Health and Social Care

Director of Adult Care’s Spotlight: Jan Baird

July 29, 2015 by Linda White No Comments | Category Uncategorized

Integration is a daunting prospect and now the subject of most conversations nationwide, but in part of Highland – Highland Council area – it is now the way they do things. In this, the first of two blogs, we first report on the NHS Highland experience of the Lead Agency Model for adult social care. Next month we follow their journey in Argyll and Bute where they are establishing an Integrated Joint Board with Argyll & Bute Council.

First up is Jan Baird, NHS Highland’s Director of Adult Care, who offers some reflections, not so much on the organisational change, which you can find out more about here but on some of their progress with the Lead Agency and how they will answer the important ‘So What’.

About the Lead Agency Model

In this model all adult social care services are managed by NHS Highland through a commissioning arrangement with the Highland Council. And in a reciprocal arrangement The Council are managing children services. In essence it means single management, single budgets and single governance. To underpin the arrangements took significant organisational change with around 1,500 staff transferring across from the Council to NHS Highland and 200 from NHS Highland to the Council.

“It was not painless and we have made mistakes but staff, users and carers are now seeing the benefits for the people of Highland and they all say they would not go back.

We are raising the standards in all sectors through Service Improvement Leads, Care Standards Group, a new Large Scale Investigation procedure and a Strategic Commissioning approach – with one example the development of the living wage for the independent care at home sector.

Self-Directed Support options are being used more flexibly to provide care in some of our more rural communities where traditional services could not be sustained more HERE.

And we have invested in community geriatricians to enhance community services, providing in-reach to our hospitals and care homes. We have supported Scottish Care to increase quality-focussed capacity through the appointment of development workers in the Independent sector, working with complete support of staff across our integrated teams.

Being integrated has led to different conversations. In one district we are developing community services and building a new hospital facility so more people can be looked after locally and at home; it will also mean the closure of two much loved community hospitals.

Front-line staff, managers, and partners across the sectors and communities did need some support to shape changes. There is no question they already had the ideas and the commitment and with a bit of permission, the improvements have followed and standards have risen. It really is mind blowing.

But the big question is – So What?

Our Change and Improvement Plan, which captures the outputs required to achieve the health and well-being outcomes is monitored at district level where the public, local politicians and the services come together. Feedback from these districts as well as the variety of users involved in planning and developing services will be key to answering this important question.

Three years into integration, despite all the hard work, it’s still early days. Our experience echoes many others across the globe, and that is you need to be in this for the long haul. Results will follow but it does take time.

Our thoughts are with all NHS boards and Councils as they head into the future. Good luck and bon voyage! You are on a journey and I am sure you won’t look back.

For further information, please contact maimie.thompson@nhs.net.

Tags: 2015, Adult Care, Director, Health and Social Care Integration, Highland, Lead Agency, Reflection, scotland

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