Issue - meetings

The Board received a report from the Executive Director – Adults, which presented the recently revised Councillor Visits to Care Homes: Guidance for Elected Members document – this was appended to the report.

Members were advised that revised guidance had been developed to support elected Members undertake visits to local care homes.  Previous guidance dating back to 2016 was used as the basis for the revised document, but the approach now focussed more on the engagement and relationship building role of Councillors, and less on an inspection type approach.

It was noted that the guidance aimed to support and facilitate the important role that Councillors had in developing relationships with, and advocating (as appropriate) on behalf of care home residents and their families.  As explained in the report the document covered many subject areas, including information about safeguarding procedures.

The guidance included a list of care homes by Ward with contact details and a feedback form that Councillors should complete following a visit, in order to ensure that any issues identified during the visit were addressed accordingly.  The feedback form would be sent separately from the guidance to Members’, so this can be done easily.

The Board discussed the importance of the need to be trained properly before entering a care home and that these visits should be made regularly for the sake of the residents.  E-learning relating to safeguarding is available for Councillors to complete, but it was also important for them to know what to look for on a visit and the best time of the day to make a visit.

Officer support is always available to Members who want to visit the care homes and Members were invited to contact them if this is required in future.

RESOLVED:  That the Board

1)    note the contents of the report; and

2)    endorses the guidance attached.