Coventry Adult Social Care Annual Report 2022/23 (Local Account) - Print version

What is the Local Account?

Every year Coventry City Council produces a report which describes what our Adult Social Care service is doing to help improve the lives of vulnerable people and how well as a service it is performing, along with areas where we are seeking to improve further. This report is usually referred to as the ‘Local Account’ but is also referred to as the ‘Annual Report’ for Adult Social Care.

We hope you find this account interesting and that it provides you with an insight into Adult Social Care in Coventry and the work that is being done to support improvements.

• Download a designed PDF version of the report. [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/41072/coventry-local-account-for-adult-social-care-2022-23]
• View the Easy Read version of the report. [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/41092/coventry-local-account-for-adult-social-care-2022-23-easy-read-version]

Adult Social Care 2022/23 key changes

In last year’s Annual Report, we reflected on the publication of Government proposals for Adult Social Care reform.

Together, these introduced major reforms to Adult Social Care, with measures including further integration with Health, a cap on social care costs, an intervention in the social care market intended to ensure local authorities pay a ‘fair price’ for care, changing charging thresholds and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) being responsible for assessing Local Authorities’ delivery of their adult social care functions. Further details on these CQC arrangements were published in February 2023 [https://www.cqc.org.uk/news/our-approach-assessing-local-authorities].

Subsequent government announcements have signalled changes to some of these proposals for reform, with a postponement of a cap on social care costs until 2025 and the delay of Liberty Protection Safeguards, the replacement for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs), beyond the life of this Parliament.

As we moved into 2022/23, we saw a continued increase in demand for Adult Social Care.

Alongside the support with activities of daily living that make up most of our referrals, more people are presenting with a combination of issues associated with the detrimental impact of social isolation on mental health, wellbeing and social skills. People are also now approaching social care at a later stage in their care journey than would normally have been the case, with higher levels of need. Unpaid carers have also seen their caring roles intensify and have been placed under continued increased pressures during 2022/23. This has had an impact on the emotional and physical health of carers across the city which again is placing demand on Adult Social Care.

Across Coventry, more and more people are feeling the pressure from the increasing cost of living. If you are experiencing difficulties due to the rising cost of living the City Council has a webpage dedicated to information and advice concerning how to reduce outgoings and get help and support [/costofliving].

This Council also produced a toolkit providing specific employee information and resources that might be needed to help with any cost-of-living pressures people may be facing.

Despite the challenges faced over the last year, the essence of what we do in Adult Social Care remains the same, which continues to be supporting people to live as independently as possible within their communities.

Foreword

Pete Fahy, Director of Adult Services and Housing

The production of this Annual Report remains an important part of the annual cycle of Adult Social Care. It provides an opportunity for reflection on the progress we have made and challenges we face in delivering Adult Social Care within the city.

The year this report covers, 2022/2023, a year that commenced with the expectation of a number of Adult Social Care reforms coming to fruition but ended with an uncertain reform agenda where elements had been indefinitely postponed (Liberty Protection Safeguards) and others subject to long delays (Care Cap delayed to October 2025). What did however come to fruition was the introduction of Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment of Adult Social Care from April 2023. Understanding this assessment framework and preparing for it will dominate much of what we do in 2023/24 and subsequent years.

In respect of our performance, we continue to see increases in the number of people approaching us for care and support. Although we continue to deliver services in a way that promotes people’s independence to not be reliant on social care, the increasing demands, on a workforce that has remained static is not to be underestimated. It is very easy to use phrases such as ‘growing demand and growing complexity’ and ‘challenges in social work recruitment’ but the impact is that many good professionals are finding it increasingly difficult to provide the standard of service they desire. This is one of the reasons why the workforce is such a key priority for us, but with an ever-tightening financial outlook that is very, very difficult.

Although our promoting independence approach remains the bedrock of our service model there also may be opportunities to work more with communities to develop alternatives to regulated support. The potential and ambition for this is captured within the Council’s One Coventry Plan 2022-2030 [/onecoventryplan] and particularly the ‘Improving outcomes and tackling inequalities within our communities’ priority and over 2023/24 we want to understand more about what might be deliverable in this area.

Regardless of what lies ahead, due to the people I work with and the commitment they show I remain certain that we will rise to the challenges and remain immensely proud and privileged to be the Director of Adult Social Care for Coventry City Council.

I hope you find this Annual Report informative and as always myself and my team are happy for any feedback.

Councillor Linda Bigham, Cabinet Member for Adult Services

I took up my responsibilities as Cabinet Member for Adult Services in May 2023 and in a relatively short period of time I have had the chance to get a much closer look at the people involved in what is a committed and compassionate service.

Adult Social Care is an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling job, supporting other members of the community who are often experiencing a time of crisis.

Each year an Adult Social Care Report is produced, and this offers a vital insight into the services provided with the support of our partner organisations. We want to explain this as clearly as we can and that’s why we try to make it available to as many people as possible.

In particular, it reflects on the experiences of those using the services – and the difference, the care provided, makes for people. The Adult Social Care team continue to provide high-quality services, care and respite to the most vulnerable adults living in the city and to their family, and carers.

As we are all aware these services also face increasing demands at a time when funding is limited, and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis is affecting us all.

The pressures placed upon staff mean that it is even more important to recognise the hard work, dedication and willingness to go the extra mile we see reflected in the wide range of examples included in the report. The impact on people and the outcomes achieved by those who need our services is excellent! I also realise that many people who work in social care also have caring responsibilities outside of their job, a day doesn’t go by when I don’t think of the massive contribution and sacrifice of all informal carers and how this simply isn’t recognised sufficiently by the Government.

As the service prepares for the newly introduced Assurance Framework, governed by the Care Quality Commission, I am confident that the professionalism and commitment demonstrated within this report will lead to a positive outcome for Coventry Adult Social Care.

I hope you find the report helpful and interesting, but please do get in touch if you would like any further information or to offer us any feedback on the Annual Report by emailing getinvolvedasc@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:getinvolvedasc@coventry.gov.uk].

Introduction to Adult Social Care

The delivery of Adult Social Care is the responsibility of the Local Authority which interacts with a range of other local authority functions to support people in our communities, including Housing, Public Health, Children’s Services or Culture and Leisure to name but a few. Our work is also closely connected to health organisations and the voluntary and third sector who work with many of the same people who come into contact with Adult Social Care.

Although Adult Social Care has a distinct identity, so much of what we do is achieved through working with others. Our success is increasingly intertwined with our health partners. New partnerships ‘Integrated Care Systems’ (ICS) are bringing together; Acute, Community Health Trusts, GPs, Primary Care services with Local Authorities and other care providers. These aim to bring organisations together to redesign and improve support and outcomes for residents.

Adult Social Care in Coventry is one of several health and care organisations across Coventry and Warwickshire, making up the Coventry and Warwickshire Health and Care Partnership. This Partnership is working to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents. In all our efforts to achieve this we share a common vision:

‘We will do everything in our power to enable people across Coventry and Warwickshire to pursue happy, healthy lives and put people at the heart of everything we do.’

In working to this vision, we believe that all our residents deserve to:

1. lead a healthy, independent and fulfilled life
2. be part of a strong community
3. experience effective and sustainable health and care services

As part of this Partnership, NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board [https://www.happyhealthylives.uk/integrated-care-board] is now responsible for commissioning health and care services on behalf of people in Coventry and Warwickshire (this replaces Clinical Commissioning Groups).

From an Adult Social Care perspective, we do not have a complex strategy but at every level, we intend to provide support to the residents of Coventry, in the least intrusive manner possible, based on the assets, resources and abilities available to them. Our focus is on the promotion of independence, and this continues to be at the heart of the way we work and provide support. Progressing this overarching objective is delivered day in, day out through the many interactions between our staff and people with care and support needs and through a series of developments and future planning overseen by the Director of Adult Services aimed at constantly improving what we do.

During the last year we have made significant progress in our plans for the future including;

Adult Social Care reform

As part of reforms local authorities were required to complete a Cost of Care exercise to arrive at a shared understanding with providers of the local cost of providing care. The outcome of this exercise can be found in our Cost of Care Reports. In addition, authorities were required to produce and publish a Market Sustainability Plan for the next 3 years. This plan was developed following a programme of consultation and engagement with local providers to better understand emerging challenges and the most meaningful way we can offer support. One of our methods to support the market is our Provider Support Pack, a free guide for providers with tools in a range of areas including recruitment, business and quality improvement.

Supporting our residents

A new Communicator-Guide service is now available to support deafblind people or those with dual sensory needs. This service will enable deafblind people to have a fully qualified Communicator-Guide. This person will provide effective communication, safe guiding and essential support to allow deafblind people to actively take part in everyday activities, such as accessing information, going shopping, attending social/educational activities in the community promoting choice and control. The service is provided by Deafblind Enablement (DBE).

Adult Social Care partnerships

Funded through the Commonwealth Active Communities Fund which is part of Sport England’s wider investment into the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Adult Social Care has been working with CVLife on a ‘Coventry Moves Programme’. This has involved working with 9 care homes, to tackle and reduce isolation and increase physical activity for residents. This work has included co-designing activity schedules and forming new friendships with homes, connecting and planning activities and trips together. Plans are in place for the coming year to help sustain these activities and to develop a Coventry Moves toolkit that can be shared amongst care homes.

Our Coventry Adult Social Offer

Adult Social Care supports people aged 18 and over who have care and support needs as a result of a disability or an illness. Support is also provided to carers who spend time providing necessary care to someone else. We continue to work in accordance with our primary legislation, the Care Act (2014) and the required changes to practice and policy set out by the Act.

In 2021/22 we produced a ‘Coventry Adult Social Care Offer [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/ascoffer]’ which is a clear statement explaining our vision and objectives, aligned to the Council’s One Coventry Plan 2022-2030 [/onecoventryplan] ambitions. It has been developed as a way of setting out how we do things in Coventry including a description of what people can expect when they contact us, how they can participate in our work and useful links to information and advice.

The delivery of Adult Social Care in Coventry focuses on approaches that promote well-being and independence to prevent, reduce or delay the need for long term support and to enable people to achieve their outcomes. In performance terms, this means that we would expect to see a relatively smaller number of people in receipt of ongoing social care, and where ongoing social care is required that this is mainly provided in people’s own homes. We would also expect that the short-term services we have in place to enable people to be independent are successful in reducing demand for ongoing Adult Social Care.

Our Health and Care Partnership Vision

We will do all we can to enable people across Coventry and Warwickshire to pursue happy, healthy lives and put people at the heart of everything we do. 

How will we do this?

Our work in Adult Social Care, at every level, intends to provide support to the residents of Coventry, in the least intrusive manner possible, based on the assets, resources and abilities that are available to them.

Our commitment to people who need to access our services

• Taking a strength-based approach - We are committed to enabling people to live as independently as possible, drawing on people’s own strengths and doing the things that are important to them, making use of what’s available in local communities.
• Helping people to stay at home - We will look at how we can adapt people’s homes and provide equipment or if unable to do so explore alternative accommodations to enable people to live an independent life more easily.
• Living and ageing well - We will help people think about the support they need and plan for how they can live the best life possible both now and into older age. We will enable people to find solutions that work best for them.
• Making the best use of resources - We will aim to provide the right amount of support to meet people's needs and outcomes. In providing appropriate support, we consider costs and will look at innovative ways to deliver care and support. 
• Joined up care and support - We will work closely within the Council and with different organisations, including the NHS, to support people to achieve what is important to them. We will work with organisations providing support to ensure safe and quality services. 
• Keeping people safe - We will help people stay well and safe from harm and abuse, working alongside other organisations when we need to, and supporting people to make their own choices.
• Carers are at the heart of all we do - We recognise, value and support the vital role of unpaid carers and will support them in their caring role, as well as supporting them if their caring responsibilities change or end.
• Committed workforce - We have a valued and respected Adult Social Care workforce and will support and develop our own and those of our partners, equipping them with the skills, knowledge and values to provide effective care and support. 

How does Adult Social Care work in Coventry?

• By phone - 024 7683 3003
• By professional/carer referral - online referral
• By online self-assessment

This is the process for referrals received by City Council Customer Services, not Mental Health and Hospital referral routes.

Adult Social Care Direct

Customer Services will take any initial information regarding a referral, such as contact details, key information, and the reason for the referral. They may be able to provide signposting advice and information advice at this stage.

Initial Contact Team

The initial contact team complete a follow-up call for any new referrals. They will gather more detailed information about the referral and will advise the next steps.

Duty Team

Support any incoming queries through Adult Social Care, for people that are in receipt of support.

Opal Equipment Services

Provides information and advice about equipment to enable people to manage everyday takes and live at home safely.

Occupational Therapy 

Provides advice and support about a range of possible solutions that may make everyday tasks easier for you. This could range from daily living equipment such as bathing aids to stair lifts and monitoring systems.

Telecare Services

The Telecare Team will look at whether telecare equipment, such as a personal trigger alarm, movement detector or medication dispenser are required.

Short-term support

• Promoting independence - The Promoting Independence (PI) Service works with older people and people with physical disabilities to develop their independence and daily living skills and develops a greater understanding of long-term/ongoing care and support needs.
• Promoting independence - learning disabilities - A multi-disciplinary team that works with adults with learning disabilities and autism to promote independence. The team provide support such as travel training, occupational therapy and support to use assistive technology.

Long-term support

• Older People's Assessment and Case Management Team - Works with adults over 65, they will explore the provision of support such as home support, day
  opportunities, supported housing, respite, and residential care.
• All Age Disabilities Team (Transitions 18-25) - Support adults turning 18 (or about to turn 18) until age 26, they will explore the provision of support such as home support, day opportunities, supported housing, respite, and residential care.
• All Age Disabilities Team 25+ - Support adults aged 26 and above. They will explore the provision of support such as home support, day opportunities, supported housing, respite, and residential care.

Setting the scene - Adult Social Care in a changing landscape

The demand for Adult Social Care rises every year as people live longer and there are more people living longer with more complex needs. 

The illustrations on this page give you an indication of the challenges we face:

• Budget [#1] – Money matters
• Activity [#2] – Facts and figures
• Demographic [#3] – The people who come to us for support
• Our workforce [#4] - The people who provide support where required

The Council is a large organisation spending a net £243.9m on revenue activity during 2022/23.

Budget – Money Matters

The Gross Adult Social Care Spend in 2022/23 minus citizens and other contributions was £118.8m as shown below.

This compares to a spend of £110.4m in 2021/22. The largest element of the increase relates to spend on people.

• £91.5m spent on people
• £20m spend on community, assessment and overheads
• £6.2m internal cost for support services including finance, HR and legal.
• £0.8m spent on transport
• £0.3m spent on other.

Spend on people

The ‘Spend on People’ referred to has increased to £91.5m in 2022/2023  from £85.8m in 2021/22. ‘Spend on People’ is money spent directly on the provision of care.

• £31.9m spent on homecare
• £26m spent on residential
• £10.2m spent on nursing
• £10.1m spent on Direct Payments
• £6.5m spent on housing with care
• £2.6m spent on day opportunities
• £2.4m spent on supported living
• £1.3m spent on equipment and adaptions 
• £0.5m spent on individual service funds

How do we compare?

Coventry still continues to be a comparatively low spending local authority per 100,000 population.

In recent years we know that Coventry demonstrates comparatively low spending as a local authority per 100,000 population. The Local Government Association publish information about spend later on in the year. View information for 2021/22 .

Activity- Facts and figures

People receiving support 

Adult Social Care receives a large volume of requests for support on a day-to-day basis. Our aim is to maximise people’s independence and support people in the least intrusive way.  

• 10,772 new requests for support (an increase of 3% on last year’s figure of 10,430). Mental Health data was not available for 22/23 due to an ICT system issue. Historically this has added approximately 2,000 new requests which, when added to the 10,772 new requests recorded would equate to a 22% increase.
• 5% of requests resulted in a long-term service (decrease on last year’s 7%).
• 25% received low level support (reduction on last year’s 35%).
• 25% received a short-term service to promote independence (increase on last year’s 24%).
• 4,730 people received long term support during the year out of which 3,595 people received long term support as of 31 March 2023.
• 2,597 people had been in long term support for over 12 months as at 31 March 2023.
• 1,297 people received a planned or unplanned review throughout the year (compared to 1140 last year).
• 29 people transitioned from Children’s Services to Adult Social Care compared to 31 last year.

Carers receiving an assessment

Adult Social Care have an equal responsibility for anyone providing unpaid care within the city.  Anyone providing necessary care to another adult is entitled to a carer’s assessment.

• 1,124 carers have their needs assessed in 2022/23
• 2,757 carers received support  

How do we compare?

CQC Local Area Analysis data suggests in Coventry, compared to other local authorities that have similar populations, that we think of other solutions first, signposting to universal services and other community support rather than looking at traditional models of support.  Explore the Local Area Analysis in more detail you can view the most recent reports from CQC [http://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/themes-care/local-authority-area-data-profiles#profiles-c]. [https://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/themes-care/local-authority-area-data-profiles#profiles-c]

In comparison to other local authorities Coventry continues to have;

• low rates of new requests for Adult Social Care, with an average of 30 a day compared to the national average of 36 in 2021-2022;
• a lower rate of new requests for Adult Social Care support going straight into an ongoing long-term service than comparators;
• a higher proportion of new requests for people aged 65+ going on to receive short term support to maximise independence than comparators;
• continued lower rate of people receiving long term support per 100,000 population compared with our comparators.

Safeguarding

Protecting adults to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect is a core duty of Adult Social Care.  The rising rate of safeguarding concerns reported suggests people know how to report abuse and we are addressing concerns without the need for an enquiry or investigation. 

• 6,278 safeguarding concerns received, a 7% increase from the previous year (5858).
• 1,055 safeguarding enquiries, a 17% increase from the previous year (899).
• The rate of concerns that led to an enquiry was 17% compared to 15% last year.
• 985 completed safeguarding enquiries were undertaken in the year compared to 869 in the previous year.
• 890 people (90%) were asked about their outcomes, an increase from 88% of people asked last year (768).
• 94% of people reported fully achieved/partially achieved outcomes compared to 97% last year.

We continue to closely monitor our all activity and use ‘sampling’ audits and develop improvement plans when we need to look into our approaches in more depth.

How do we compare?

Coventry has a higher rate of concerns per 100,00 population in 2022/23 (2352) compared to 2021/22 England (1218) and West Midlands (1331).  Coventry has a higher rate of enquiries started in 2022/23 (395) compared to 2021/22 England (364) and significantly higher than West Midlands (192).  The high number of concerns started compared to England and West Midlands has meant that Coventry’s conversion rate (17%) is lower than England (30%) but slightly higher than the West Midlands conversion rate (15%). 2022/23 comparator data is due to be published in November 2023 on the NHS Digital Adult Social Care Analytical Hub. [https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNTZlMDRmYTYtM2JhNi00OGJlLWE3YjgtYWQ2MDQwNDUzZWUwIiwidCI6IjUwZjYwNzFmLWJiZmUtNDAxYS04ODAzLTY3Mzc0OGU2MjllMiIsImMiOjh9]

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The safeguards aim to make sure that people in care homes and hospitals are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom.

• There has been an 8% (213) increase in the number of applications from 2,544 in 21/22 to 2757 in 22/23.
• 458 (17%) are in due process compared to 469 (18%) in 21/22.
• In 2022/23 2299 applications were completed, which is a 11% increase on 2,075 in 21/22.
• There was a decrease of applications granted after 6 months of being received from 127 (14%) in 21/22, to 106 (10%) in 22/23.

How do we compare?

Comparator information will be published at the end of 2023 however we know last year, we saw a higher proportion of applications compared to other regions that Coventry share similarities with.  And similarly, we completed a higher proportion of assessments than our comparators. Nationally local authorities completed on average 564 DoLS applications per 100,000 of the population in 2021/2022 and in Coventry this figure was 861 applications per 100,000 in 2022/2023.

It has been announced by Central Government that Liberty Protection Safeguards, the replacement for DOLs will be delayed beyond the life of this Parliament.

Demographics

Coventry's population is growing, changing and increasingly diverse.

• Coventry is home to 345,300 residents (census 2021).
• 14.6% of the population is 65+.
• 2% of the population is aged 85 and over.
• Recent census information suggests that population growth has been lower than projected but Coventry has a slightly faster rate of population growth than the West Midlands average of 6.2% and the England average of 6.6%.
• Life expectancy in Coventry remains consistently below England, but healthy life expectancy is similar to England.
• Health outcomes are worse in the most deprived areas where people not only live shorter lives, but spend a bigger portion of their years in poor health, and are more likely to die of preventable causes.

National data suggests that between 2015-2017 and 2017-2019, life expectancy between the richer and poorer increased further. In particular, there was a decrease in life expectancy for females in poorer areas - resulting in a widening of inequality in the life expectancy gap among females (7.4 years). Although, the gap for males (9.4 years) remains larger.

Our workforce

• 920 internal staff
• 80.4% Female / 19.6% Male
• Average age of the workforce was 48.4 years
• 48.5% workforce aged over 50
• 72.5% of the workforce is white
• 22.2% of workforce is Minority Ethnic
• Vacancy rate is 11.5%
• Leaver rate is 15.3% (141 people)
• New starter rate 14.7% (135 people)
• The wider Adult Social Care workforce in Coventry amounts to 9,700 jobs which includes staff working in 152 CQC-registered establishments.

Key achievements - based on our Adult Social Care Offer

The previous section contained a volume of data and comparisons across a number of areas of performance. To summarise this as succinctly as possible would be to say that Coventry continues to support a relatively low number of people with ongoing care and support needs and as a result is a comparatively low spender on Adult Social Care.

This position has largely been arrived at by our approach to Adult Social Care and Support which is based on supporting people to be as independent as possible. Where independence has been lost or reduced, we work with people to regain skills and where levels of independence have been limited, we work with people to improve this. Our goal is for people to be living independently within their own homes. This is not always achievable and in many cases living independently is only possible with support.

The examples in this report give a flavour of how we have delivered this approach, our commitments in our Adult Social Care Offer and priorities within the One Coventry Plan 2022-2030 [/onecoventryplan]. We have used real examples with the consent of those involved

1. Taking a strength-based approach

Sean’s story – taking control with a Direct Payment

Sean is a 52-year-old man who lives in his own home in Coventry. One of the most important things that he’d want people to know about, are his two lovely golden retriever dogs named China, who is 14 and Millie, aged 12. He has raised them both from pups. He also had another beloved dog named Molly. She had two litters of 12 puppies each time. Sadly, Molly is no longer here anymore, she was 15 when she passed away. Sean enjoys taking his dogs for a walk, he has a harness that is strapped onto his wheelchair, and he takes charge of walking them.

Sean is a Coventry City football fan, and he likes to watch matches when they play at home and some away matches. He has a group of friends that have known him for years, who he likes to meet at the pub for a pint. He is also very connected to his neighbours in the street.

He has three brothers, one of which has sadly passed away. He remains very close to his two brothers and speaks to them regularly.

Sean has Cerebral Palsy. He had an Independent Living Fund (ILF) before the Direct Payment. He now uses his Direct Payment to employ Personal Assistants (PAs) on a full-time basis, to work with him and support him in his home.

What are Direct Payments and Personal Assistants?

A Direct Payment is the sum of money that the Council will pay directly to the person so that they can buy and arrange their own care and support, instead of the Council arranging it for them.

Direct Payments put the person central to the support that they receive, helping them live as independently as possible and giving them more choice and control.

A Personal Assistant is someone a person can choose to employ to give them support they need, in the way that suits them best. A Personal Assistant (PA) can be paid through Direct Payments.

What difference does the Direct Payment make?

For Sean, his PAs are so much more than that to him, they are long-term friends. He has known his two main Personal Assistants for over 30 years. They are fluent in Sean’s level of communication, and they support him to express his views and wishes. Through their support, Sean can advocate for himself. He cannot communicate verbally, but he is very articulate at writing his views and wishes. When planning for care reviews, Sean prefers to prepare what he wants to discuss, or what might have changed in his life. He then gives this to the social worker or other professionals when they visit. Sean oversees his care arrangements, and his PAs will say he is clear in telling them what he needs support with.

“If I didn’t have the Direct Payment, to pay for my PAs to help me, I wouldn’t be able do what I like to do, such as go to the USA and buy my house.”

Sean

Sean is very witty with a great sense of humour, it seems that he and his PAs are like-minded people which is key in them having longstanding friendships over the years. He trusts them deeply and they have great respect for Sean.

Sean’s Direct Payment enables him to live a life on his terms, in his own home. It gives him choice and control over his care and support but also things that he wants to take part in. Like going for a pint, or two, and watching the football. Sean is a man with many strengths, from the relationships with his family, PAs, to his lifetime friendships and his ability to self-advocate and organise his support

Andrew Errington, Head of Practice Development & Safeguarding (Adults Principal Social Worker) said;

"Direct Payments can make such a difference to people’s lives, it’s certainly something I would want if I ever needed care and support, as would wish to have control and direct my own care wherever possible". 

Want to know more about Direct Payments and Personal Assistants?

Take a look at our Direct Payments webpages [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/money-legal-matters/direct-payments/] or get in touch with Penderels Trust [https://www.penderelstrust.org.uk/coventry] who provide a Direct Payment Support Service in Coventry and can tell you more about either being or recruiting a PA.

2 Helping people to stay at home

Mary’s story – care at right time and place to prevent hospital readmission

Mary is a 74-year-old woman who is married to her husband Keith. Mary has lived in Coventry all her life and has a very supportive family network of children and grandchildren. Mary had previously experienced strokes which had caused some weakness on the right side of her body. Mary herself used to work in caring services and likes to practice mediation and mindfulness, which she believes supports her wellbeing and recovery.

What was the situation?

Mary was initially admitted to hospital for a planned knee replacement. After successful surgery Mary was discharged home feeling that she could manage with support from her husband and didn’t need any care and support. Upon getting home Mary soon realised she wasn’t managing and there was a risk she might need to be readmitted to hospital.

Mary was initially supported by a new Urgent Care and Reablement (UCR) pathway This urgent care response is provided by therapists and nurses from Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT). This service provides any urgent treatment, equipment and support for a period of up to 7 days. Through these teams, older people and adults with complex health needs who urgently need care, can get fast access to a range of health and social care professionals within two hours. If a person needs support after this period they refer to Adult Social Care.

The service stabilised the situation, providing an urgent hospital bed downstairs and equipment such as a walking frame and commode.

Mary said; ‘I felt I was discharged from hospital, after the knee surgery, earlier than I would have hoped. Luckily, the home support was immediate with walking frames, wheelable commode and a bed brought to our home to help with my rehabilitation’

The service felt that Mary may need ongoing care and therapy so referred to the Adult Social Care Short Term Service to Maximise Independence (STSMI) service. This aims to work with people to improve their confidence, getting people back into daily routines and independence all within a time frame of up to 6 weeks where this is needed.

What did we do?

Emma the allocated Occupational Therapist from STSMI undertook an initial assessment and talked to Mary about what we she wanted to achieve. Mary was adamant that she didn’t want long term care or to overly rely on her husband and wanted to use the stairs again so could get to bed upstairs.

It was also really important for Mary to shower independently. Mary had always enjoyed a daily shower and was really motivated to do this by herself again. Emma identified Mary’s strengths and the areas she needed to work on such as using the shower independently. The daily care smoothly transferred from CWPT, with Adult Social Care taking over, in order that the urgent care service can focus on supporting others in similar situations of potential crisis.

What difference did it make and how are things now?

Rails and equipment were ordered. Mary herself was very complimentary of the support received, including that of the Repairs and Maintenance team at Coventry City Council and the work they undertook fitting rails in the bathroom area. Mary continued to practice using the stairs, with support from a physio from CWPT and eventually Mary was able to start using the stairs to get to her bedroom.

After a period of 10 days Mary no longer needed direct care and support. Mary was very complimentary about the care received, it had improved her feelings of safety and confidence and said the service was 10 out of 10!

Mary said; ‘The support I received was fantastic. All the people I have had contact with have been lovely. The support of my family, especially my husband Keith, and the team gave me my confidence back’.

Emma said; ‘Mary was lovely to work with, being motivated and focused to get back to previous levels of independence, this support demonstrated how both services can work together, using our respective skills and experience for the benefit of the person we are supporting’.

Aideen Staunton, Head of Service, Partnerships and Social Care Operations said; ‘What a wonderful story! Mary’s story truly illustrates how working collectively and in partnership, along with Mary’s own motivation and self-determination, amazing outcomes can be achieved. Mary’s confidence and independence has clearly increased and I feel very proud that Mary has given our service 10 out of 10.’

3. Living and ageing well

Tyler’s story – from foster child to Shared Lives

This is the story of a young boy who has become a man, who has faced difficulties but is now independent in many areas of his daily life.

Tyler is a young man who is going places and has come a long way from the young boy he was when he first went to live with the couple, Maura and James, who were then his foster carers. Over time, with support and guidance from his carers, Tyler has been encouraged to develop and grow his independent living skills and become the person he is today.

His carers completely embraced the ethos and values of Shared Lives and it was because of the positivity of his foster placement that when he was old enough, he legally changed his surname to that of his foster carers as he saw this as the final piece of the jigsaw that enabled him to feel secure and part of the family. Not that there has ever been any doubt about his inclusion in the family and he very much sees his carers as ‘mum and dad’. His carer’s parents have been his grandparents and their sisters and brothers have been his aunts and uncles.

As he was reaching the age of 18 there was no way that this relationship was going to change and his foster carers began the process of becoming Shared Lives Carers, but always ‘mum and dad’ to Tyler. The first time the Shared Lives scheme met Tyler was at his Looked After Child review and have rarely experienced the warmth and respect that the other professionals had for him and his carers.

Tyler had the dreams that many young people have, of finishing college and going to university and although this did not happen, never say never as far as he is concerned!

When he left college Tyler had qualifications in hospitality and had been working ‘front of house’ at a local restaurant and he is also a qualified football referee and had been attending Sea Cadets for many years before becoming a staff member there.

Along his journey Tyler has become a very caring and thoughtful person who enjoys being part of a team, organising events at Cadets and for work

Tyler had this to say;

“I have been very lucky to be involved in Shared Lives as it has given me the opportunity to stay with my family and have some consistency.

I have been able to develop in an environment I know is caring and have the support when I need it. I have a good relationship with my mentors and they have supported me in my development including additional qualifications. Having the stability has allowed me to continue with my hobbies and I have the confidence to put myself forward and develop my skills.

I have secured full time employment with a Bank working in their Securities department and also I am a member of staff at Sea Cadets where I support younger people. I have a path in my life now which I do not think I would have followed had I not had the opportunity to be in Shared Lives and I see a bright future in my existing set up and the security of knowing I am safe”. 

Tyler is becoming even more independent; he travels to work on public transport, gets himself to football matches when refereeing and with support, is able to remain at home when his carers go away for short breaks. He supports Liverpool and has been to Wembley with a friend and games with his carer.

When you talk to Tyler there is real pride in his voice when he tells you how he is now off Universal Credit and is working and earning and when you talk to his carers the same pride is in them.

Tyler is a young man who has dreams and ambitions so watch this space!

Interested in becoming a Shared Lives Carer for our CQC ‘Outstanding’ rated service? Visit our Shared Lives webpages [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/sharedlives].

4. Making the best use of resources

Helping people in Coventry to stay well and at home

Providing preventative support is a key element of the approach taken by Adult Social Care as well as being enshrined in the Care Act 2014. Working in a preventative way can often result in better outcomes, increased independence and prevent the need for more intensive health and social care support. Since 2018 a ‘Preventative Support’ programme has been operating in Coventry, delivered by voluntary and community sector organisations that support people with mental health needs, learning disability, dementia, physical health needs, older people, and those with caring responsibilities.

In 2022/23,13 services were recommissioned for 2 years under the Preventative Support Grant. This ensured continuity in support for individuals, meeting increasing demand for advice and support as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. The full list of the services funded under this grant and for further information on their support can be found on the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/VCSE] page of our website.

Some examples of preventative services in Coventry are:

Carers Trust Heart of England [https://www.carerstrusthofe.org.uk/help_and_advice/cress/]

Carers Trust provide invaluable support to unpaid carers in Coventry and Warwickshire. Preventative services such as respite and resilience sessions are delivered by the organisation to help prevent carers from reaching crisis point and a carer breakdown occurring; if this does happen, Carers Trust have an emergency CRESS service.

Read more about the work of the Carers Trust later in the report.

Mind – ‘Wellbeing for Coventry’

Mental health is an increasing concern and services such as Mind help to tackle this by providing preventative support to help decrease the likelihood of somebody reaching crisis point and needing to enter hospital. The service offers personalised support tailored to the individual, via experienced support workers, practitioners and tutors work with individuals and groups.

Tania Miller, Head of Operations and Clinical Lead, Mind said;

"Wellbeing for Coventry offers a wide range of services, including preventative, educational and resilience building, through to the community services for those with longer term mental health problems and more complex needs and to our Wellbeing Hubs which offer safe, supported social environments. 

Delivered alongside our partners at the Sahil and Tamarind projects, who provide culturally sensitive support to their communities, Wellbeing for Coventry provides excellent support, reflected in positive outcomes and feedback"

Good Neighbours

Good Neighbours is a befriending service running in Coventry that connects over 50’s to their network of volunteer befrienders, to improve wellbeing, build relationships and strengthen communities.

Jess Day-Pollard, Good Neighbours Coventry Project Manager, said; "Good Neighbours Coventry provides 1:1 befriending, supported social groups, and signposting to isolated and lonely over 50s in the city. We have so far helped over 2500 older people (since 2016) find meaningful friendship and community connection."

What difference do these services make?

One such example is support provided by ‘Good Neighbours Coventry’ to Paul.

Paul is 79 and lives alone in small flat. He was referred to Good Neighbours Coventry for social visits as he was living with depression, and it was felt that a befriender would greatly benefit his wellbeing. Paul was matched with volunteer befriender Martin and they quickly bonded during weekly social visits over a joint love of football, fishing and other sports. These visits lifted Paul's mood significantly.

Paul wanted to become more independent but was not sure how to use his mobile phone. Martin supported Paul with how to use the phone for calls, texts, and internet access. Paul was also very unhappy in his property and wanted to move. With support from Good Neighbours, Martin has helped Paul bid on suitable retirement properties.

5. Joined up care and support

Annette’s story – from hospital to home 

What was the situation?

Annette is an 89-year woman who was admitted to hospital after a referral from her GP. She was experiencing a number of different physical health problems. Both Annette and her family were initially very apprehensive about her discharge and felt that she may be better going into a residential placement for a period of reablement.

Annette though was independent with mobility and daily living skills before admission but had seen changes in her abilities over the last few months following her husband’s death 18 months ago. Following an assessment from the Hospital Discharge Team, Annette and her family decided to try a return home with support and she was supported with Adult Social Care Short Term Service to Maximise Independence (STSMI) service (for up to 6 weeks) with four care calls per day. This was complemented by support of her family, with members taking it in turns to stay overnight.

Annette returned home with a hospital bed downstairs and a pressure-relieving mattress. She also had several pieces of equipment such as a wheeled walking frame, commode and a perching stool (an adjustable stool that offers you a sloping, comfortable seat to rest on when carrying out tasks).

What happened?

Upon returning home the Community Discharge Team got involved. The team is made up of Occupational Therapists and Assistants who work with people who have returned home from hospital with care services. The aim is to work with people to improve their confidence and abilities getting people back into daily routines and independence all within a time frame up to 6 weeks where this is needed.

On an initial home assessment visit Becky, the allocated Occupational Therapist from the team talked with Annette about what she wanted to achieve over the following weeks. Annette wanted to be independent and was very motivated.  It was agreed that Becky would visit 2 to 3 times a week to work on her goals of being able to walk independently and regain her daily living skills.

Over the coming weeks they practiced tasks such as making hot drinks, hot meals and put in additional equipment such as a shower stool and a caddy to help her move food and drinks from room to room. They also practiced using the stair lift to increase Annette’s confidence with this. Feedback was regularly given back to the carers about Annette’s progress and they were able to practice tasks that she felt less confident with.

Over the next few weeks Annette’s confidence improved hugely, she began making meals and drinks for herself and care was reduced. Her family also took a step back and were no longer staying overnight as Annette felt more confident.  After 4 weeks Annette was completely independent in her own home and her care was ended. She was also discharged from District Nurses and her hospital bed was no longer needed, with all equipment being returned.

How are things now?

Annette is now sleeping in her own bed, using the stair lift independently, preparing all her own meals and completing all other care needs independently.

Annette is brighter and more confident at home and following her discharge, her neighbours regularly pop in to see her and provide her with company which has really lifted her spirits.

Annette said; ‘I think it’s a service that really works, giving people confidence. My carer Jacky always came with a smile, she always seemed to go above and beyond her duty and listened to whatever was worrying me and helped solve situations. Becky was brilliant and I felt reassured always knowing she was a phone call away and would help if I had any problems’.

Becky the Occupational Therapist said; ‘This is a fantastic example of the enablement process and how this can help maximise people’s independence. Through working with people in their own homes we can provide support to help them stay at home and reduce the risk of hospital readmission’.

Annette’s story is a great example of Coventry’s enablement ‘therapy led’ approach that has been imbedded in Coventry for a number of years, which places an emphasis on independent living and improving outcomes for people. This approach is being further developed through the work of the ‘Improving Lives programme’.

6. Keeping people safe

Keeping people safe is a fundamental element of the work of Adult Social Care and we recognise this as one of our key commitments in our Adult Social Care Offer. We want to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people and this is a challenging area as we are often involved in people’s lives at a time of change, crisis, profound trauma, abuse.

Kishor and his road to recovery and wellbeing

Kishor is a 38-year-old man who was a postgraduate student living in University accommodation with his wife and son. 

He was diagnosed with severe agitated depression and received medical treatment from the Home Treatment Team at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT).  However, his mental health worsened, and he began experiencing strong suicidal urges, anxiety and distress. He had to be assessed under the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983 (amended in 2007) a number of times.

It became very clear that his psychosocial needs (his own thoughts, needs and external social factors) had to be looked at in order to see any improvement in his mental health.

What was happening?

Kishor began to seriously lag behind with his studies jeopardising his place on his course, his stay in the UK (he had a student visa) and his long-term desire to become a Business Logistics Expert. He was too unwell to hold down a full-time job, felt increasingly hopeless and expressed that his life and dreams had completely fallen apart.

There were a number of barriers that needed to be overcome. These included;

• having no-one at home to monitor and ensure his safety
• suffering from exhaustion, not feeling able to advocate for himself
• risk of failing the course and losing his right to a student visa
• being expected to vacate accommodation with a month
• relationship with key teams within the University breaking down (i.e. Mental Health Team, Accommodation)
• his wife being unaware of the risks and how poor his mental health had become

What did we do?

The Social Interventions Collective (SICol) team recognised the emotional distress of managing these social needs increased his risk of psychiatric hospital admission. The Social Worker and Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) and Kishor discussed the viability of a plan that would avoid admission and involved his wife, Meena, about the seriousness of his deteriorating mental state and increased risks.

SICol is a way of working that recognises the importance of weighting social and medical factors in crisis case ‘formulation’ (understanding key factors of a problem situation), rather than relying on the traditional dominance of the medical model.

SICol was able to support Meena, his wife, to deliver care at home being involved in all key aspects of his care and this acted as a key trigger for change.

For Kishor’s this ‘formulation’ including the prioritising of actions including;

• Mental Health:  Kishor needed time to discuss his perception of his distress, in a safe setting, providing intensive support by enabling him to be open
• Education:  liaison with the University’s Academic Department to negotiate reasonable adjustments on the grounds of his diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plan
• Housing: liaison with the University Accommodation Officers to extend Kishor’s tenancy on campus and put a hold on paying further rent
• Care and support: taking a strengths-based approach with Meena supporting her to identify she had the skills, insight knowledge and qualities to deliver care to Kishor at home
• Finances: Making an application for Kishor’s debts to be put on hold under the Crisis Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space) [https://www.gov.uk/options-for-dealing-with-your-debts/breathing-space]
• Immigration status: Gaining legal advice from solicitors, Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre (CRMC), the Councils Migration Team, University’s Immigration Service to gain step-by-step support for Kishor’s and his family’s visa application.
• Child Safeguarding concerns: working closely with the Children’s social worker by discussing risks and sharing information about Kishor’s mental health
• Medical: Advocating for Kishor with his Psychiatrist to review medications and their dosages
• Employment: Liaising with employers to support sick leave and carers leave for both Kishor and Meena

Kishor said;

‘The SICol Team spent a lot of time understanding my thoughts and feelings; they analysed my suicidal thoughts and listed all the problems causing me distress, staff planned everything meticulously for me to find solutions.  I felt supported to talk with the University about my course, child safety concerns, accommodation, finances, debts and visa and helped resolve them.

I would have died by now or could have ended up being severely mentally unwell had the team not been involved. Although I was on medication, I needed someone who would listen to me and understand my issues. Initially, it was not easy for me to discuss and express myself. The team built up trust and confidence and I was able to express everything openly and honestly. I shared things which I couldn’t share with anybody in my life’

The plan enabled Kishor to stay within University accommodation to submit his thesis at a later date and to ultimately pass his master’s degree.  He successfully gained employment in a Business Logistics Post outside of the Coventry area.

In July 2019 NHS England launched the Transformation Programme for Mental Health nationally. Coventry’s plan was led by CWPT and embraced social care as a critical partner and a new model of working that would address factors that we know impact on health and outcomes for people. The model is now referred to as ‘Social Interventions’.

Sally Caren, Head of Adult Social Care and Support, said: ‘A significant amount of work has been undertaken to develop the model with a successful pilot showing how in working differently we achieve better outcomes as reflected here in Kishor’s story. New services are now being introduced locally, with greater collaborative working and this has resulted in new posts within the mental health social care offer which has been great to see’

Our qualified Social Workers work directly with individuals who are experiencing mental health issues. Find out more about working in our Mental Health teams on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y21dwMTJ48].

7. Carers at the heart of everything we do

Carers Trust Heart of England overcoming barriers

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis has introduced new barriers for carers accessing support, specifically men and those from non-white ethnic backgrounds. To help tackle this, the team at Carers Trust Heart of England have been undertaking some targeted work last year to support carers facing increased challenges.

This last year we have focused on delivering carer awareness training to different communities. This has enabled us to learn and develop the training further. We have had more opportunities to provide outreach as carers and other organisations fully embrace the hybrid model of working. We have had the opportunities to develop new marketing materials, so we are more visible in the community.

We began a new drop-in clinic for carers from ethnic communities. We hold the sessions in the Broad Street Hall in the Foleshill area of the city.

This area is demographically one of the most diverse locations of the City and this enables us to engage with carers from a range of diverse communities.

We have focused on community events around key celebrations. The Diwali event was one example held in November 2022 at the Penny Collard Centre. This was successful in engaging with the community and allowing carers to share their festival with us and each other. 

We also have facilitators running emotional resilience workshops, gardening and yoga to name but a few. Many give their time, reducing our costs as they find the time working with carers so rewarding.

These respite opportunities provide valuable breaks for carers from their caring role. We have found during activities where carers come together and have a craft opportunity, that not only do they learn a new skill, but also have something they can take home. Flower arranging is the most popular activity we run.

Our emotional resilience sessions have been running throughout the year. Being a carer can often be exhausting, both mentally, physically and emotionally, leaving the carer feeling vulnerable, or experiencing their own health problems.

Being prepared for periods of stress can make it easier to get through them and knowing how to manage our wellbeing can help us recover after a stressful event. We refer to our ability to manage stress as our resilience.

Feedback from the sessions has been really positive;

‘The carers on the course are presently going through difficult times, with different challenges, it provided an informal, peaceful and safe environment for us to express our feelings and allowed us to let go of some of our emotions and anxiety’

‘I personally feel the course has changed my approach to life in many ways. It has helped me to be more at peace and has increased my emotional wellbeing.  I feel more resilient and confident in my ability to deal with challenges ahead’

 We also like to celebrate! In June it was time for Royal Ascot which again held its traditional ‘Ladies Day’ and of course, men were also welcome. We decided that it would be a good idea to not only have our carers there but to invite some of the older residents of Bonds Hospital as they had offered their facilities for us to use on the day. For couple Ellen and John (pictured) it was their first day out since 2020 and they brought some champagne to celebrate.

Chloe Elliott Carers and Engagement Lead  said; ‘Unpaid carers make a huge contribution to the health and social care system in Coventry and we could not cope without the support they provide to their loved ones. We are dedicated to supporting carers well and we work closely with the Carers' Trust to achieve this. It is wonderful to see some of the work they do to raise awareness of and support carers’.

8. Committed workforce

Diversifying the care workforce

In the last year the Adult Social Care Commissioning Team has been working on a dedicated project aiming to enhance recruitment and retention within the care sector. The team took a new approach to supporting providers to enhance recruitment and retention and to provide employment opportunities to people living in Coventry.

Working in partnership the Commissioning and Migration Teams held a job fayre for refugee and migrant workers in February, opening up careers in care to a new pool of recruits. The event aimed to create job opportunities for newly arrived citizens by informing them about the roles available in Adult Social Care and introducing them to some of our adult social care providers in Coventry.

The event saw 80 hopeful attendees and our providers happily received around 30 interested applicants each for a variety of roles.

Our providers had a great day too; they told us; "It was a wonderfully productive day and we have taken away details of potential applicants which I am hopeful will produce some successful candidates"

Jon Reading, Head of Commissioning and Quality said; ‘The Commissioning Team have been delighted to work with colleagues in the Migration Team to help support refugees and migrants to be given the opportunity to apply for jobs in social care. It is great to see a number of people putting their significant talents, experience and knowledge to use in supporting Adult Social Care particularly at a time when there are considerable numbers of job vacancies in the sector’.

In addition to this event, lots of other work has been undertaken by the Commissioning Team such as a series of engagements with providers and recruiters to obtain a better understanding of vacancies, entry requirements and career pathways. The team has created links between organisations to work together to achieve the sharing of vacancies and to support each other with various projects. For example, in March the team also produced a monthly email blast ‘All in One Place’ to share care role vacancies with recruitment organisations.

In addition to increasing recruitment and retention, the Commissioning Team has been looking at how to diversify those in caring roles, for example young people who would be a brilliant fit to start their career journey in Adult Social Care but don’t know where to start?

The work continues in the format of ‘bootcamps’ to inform young people of the range of jobs in care, prepare them and introduce them to providers in Coventry. These bootcamps include preparing people for work and talks and networking with professionals. This includes people with lived experience such as young adult carers, care leavers and people with disabilities.

Adult Social Care has a wide range of services and support and as a result a variety of job roles.  Have a look at our recruitment webpages [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/adultsocialcarejobs] which highlight the benefits of a career in care and the wide variety of jobs available.

Working with providers

During the last 12 months Coventry’s (Care homes and Community based Adult Social Care services) Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings have not changed significantly. There has been a small reduction in both ‘Inadequate’ and ‘Good’ rated providers and slight increase in both ‘Requires Improvement’ and ‘Outstanding’ rated provision. The number of new providers registered in Coventry continues to grow, evidence of the growing appetite to develop the care market in the city.

The Joint Health and Social Care Quality Assurance Team worked with operational colleagues to ensure the safety of individuals in receipt of support, including where provision was rated as ‘Inadequate’ or ‘Requires Improvement’.

March 2023 - CQC rating for the Coventry care market

• Outstanding: 5 (3.4%)
• Good: 103 (70.1%)
• Requires improvement: 35 (23.8%)
• Inadequate: 4 (2.3%)

Whilst figures for Coventry are slightly below national averages, these fare well in comparison to neighbouring authorities within the West Midlands Combined Authority, with higher than average number of ‘Outstanding’ rated providers and lower than average number of ‘Requires Improvement’ rated provision.

To ensure continuous improvement in this area, a new Quality Assurance Framework (detailing our approach to quality assurance, support and escalation measures) has been implemented in 2023 to drive quality forward across all provision.

Care home improvement

The Joint Quality Assurance Team works to ensure care providers are delivering safe, high-quality care to individuals, with a continued focus on supporting commissioned providers with poor CQC ratings or quality concerns. In the last twelve months, all 70 contracted residential care and nursing homes received an annual quality assurance visit, with further assurance sought where any risks were identified. We also continued to support and quality monitor over 80 contracted community providers (for example, home support and supported living providers) to ensure the safety and quality of care delivery. The quality team have also strengthened links with GP practices to improve the support offer to homes and communication across the health and social care system for providers.

Through 2022/23 we saw homes re-opening in full and welcoming families back with an increase in activities and events. A number of quality improvement campaigns were also developed and trialled, including the ‘Mouth Care Matters’ (aiming to improve oral health in care homes) piloted successfully in 4 care homes and the refreshed ‘Say No to Infection’ campaign prepared (a training and accreditation package dedicated to the prevention and control of infection), both of which will be rolled out wider through 2023/24.

Providers making a difference

Over the course of the year more than 4,730 people received some sort of long-term care from Adult Social Care and we wanted to share some of the stories where direct care and support providers both from Council and external agencies are making a difference.

Pomp and Pageantry

We have had many big Royal events over the last year which have not gone unnoticed or uncelebrated by our providers.

In June, Belvedere Park Care Home residents celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in style. The residents proudly waved the Union Jack flag to commemorate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 70 years of service.

Unfortunately, later in the year on 8th September 2022, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96. To celebrate the life, reign and service of the Queen staff and residents at Copthorne Lodge Housing with Care scheme found heartfelt ways to celebrate, such as a memory tree; a tree in the foyer that people could write messages on a heart which were then hung on the tree.

They also shared memories;

"I watched the Queen's Coronation when I was about 2 or 3 and I thought how glamorous she was. I knew it was something special even then"

Residents also made black memorial ribbons and badges which they could keep as a souvenir.

Providers also looked forward to celebrating the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023.

Blue Light Bonanza

Coventry care home goes the extra mile for a blue light breakfast!

The Knowles Care Home was recognised in October by Dementia UK for their selfless gesture to a resident called Geoff living with Vascular Dementia in the home.

The manager decided to hold a ‘Blue light breakfast’ to help him reminisce on his days in the Police. Ex-colleagues were invited to take part in the day which saw a number of activities take place.

The relative of another resident said “She knows I am a serving Police Officer and told me about another care home resident Geoff who used to be a Traffic Police Officer in the 1970’s and 80’s, at the same station I was based’.

She wanted to do something special for him, by hosting a ‘Blue light breakfast’. I didn’t know Geoff but wanted to do something for a member of our Police family.

I agreed to help, and the idea quickly snowballed. The care home turned their carpark into a mock crime scene, I loaned an old-style traffic car, and invited some of Geoff’s old work colleagues along.

I took Geoff for a drive in the traffic car, and we all had breakfast together – it was a fabulous morning!

Small ideas can have a huge impact and create memories. To see Geoff enjoying the experience was completely humbling.”

Reminiscence can be a meaningful activity for people with Dementia, it makes a positive impact and can be an effective tool for improving wellbeing. Gestures such as this one from the Knowles offer joy to both the resident and their loved ones. Well done to the Knowles Care Home!

Story originally shared on a Dementia UK Facebook post. [https://www.facebook.com/DementiaUK/posts/pfbid02oitP3onh2qsQphnWRrdr5BRB9qfabdABzWiy39PQZkDMJh6yr9hoZ8WXZvn3mFeyl]

Staying together and overcoming adversity

A mother and her son who has learning disabilities were subject to financial abuse being targeted by people who took their money and savings saying that the money would be used to help get them a new home. They measured the rooms making them believe that they were helping with a potential move. Safeguarding concerns were raised and investigations undertaken by the Police. They initially moved out of their property due to concerns that it wasn’t habitable, and that the son needed help with his care needs and to ensure he received support with health conditions including diabetes.

They were supported to consider a move to a Housing with Care scheme where they would each have their own flat, next door to each other. Lots of reassurance was needed alongside support with finances, appointments and purchasing furniture for both flats. Since moving they have settled very well and have made lots of new friends. Staff support the son’s care needs and ensure that his mum is involved with decision-making to help support her son.

They said;

‘I like living here because I feel safe and have met new friends’ (Son)

‘I have good memories of where I lived because I was born and grew up there with my family. This changed because there were people who were nasty and horrible. I could not sleep at night and was worried about my son all the time. I am now very happy in my new home and never want to move again, I am safe and happy’ (Mother)

Brendon gets out and about

Brendon is a 44-year-old man with learning disabilities and was referred to our Adult Social Care Outreach Support Service and we talked to him about what he wanted to achieve. We heard that he spent most of his time with his family, didn’t use public transport and didn’t have much experience with road safety and awareness.

Brendon has changed dramatically since he has received support, has achieved a lot of his outcomes and become much more confident.

Brendon now uses public transport. He also now attends various groups which he wasn't doing before. He attends woodwork at FarGo Village, where he makes his own way by public transport or by taxi. He attends a music group and he has met new people and joined a walking group, which he makes his own way there and back home. He has become confident, sociable and will try other social activities like going to the gym or any other events happening in the City.

Brendon’s parents said; ‘Since Brendon has received support from ‘Richard’ (Outreach Support Worker) we have noticed a change in Brendon’s character and confidence. He seems much happier within himself, more relaxed, more outspoken, conveying his sense of humour. The support has opened so many new doors and opportunities’.

Laura takes control

When Laura returned to work following an accident, she felt bullied and intimidated and experienced severe depression. Laura left work due to illness and poor mental health and was unable to keep up with her bills. She did not leave her house for several months. As part of the Mental Health Crisis Intervention Team’s response, she was referred to the Social Intervention Collective (SICol). With the support of our Adult Social Care Outreach Support Team it was clear social circumstances were affecting her health and wellbeing.

The team supported Laura with her mental health recovery and to regain control of her finances and apply for benefits.

Laura said; ‘You saved my life. I was going down a hole with no way back. You didn’t ever judge me and showed compassion to my situation. You were always on hand to deal with letters and contact companies that were demanding money. I still have my ‘off days’, but I am free of any debt which is a big relief. With my short-term memory condition, you gave me tools to remember things and I am really grateful to you for changing my life’.

Innovation and change

Docobo Remote Monitoring

We are always looking to improve care and understand ways we can effectively utilise digital technology to support people in less invasive, more efficient ways across health and social care in the City. To do so, Coventry have supported the Integrated Care Board and the NHS England transformation directorate to roll out the Docobo remote patient monitoring in care homes across the City.

Docobo works by equipping homes with a tablet to monitor and record a residents’ basic observations, such as temperature and blood pressure. This data is sent to a secure clinical database where it is viewed by clinical professionals with any issues being responded two hours. The professional will then make an informed decision around the choice of care needed, for example closer monitoring or changes in medication.

Through DOCOBO remote monitoring, residents benefit from:

• Remaining in the care home, reducing the associated risks or stress of travelling to appointments.
• Quicker identification of issues and treatment. This also removes challenges in arranging medical appointments and a reduction in unnecessary GP callouts, 999 calls and A&E admissions.
• Ensuring that residents receive the appropriate support and intervention quickly.

The implementation of Docobo across Coventry has been completed with 68 care homes actively using the system. Data on remote monitoring is now being produced and analysed to understand the impact on other health services. The Docobo team continue to offer support to providers on the use of the system and training of staff to ensure they use it effectively.  

Looking forward and what’s next?

Future innovations and digital transformation

The Council, in partnership with Warwickshire County Council and the NHS are currently engaged in transforming and developing the care sector. To do this, we are promoting the use and uptake of Digital Social Care Records. A Digital Social Care Record (DSCR) allows the digital recording of information about care received by an individual replacing traditional paper records.

These records will play an important role in joining up care across social care and the NHS, freeing up time spent by care workers and managers on administrative tasks whilst equipping them with the information they need to deliver care. In order to encourage the uptake of these systems, the Councils are in the process of making grant funding through the Digital Transformation Fund available over the next year offering financial support in the purchase and installation of these platforms.

In addition to this we want to promote wider digital innovation in the care sector. Once providers begin to transition to these new digital platforms, we will begin to look at using the same model of financial incentives to promote the uptake of digital falls prevention technologies.

Louise Ferro, Head of Business Systems and Continuous Improvement said: “It is really exciting to see these developments in Adult Social Care.  We are continuously looking for ways to improve outcomes for people by exploring new technology and by ensuring systems and processes are efficient.

Our support to the care provider market is vital in ensuring that care in Coventry remains up to date with technological advances and the changing needs of people requiring support.  The use of fund is an excellent example of partnership working in this area.”

A Spotlight on Advocacy: VoiceAbility

Supporting people to have a voice and raise issues

Our advocacy services in Coventry are provided by voice and rights charity VoiceAbility. Hear, the independent charity, one of the largest providers of advocacy and involvement services in the UK, tell us a bit about their work in Coventry throughout 2022/23.

We’ve been supporting people to have their say in decisions about their health, care and wellbeing for over 40 years, and in 2022/23 provided a wide range of advocacy services for adults in Coventry.

This included providing independent support for people with mental health problems including those who have been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. We also provided independent support for people deprived of their liberty in a care home or hospital, and for decisions about care and support.

2022/23 in numbers

• 1,272 advocacy enquiries, a 22.4% increase on the previous year
• 759 enquiries related to health advocacy
• 513 enquiries related to care and support advocacy
• 692, the number of people we supported this year

Pamela’s story

Pamela lives in a care home and is subject to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). When those restrictions came up for review, she was referred to VoiceAbility for an advocate to make sure her voice was heard.

When Pamela was visited by her advocate, whom she had previously met in 2020, the advocate noticed changes in her care and health needs. Pamela could only say the occasional word, but her advocate observed how she indicated through her body language and sounds when there is something she does not like. Pamela’s engagement with care staff was positive, but her advocate noticed in the records that Pamela’s care plans were out of date, and concerns about her health may not have been addressed.

Pamela’s advocate raised this with the care home manager who agreed to refer Pamela to a dietician. Pamela’s care plans and risk assessments were updated to reflect the support she now needs.

Need support from an advocate?

Make a referral [https://www.voiceability.org/make-a-referral]

Contact us by phone: 0300 303 1660 [tel:+443003031660]

Contact us by email: helpline@voiceability.org [mailto:helpline@voiceability.org]

Co-production and engagement

In Adult Social Care we place adults and their carers at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to ensuring that people with care and support needs and their carers can be equal partners in planning and shaping future developments in Adult Social Care. But we know we’ve still got some way to go with this.

Behind the scenes we’ve been working hard to try and develop our own approach to co-production and ensuring that we are involving people in the development of services, something as simple as ensuring we get feedback along people’s journeys, to being part of recruitment decisions to helping shape and create new services. That is why we’ve developed the ‘Engagement, Involvement and Co-Production Our Approach [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/health-social-care-say-getting-involved/getting-involved-adult-social-care/5]’, a document which outlines our key commitments to making this happen. We want to ensure that the involvement of people with care and support needs and carers becomes standard practice.

We have also been looking at any barriers that might exist to involvement and have produced a policy for reimbursement of expenses and fees for participation.

We are looking at the different ways people can get involved such as recruitment. In last year’s report we talked about how our Promoting Independent Service (PILS) had been involving tenants in the recruitment of their own staff. Our Shared Lives scheme now has recruited two experts by experience, both individuals live in Shared Lives placements and now attend ‘Approval Panels’ for prospective Shared Lives Carers from across the West Midlands. They are both fully involved in the approval process and they bring a valued insight to the essential attributes a carer should have to support individuals.

We are also continuing to seek feedback from people accessing our support via our Experience Survey [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/health-social-care-say-getting-involved/getting-involved-adult-social-care/2] which also asks if people want to receive more information about Adult Social Care and ‘get involved’, growing the group of people we can engage with.

Looking forward and what's next?

In 2022/23 we started to hold open days, inviting people to come and hear more about Adult Social Care and get involved. In November we held our first event at the Central Methodist Hall. View photos of the event [https://www.flickr.com/photos/coventrycc/albums/72177720303671071]. Looking forward we envisage holding a number of such events each year in different locations and communities.

We want to continue to grow the number of people who want to be involved and hear their views. Where we have acted on feedback, will share this on our webpages using our ‘We asked, you said, we did’ page [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/health-social-care-say-getting-involved/said].

Adult Social Care Stakeholder Group

The work of Adult Social Care continues to be supported by our Stakeholder Group, who meet regularly to discuss any updates and influence the improvements of the service. The group is made up of Coventry residents who are experienced in how services work.

Joanna, one of the new members said ‘My mum and I have been caring for my dad since 2019 after a stroke had left him disabled. I found out about the Stakeholder Group through the Carers Trust last year and decided to get involved due to the problems we were having with home care agencies. At the time we felt isolated but since joining the group, I have found it easier to access information and better understand what Adult Social Care can provide and how it can help. I particularly like the opportunity to come together with professionals, service users and other carers to discuss issues such as upcoming developments. The bi-monthly group meetings provide an opportunity to contribute feedback, express opinions and make suggestions. The group is very friendly and the online platform makes it easier to participate due to my caring commitments. Furthermore, the opportunity to provide feedback through the Adult Social Care Experience Survey and a recent home support survey have enabled me to express my dad’s views and concerns.

The regular Coventry Carers’ Bulletins are also great for keeping up to date with the latest news and events. My lived experience has given me greater empathy and a way to relate to others in similar situations and I would like to use this experience to help shape the future of Adult Social Care through engagement and coproduction’.

Fnd out more about Getting involved in Adult Social Care [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/health-social-care-say-getting-involved/getting-involved-adult-social-care].

Performance matters

On a yearly basis Adult Social Care undertake a survey of the experience of adults in receipt of support and every other year we undertake a survey of the experience of carers.  These infographics show our performance. This information helps us set our future priorities and identify any areas for improvement. 

Understanding the views and experiences of Adult Social Care: carers 2021/22

About the survey

A random selection of people with caring responsibilities who received an assessment or review within the 12 months prior to 31 August 2021.

• 314 people gave feedback during October to November 2021
• Survey respondents age between 20 and 100. The average was 72.
• 34% were male, 66% were female
• Of the people who were being cared for, 27% had physical support, 15% had memory and cognition, 42% unknown and the rest included learning difficulties, mental health and other needs

Enhancing the quality of life for people with caring responsibilities

• Carers reported quality of life (7 out of 24)
• 25% said they had as much social contact as they would like

Ensuring that people with caring responsibilities have a positive experience of care services and support

• 3 out of 10 carers said they were satisfied with the social care support they received
• 60% said it was fairly easy to find information about services

Ensuring people with caring responsibilities are included and consulted in the discussions about the person they care for

• 67% of people with caring responsibilities felt included or consulted in discussions about the person they care for.

Understanding the views and experiences of Adult Social Care: people with care and support needs 2021/22

About the survey

A random selection of service users were contacted who received long-term support as at 1 December 2021

• 385 service users gave us their feedback
• Ages of respondents varied between 18 and 102. The average age was 60
• 43% of respondents were male. 57% were female
• Of the people who were being cared for, 58% had physical support, 20% had learning difficulties, the rest had other needs.

Enhancing the quality of life for people with caring responsibilities 

• People scored their quality of life 19 out of 24
• 42% said they had as much social contact as they would like
• 7 in 10 people said they have enough control over their daily life

Ensuring that people have a positive experience of care services and support

• 6 in 10 people said they were satisfied with the social care and support they received
• 66% said it was fairly easy to find information and advice about support, services or benefits

Ensuring that people who are vulnerable feel safe and protected from harm

• 72% said they feel safe (this includes feeling safe from abuse, falling or other physical harm both inside and outside the home)
• 85% said services received helped them feel safe

S75 Partnership Agreement

We have a Section 75 Partnership Agreement with Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust (CWPT) for the delivery of integrated mental health services. This agreement dating back to 2014 has now been extended for a further three years from April 2022. Each year the Partnership Trust produces its own Annual Report of the performance of the partnership arrangements to provide integrated mental health services in Coventry and Warwickshire. This report when published will be available via the Trust's website. [http://www.covwarkpt.nhs.uk/]

Complaints and compliments

Everyone has the right to receive a good level of service and we want people to get the best possible support from us. Listening to your views helps us to put things right and improve our services for the future, so comments, compliments, complaints and suggestions are important and always welcome. [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/asccommentscomplimentscomplaints]

In 2022/23 we received:

• 89 complaints
• 253 compliments (but nearly 3 times more compliments than complaints)

View our Adult Social Care complaints and representations annual reports [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/781/adult_social_care_complaints_and_representations_annual_reports].

 

Celebrating our strengths - awards and good news

Giving back, Jack’s charitable endeavours

Jack is a 26-year-old young man who has autism and a mild learning disability. With the support of the dedicated staff at Real Life Options, Jack's life has taken a positive turn. He finds immense joy in various activities, including his passion for collecting car, train, and airplane models, as well as boating. Recently, Jack exhibited his compassion and generosity by raising over £50 for Myton Hospice, an organisation that provided care for his late father. While Jack acknowledges the need to go out with staff at times, he also relishes the newfound freedom he experiences. Engaging in activities like boating, karate, swimming and welly walks independently, Jack feels a sense of accomplishment. His pride is evident as he successfully navigates the waters of Stratford, steering the boat skilfully. Furthermore, Jack has taken on a volunteering job at a local Salvation Army charity shop, demonstrating his growing independence by travelling there via bus or train after receiving travel training support. Jack's remarkable progress is a testament to his resilience and the unwavering support he receives from those around him. 

SW Degree Level Apprenticeship - first cohort graduates!

Over the recent years, to meet the increased demand in social care, the routes to becoming a qualified Social Worker has increased and varied. One of these is the Social Work Degree Level Apprenticeship, this is a three-year course, and the focus is on both academic and practice development. In 2019 Coventry Adults and Children enrolled their first cohort of apprentices at Coventry University and have since continued to offer and support this opportunity. In 2022 our first apprentices graduated and this included Tobias Tennant and Adam Gibson.

We also continue to be committed to supporting student placements. Aimee Madden was a 2nd year Social Work Student, who completed a final placement in one of our teams and subsequently came to work in Adult Social Care. Aimee said ‘I felt very supported by my Practice Educator and the team and my main reason for securing my first social work job was because I wanted to have the same support in completing my Assessed and Supported Year in Employment.

Support Worker in Adult Social Care wins BBC Radio Coventry and Warwickshire “Make a difference- Carer of the Year 2022 Award”!

Sharron Flanagan, a team member working in our Internally Provided Services for people with learning disabilities, was externally nominated for her outstanding work and commitment. Not only does Sharron work for our Promoting Independence Living Service (PILS), she also devotes her spare time to improve the lives of people in her local community. Just some examples of this are offering free haircuts to older people, supporting people with dementia, learning difficulties and visual impairments to access social activities as well as raising funds in her local Coventry community to protect wildlife.

Sharron said: “I love my job at PILS. I work in a fantastic team, who are well managed, supportive of each other and I would highly recommend PILS to anyone looking for a job. I feel very honoured to receive this award”.

Gerda Dunn, Service Manager added; “Sharron’s commitment to helping people and generally caring for the community is outstanding. I am so pleased that her contribution was externally recognised, she is a deserving winner of the award”.

Coventry’s First Partnership Dementia Hub opening

Following a wide range of engagement and planning during the last two years we are thrilled to say the first ever Coventry Partnership Dementia Hub [/cdph], and one of only a very small number in the UK, has opened. 

The creation of the hub has been driven by co-production and partnership working with extensive engagement involving people with dementia, their carers, health professionals and voluntary sector agencies.  A formal consultation with the public was also undertaken and the resounding view was that there was a real and urgent need for a place for those people living with dementia to come together for joined-up support and information. 

Celebrating the achievements of Adult Social Care Staff

In November 2023 an event was held that celebrated the efforts and hard work of staff across the service. We were overwhelmed with the number of nominations received, the panel which was made up of a variety of staff had a very difficult job selecting the winners!

As well as presenting awards to the winners nominated by peers, we also took the opportunity to celebrate those who had achieved academic awards.

We were also extremely lucky on the day to be entertained by Rob Sweet; Senior Support at Cobden Street who left more than a few of us amazed by his magical talents!

Well done everyone!

"It was really lovely to hear about all the great achievements of staff across Adult Social Care.  It is great that staff have been given this recognition as they work very hard and often don’t get much recognition for what they do."

"Was great fun! Nice to be recognised at what we are doing and a really enjoyable!"

Tracey Denny, Head of Service Localities and Social Care Operations said; ‘It was clear that after the pandemic staff were tired and morale was low, so the event was a perfect way to celebrate all the hard work that everyone had done and to try and increase confidence, motivation and morale. It was great that peers could nominate each other, and we ensured that even those that did not win were sent their nomination details. A lot of time and effort goes into arranging an event like this, but the benefits were clear on the day to see and I look forward to this being an annual event in the Adult Social Care calendar!!’   

Adults Services Wellbeing Week

Adult Services held a second wellbeing week in November 2022 following on from an earlier event held in March 2022, being a daily mixture of online and in person activities and events focusing on health and wellbeing for our Adult Services.  The week was organised as an opportunity to reflect on our own wellbeing and perhaps learn some new ways of looking after ourselves and our health. There were a variety of sessions on offer which included virtual sessions focusing on learning new skills, boosting well-being and virtual yoga sessions and appointment-based sessions for nutrition and blood pressure/cholesterol levels.

The week was well received by our staff with over 100 people attending various sessions over the week.

Principal Social Worker Annual Report

Most areas have a Principal Social Worker for Adults and Children’s, supported by national and regional networks. The Care Act 2014 says local authorities should make arrangements to have a ‘qualified and registered social work professional practice lead’ in place.

In support of ensuring visibility for the role and celebrating achievements, our Adults Principal Social Worker, Andrew Errington, has produced a fifth annual report [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/adult-social-care-strategies-policies-plans/annual-report-adults-principal-social-worker].

What's next? Key areas of development for Adult Social Care 2023/24

As was the case last year we are continuing to focus our improvement work on both our internal and partnerships programmes. The key elements of each of these areas are summarised below:

Adult Social Care improvement

This will include:

• Workforce - Developing and supporting our internal and external workforce with a focus on recruitment, retention, culture and learning and development.
• Supporting our residents – We will ensure an appropriate level of oversight and support for people who require our help. We will revisit our approaches to undertaking reviews (for planned care and support) and continually improve how we promote choice, control and independence in the way we deliver our services.
• Diversity and inclusion – We will continue our community engagement events to raise awareness of Adult Social Care, including specifically within neighbourhoods and communities whose voices are seldom heard. We will listen and respond to feedback regarding our service and share this through a newly created “We asked, you said, we did” page on our website.
• Information and engagement – We will increase the opportunities for engagement and co-production. We will contact those people who subscribe to our news bulletin and ask if they would like to be more involved and if so how and in what areas of the service they are interested in.
• Charging – Although the implementation of the ‘care cap’ has been delayed to October 2025 we will continue the work required to ensure we are prepared for this change.

Adult Social Care partnerships

This will include:

• Change and transformation – We will work jointly with Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust (CWPT) and Warwickshire County Council to transform the services available to support people experiencing mental health problems.
• Improving lives – We will continue to work in partnership with health organisations to implement the improvements identified by this programme to ensure people can live independent lives in good health in Coventry.
• Digital Transformation Fund – We will utilise this funding to support the adoption of Integrated Care Records and innovative ways to support falls prevention within care home settings.
• Market development – We will find ways to develop the social care market, this includes both the range of regulated services and alternative support options. The purpose of this is to increase the range of choices available. This will involve working in partnership with the voluntary sector and community groups to improve the support available locally to adults.

Glossary

This section provides an explanation of some definitions and terms that appear throughout this document. 

Advocacy

Advocacy means getting support from another person to help you express your views and wishes, and help you stand up for your rights. Someone who helps you in this way is called your advocate.

Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP)

AMHPs are mental health professionals who have been approved by a local authority to carry out certain duties under the Mental Health Act. They are responsible for coordinating assessments and admission to hospital if a person is sectioned under the Act.

Carer Assessment

If you care for someone, you can have an assessment to see what might help make your life easier. This is called a carer's assessment.

Co-production

When an individual influences the support and services received, or when groups of people get together to influence the way that services are designed, commissioned and delivered.

Crisis Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space)

The Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space) will give someone in problem debt the right to legal protections from creditor action.

Housing with Care

Housing with Care, sometimes known as Extra Care, is housing designed for older people, with various levels of care and support available on-site.

Integrated Care Systems (ICSs)

Integrated care systems (ICSs) are partnerships of organisations that come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services, and to improve the lives of people who live and work in their area. 42 ICSs were established across England on a statutory basis on 1 July 2022.

‘One Coventry’

One Coventry is how we describe the Council’s objectives, key strategies and approaches. It includes the Council’s vision and priorities; new ways of working; and core areas of activity.

Promoting independence

Short-term services which aim to maximise the independence of the individual. At the end of the support, ongoing care and support services will be arranged as required.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is how we work with people to prevent them experiencing harm from others or sometimes themselves. It includes helping people recover when they have been abused.

Section 75 Partnership Agreement

These partnership agreements, legally provided by the NHS Act 2006, allow budgets to be pooled between local health and social care organisations and authorities. Resources and management structures can be integrated, and functions can be reallocated between partners.

Severe Agitated Depression

A type of depression that involves symptoms like restlessness and anger. People who experience this type of depression usually don’t feel lethargic or slowed-down. Agitated depression can cause symptoms like insomnia and a feeling of emptiness.

Short-term support

Short term support that is intended to be time limited, with the aim of maximising the independence of the individual and reducing or eliminating their need for ongoing support by the Council.

Transformation Programme for Mental Health

Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) [https://www.england.nhs.uk/integratedcare/what-is-integrated-care/] received funding to develop and begin delivering new models of integrated primary and community care for adults and older adults with severe mental illnesses.

Useful contacts

Adult Social Care and Communities Directory

The Adult Social Care and Communities online directory [https://cid.coventry.gov.uk/] has all the information and advice you need in one central place, so you can find the information you need easily.

Council contacts and mental health services

Name	Description	Contact
Adult Social Care Direct	The first point of contact for any referrals into Adult Social Care.	024 7683 3003
Emergency Out of Hours (After 5pm Monday to Thursday, 4.30pm on Friday and through the weekend)	For urgent enquiries / emergencies only outside of normal office hours.	024 7683 2222
Main Council Customer Services	The main switchboard for Coventry City Council.	080 8583 4333
Mental Health Access Hub	Run by Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust (CWPT), this is the first point of contact for people accessing CWPT mental health services.	080 8196 6798

Other organisations

Organisation	Description	Contact
Age UK Coventry	Supporting adults 18+ providing information and advice, support and groups.	024 7623 1999
Alzheimer’s Society Coventry	Supporting adults with a diagnosis of dementia and their families with the provision of information and advice and group-based support.	024 7665 2602
Carers Trust Heart of England	One-stop shop for unpaid carers of all ages.	024 7663 2972
Coventry & Warwickshire MIND	Support for people living with a mental health condition.	024 7655 2847
Macmillan Cancer Support	Cancer Support Service.	024 7696 6052
Healthwatch	Independent organisation supporting people to have their say in health and social care services.	024 7625 2011
SEND Information, Advice and Support Service	Providing information and advice to young people with disabilities and special educational needs.	024 7669 4307

Special thanks to….

• Sean, Mary, Tyler, Paul, Annette, Kishor, Ellen & John, Geoff, Brendon, Laura, Pamela and Jack
• Joanna and our Stakeholder Group
• All care providers across the city
• The staff at Adult Social Care
• All our partners

Contact us

You can contact us about this report at: getinvolved@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:getinvolved@coventry.gov.uk]

Previous reports

Previous reports are available to download and print [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/1882/adult_social_care_local_account].