record.

The Committee had before it the Committee Business Planner.

Members heard from the Chief Finance Officer who provided context around future reporting.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the content of the Planner.

The Committee had before it a report proposing a revised reporting process for RAPC for Directions instructed to Aberdeen City Council (ACC) and National Health Service – Grampian (NHSG). An update on the status of Directions was presented to the RAPC on 1 March 2022 where the Committee suggested improvements which would support Members to better understand the position of Directions issued, specifically the development of a ‘traffic light’ system.

Amy Richert - Senior Project Manager, spoke to the report and responded to questions from Members.

The report recommended:

that the Committee agree the process as outlined in section 3.5 and demonstrated in Appendix A of the report.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

The Committee had before it a report on an Audit Scotland Drug and Alcohol Service Briefing.

Simon Rayner – Alcohol and Drug Partnership, explained that Audit Scotland had published a report in March 2022 on national arrangements for responding to alcohol and drug challenges in Scotland. The report presented to Committee described the local response and mitigations that had been put in place.  Mr Rayner spoke to the report and responded to questions from Members.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the content of the report.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to instruct Simon Rayner to report back to Committee with the completion of the Self Assessment form in order to provide further assurance; and

(ii)           to otherwise note the content of the report.

The Committee had before it a report highlighting appropriate reports published by Audit Scotland which had relevance for the ongoing work of the Risk, Audit and Performance Committee, Integration Joint and the Health and Social Care Partnership.

The Chair noted that there was only one recommendation for Committee consideration at 2.1(a) as there were no further papers included as referred to at 2.1(b).

Amy Richert - Senior Project Manager, advised that Audit Scotland produced a range of local and national reports on the performance and financial management of Scotland’s public bodies. The report for noting on today’s agenda was NHS in Scotland 2021, which had been reviewed and identified as being specifically relevant for committee members. Ms Richert, spoke to the report and responded to questions from Members. 

Members discussed the issues around sharing of data from General Practices and noted that the new National Care Service Bill was going to be looking at this.  Members noted the task involved in explaining to the public that it may not always be necessary to see a GP as there were other health professionals who may be better suited in certain circumstances.  Members further noted the increasing requirement for joint working and pooling available resources.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the recommendations made by Audit Scotland in the ‘NHS in Scotland 2021’ report.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to note that The IJB Chair would forward information to the Strategy and Transformation Lead regarding good practice in Forth Valley; and

(ii)            to otherwise note the recommendations made by Audit Scotland in the ‘NHS in Scotland 2021’ report.

The Committee had before it the Internal Audit Annual Report for 2021-22.

Jamie Dale - Chief Internal Auditor, spoke to the report and responded to questions from Members.

Members noted that there would be a joint review of Information Management Governance commencing in July 2022 with NHSG Internal Audit and Moray Council.   Mr Dale undertook to feed this back to Committee once the scope of work had been agreed.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee:

(a)           note the Internal Audit Annual Report 2021-22;

(b)           note that the Chief Internal Auditor had confirmed the organisational independence of Internal Audit;

(c)           note that there had been no limitation to the scope of Internal Audit work during 2021-22; and

(d)           note the progress that management had made with implementing recommendations agreed in Internal Audit reports.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it the Internal Audit Report AC2109: IJB Performance Management Reporting, presenting the outcome from the planned audit of IJB Performance Management Reporting that was included in the 2020/21 Internal Audit Plan for Aberdeen City Council.

The Chief Internal Auditor spoke to the report and responded to questions from Members.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee review, discuss and comment on the issues raised within the report.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

The Committee had before it an update on progress implementing the Primary Care Improvement Plan (PCIP).

Sarah Gibbon – Programme Manager, spoke in furtherance of the report, advising that Members had been presented with a copy of the latest Scottish Government Tracker submission, submitted in May 2021, which provided a good overview of the work to date implementing the PCIP. Ms Gibbon explained that the format of the report was set by Scottish Government however a summary was provided in the body of the covering report.  She then responded to questions from Members.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee;-

(a)           note the update presented on the PCIP, as outlined in the report and its appendices;

(b)           note that a workshop on 13 July 2022 was planned for a Primary Care Improvement Plan session for wider IJB members

(c)           request that a further PCIP performance update was presented to the committee in Spring 2023 (unless required by exception)

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to instruct the Chief Finance Officer to share information with IJB members regarding Communications strategy from the Aberdeen and Grampian Primary Care Groups and to continue to share regular updates with members;

(ii)            to instruct the Chief Officer to include an update on Primary Care Communications as part of the Chief Officer report to IJB; and

(i)             to otherwise approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it a report providing a protocol for guidance prior to Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership (ACHSCP) specifically and deliberately signposting patients, clients, carers, and service users to organisations that had not gone through the commissioning or grant funding process.

The Strategy and Transformation Lead introduced the report, advising that an earlier draft of the report had been considered at RAPC on 26 April 2022.  She explained that the report had been requested in response to an observation by an IJB member regarding autism services.  It was anticipated that the use of the Signposting Protocol would provide clarity for service users encouraging them to shop around and use their own judgement therefore hopefully avoiding negative outcomes being experienced.

The Strategy and Transformation Lead then responded to questions from Members.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approve the draft Signposting Protocol attached at Appendix A of the report.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

The Committee had before it a report providing an update on the Young People’s Monitoring Report 2020-21 and giving assurance regarding progress in relation to the recommendations made by the Mental Welfare Commission.

Amanda Farquharson – Service Manager, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) highlighted the three recommendations made by the Mental Welfare Commission:

(1)    That work to explore the accessibility and provision of intensive psychiatric care facilities (IPCU) for the under 18s in Scotland was sufficiently prioritised, resourced and supported by Scottish Government;

(2)    Health board managers with a duty to fund and provide advocacy services for individuals with mental health difficulties in their area should ensure the availability of dedicated advocacy support for children and young people with mental health difficulties locally and ensure the resourcing and provision of any dedicated specialist advocacy service was sufficient to be able to meet the needs of young people with mental health problems and to support and protect their rights; and

(3)    Hospital managers should ensure that whenever a child or young person was admitted to a non-specialist ward that consideration and exploration of their educational needs and their right to education should be a standard part of care planning for the young person during their hospital admission.

The Service Manager (CAMHS) then responded to questions from members.  Members noted concern regarding lack of specific actions and timelines.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee:-

(a)           note the recommendations made by the Mental Welfare Commission in the Young People’s Monitoring Report 2020-21 (Appendix A) and provide an update on the IJB’s progress in relation to these and any previous recommendations; and

(b)           instruct the Chief Officer to provide a further update to the Risk, Audit and Performance Committee following the publication of the 2021-22 Mental Welfare Commission Young People’s Monitoring Report.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to instruct the Service Manager, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services to update Committee further on 1 November 2022 with specifics regarding gaps in services, actions and target timescales; and

(ii)            to otherwise approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it the Justice Social Work Annual Performance Report and Delivery Plan Update

The report recommended:

that the Committee:-

(a)           note the Annual Performance Report 2021-22; and

(b)           note the update provided in respect of the Delivery Plan 2021- 2022.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

The Chair enquired of Members if they were satisfied on matters presented before the Committee or if further examination was required.

The Committee resolved:-

to note they had received Confirmation of Assurance from the reports and associated discussions presented and that further assurance had been evidenced by the activity of all staff in not only producing the necessary information but also by the delivery and modifications of processes and services in a regular and sustained manner.

Future meetings:

Tuesday 1 November 2022, at 10.00 a.m.

Tuesday 28 February 2023, at 10.00 a.m.

The Committee had before it the dates for future meetings:

• Thursday 23 June 2022 at 10am;
• Tuesday 9 August 2022 at 10am;
• Tuesday 1 November 2022 at 10am; and
• Tuesday 28 February 2023 at 10am

The Board resolved:-

to note the future meeting dates

- JOHN TOMLINSON, Chair