Health and Wellbeing Committee scrutiny of Care Quality Commission inspection of Kent House.
Last night, councillors on Wirral Council’s Health and Wellbeing Committee expressed their concern at not knowing about an inspection report highlighting failures in safeguarding at Kent House, Oxton, Wirral until January 2012 during a joint health committee meeting of Wirral and Cheshire Council. Kent House is a Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust inpatient facility providing services for adults with a learning disability.
The Chair, Cllr Patricia Glasman was most concerned that the Health and Wellbeing Committee had known nothing about this until months after the critical inspection had happened. The new Director of Adult Social Services said that he would make sure that these sorts of things were brought to the Committee’s attention in the future.
The Chief Executive Sheena Cumiskey and Andy Styring, Director of Operations at Kent House answered questions from the committee and detailed what had been done since the September inspection to achieve compliance. The initial unannounced inspection had found that Kent House was falling short in the areas of care and welfare of patients who use their services, safeguarding people who used the services from abuse and the quality of services provided.
However since then, improvements had been made and a later re-inspection on 13th December 2011 showed that Kent House had made improvements in the area of safeguarding.
First we have the ever popular Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting of the 6th February 2012 which was (after recording stopped due to running out of tape adjourned). Now with subtitles it has been viewed (at the time of writing) 228 times, has been embedded in an article on Wirral Leaks and a blog post here.
The Chair herself of the Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Patricia Glasman even talked to me about it on the 13th February 2012! After she’d talked to me I realised I needed to put subtitles on it.
Now with subtitles, this video has been viewed by many viewers in the UK and a viewer from Finland who watched it twice! Speakers in it are Cllr Patricia Glasman, Cllr Cherry Povall, Cllr Simon R Mountney and Bill Norman.
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Secondly another adjourned meeting on the same subject (although this time the entire meeting and not just a segment). This one is the Council meeting from Monday 13th February, again on the AKA report.
The Council meeting from Monday 13th February is adjourned to Monday 20th February at 7pm.
The Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee from Monday 6th February is adjourned to (date unknown to be decided by Chair and spokespersons).
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Bill Norman said that a number of names should be disclosed to councillors. One of those names was his and he had no reason in them not knowing which number he was in the report (although some may have already guessed). He was working towards giving them this information, but pointed out it had been a non-statutory inquiry.
Cllr Simon Mountney asked if he was correct that there was no unredacted report?
Bill Norman said there was no unredacted report in his possession. However there was a list of names with the draft report which had been circulated to a small number of officers and councillors.
Cllr Paul Doughty said he found it amazing that the party opposite were looking towards making political points.
Cllr Mike Hornby said it was the people of Wirral who’ve suffered by it being “swept under the carpet” and the “deplorable” way it had been handled.
Cllr Sheila Clarke said as Carer’s Champion she had hit the “brick wall of legal” and didn’t know of the report into Kent House which went into serious safeguarding issues regarding its vulnerable residents. She said that someone from the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership [NHS Foundation Trust] was here tonight. She said all this was done by bypassing the formal scrutiny process.
The Chair, Cllr Patricia Glasman said it was on the Cabinet papers and went before Cabinet on the 2nd February and that it had “not been kept from view”.
Simon Wagener talked about accountability and transparency. He wanted to echo the views of users and carers, who didn’t believe that the option of anonymity should’ve been extended. He said that those identified should be held responsible and have to be held to account. Mr. Wagener said a senior manager in the Department of Adult Social Services had said their responsibility lay to the Director of the Department. He said this was a conflict of interest and that they need to be held accountable to the people they serve and carers. He said to have those people “kept in the dark” was “not in the public interest” or in service user’s interests.
Graham Hodkinson, Director of Adult Social Services said that all officers had a clear responsibility to the people they serve. He suggested that the officer had wrongly informed [Simon] and that they all have legal and professional registration as individual professionals which covered accountability and responsibility. He agreed that officers are accountable to the people of Wirral.
Simon Wagener said there was mention of an ongoing review, who had this been conducted by?
Cllr Mike Hornby said the report had been commissioned by the Council and paid for by taxpayers.
Bill Norman said yes it was paid for by the Council, but they had been informed by Anna that assurances had been made that names were not appearing. It was a voluntary process and assurances had been given, therefore there was a legal and moral obligation to respect this, which they were seeking to clarify through independent lawyers. He understood they were working towards that goal but there might be legal consequences.
Kate said they had visited the Masonic Hall this afternoon and it was a suitable venue. It cost £350 for hire. Surjit Tour talked about Between2Worlds. He said there were statutory purposes for polling stations and the front entrance at the Masonic Hall was unsuitable for disabled access. However there was no certainty for hire costs with Between2Worlds as it would have to be negotiated.
Cllr Ian Lewis commented. He understood the point made by Cllr Darren Dodd, his concern was that they were looking at maps whereas in practice it was the effect on votes. Wherever it moved, people wouldn’t vote as they’d go to the wrong polling station as it had previously been the YMCA. He said elderly people who had used the YMCA might not find out as not everyone was sent a polling card. He said his personal preference was to accept the Masonic Hall as opposed to the YMCA car park.
Cllr Patricia Glasman said he agreed with Cllr Ian Lewis on the whole, she also wanted the Masonic Lodge, however there was no provision for tellers.
Kate said that other polling stations that were entered directly had no provision and tellers could remain outside.
Cllr Bill Davies asked about the disabled access.
Kate said yes in answer to his question. There was a side exit at the Masonic Lodge used as a fire exit, unfortunately a ramp over the front steps was not practical.
Cllr Chris Jones asked about the past history of problems about using a Masonic Lodge as a polling station.
Cllr Bill Davies said he didn’t have the details in front of his, but to his recollection each time Masonic Lodges had been proposed as polling stations it had been turned down.
Cllr Ian Lewis said it would be nice if polling stations were suitable for tellers and wouldn’t inconvenience political activists. He still saw the Masonic Lodge as the least inconvenient.
Cllr Steve Niblock proposed, seconded by Cllr Chris Jones that the polling station for WE.
Cllr Sue Taylor proposed and Cllr Kate Wood seconded that the Masonic Lodge be used as the polling station for polling district WE.
There was a vote first on the amendment.
For: Cllrs Taylor, Wood, Lewis, Anderson and Glasman (5) Against: Cllrs Davies, Williams, Niblock and Jones (4)
Abstention: None (0)
The amendment was carried by one vote (5:4:0).
The Chair said if possible because of the time scale, could they make a decision quickly on alternative polling stations?
Cllr Steve Niblock said there was a fall back of Between2Worlds, but he was happy if it was agreed by the party spokespersons.
Cllr Bill Davies said he wanted to advise the committee that with the timing of the local elections, if possible could it wait till March? Cllr Bill Davies proposed and Cllr Sue Taylor seconded that if alternative polling stations needed to be found that it would be agreed by the spokespersons.
Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee (Wirral Council) 23/1/2012 Part 2
Present:
Conservative
Cllr Kate Wood
Cllr Sue Taylor
Cllr Ian Lewis
Cllr Tom Anderson
Labour
Cllr Bill Davies (Chair)
Cllr Irene Williams
Cllr Steve Niblock
Cllr Chris Jones
Cllr Patricia Glasman
Lib Dem
Absent
Cllr Bill Davies said he would make a start to the meeting and deal with the polling stations and Wirral Award first. He asked for any declarations of interest.
Cllr Steve Niblock declared a personal interest in item 5 as he knew the nominees and one of those nominated.
Cllr Ian Lewis declared a personal interest in item 3 as he is a councillor for Leasowe and Moreton East specifically in relation to polling district TC.
Cllr Ian Lewis also declared a personal interest in item 5 as two of the nominees were known to him.
Cllr Patricia Glasman declared a personal interest in item 3 as it mentions New Brighton ward.
Cllr Sue Taylor declared a personal interest in item 3 as it mentions New Brighton ward.
Cllr Chris Jones said she wanted to declare an interest, she declared a personal interest as she is a councillor in Seacombe ward.
Cllr Patricia Glasman declared an interest in item 5 as she knew one of the nominees.
The Committee then considered the report on Polling Districts and Polling Places. Surjit Tour said it was an update to the polling stations, which has been reviewed. Issues had been raised with polling districts WE and TC as they had required further work. The options related to the work.
For polling district TC the current polling place was Sacred Heart RC Primary School. Yew Tree Online Centre had been suggested as an alternative. Yew Tree Online Centre had previously been classed as unsuitable, however it had moved on and was now a suitable venue.
In Liscard ward, polling district WD Between2Worlds was an option or the YMCA. There were other alternative options that had been looked into too such as the Masonic Hall or Liscard Primary School.
The Chair said the panel had met on Friday and got feedback from ward councillors regarding the Yew Tree online centre.
Kate said they had received no feedback over the Yew Tree Online Centre, but Cllr Darren Dodd had sent them correspondence about Between2Worlds. Cllr Keeley wished to speak on this issue.
Cllr Steve Williams proposed that they agree the Yew Tree Online Centre as the polling station for polling district TC (Leasowe and Moreton East Ward). This was seconded by Cllr Patricia Glasman. All nine councillors voted in favour.
Cllr Keeley said he wanted to be brief, he was disappointed and felt that the polling station should be in the polling district. They had lost the YMCA which was a “crying shame”. He wanted a location that was good for drivers and on a bus route. As much as possible he wanted the committee to find a polling station as close as possible. He suggested the option of the Masonic Hall as it had a bus stop outside and a large car park.
