Issue - meetings

The Board received a report from the Executive Director – Adult Social Care, which presented the Principal Occupational Therapist’s (POT) Annual Report.

Although the Adults Principal Social Worker (APSW) role was a statutory requirement under the Care Act 2014, at present there was no requirement in place for local authorities to have a POT, however Halton had one in post since January 2024.  It was acknowledged by the ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) that having a POT to work alongside the APSW added diverse leadership within adult social care and had a positive impact on local populations. 

The report outlined the role of occupational therapy, referral numbers, challenges faced, and culture and practice of the service and the current workforce.  Members were referred to the appendix, which presented an anonymised case study for information.

Members agreed that the addition of the POT’s post was a benefit to the service and welcomed the appointment. 

The consensus of the Board was that the adaptation of homes, where possible, was preferable to people being admitted to hospital.  It was commented that the Occupational Therapy Team was a stable workforce, and staff members had been employed at Halton for a long time.  Although a challenging area to work in, they were creative and motivated and had the support of a good leadership team. 

RESOLVED: That the report and appendix be noted.