Welcome and Introduction
Somerset Council has commissioned a Local Government Association (LGA) Assurance Peer Challenge for its Adult Social Care service.
This is taking place from Tuesday 5 to Thursday 7 March 2024 at County Hall in Taunton.
It forms part of our wider work to assess how well the Council is working – alongside our partners and providers – to deliver Care Act duties relating to Adult Social Care.
The Peer Challenge process will also help inform our routine self-assessment activity and offer valuable learning to assist our ongoing readiness for Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment, with the LGA drawing on the CQC framework to inform their activity.
We welcome this as an opportunity for us to showcase our best practice, and reflect with openness and honesty about areas of strength as well as areas of ongoing focus or challenge.
LGA Peer Challenges have long been a key improvement and learning tool that local government has been using as part of its commitment to sector-led Improvement.
For more information, please see:
- Initial Briefing Somerset ASC Peer Challenge March 2024 and
- Guidance for Meetings and Interviews LGA Peer Challenge March 2024
Contact us
Our Adult Social Care Policy, Performance and Assurance Team is over-seeing and coordinating the timetabling and support activity for the Peer Challenge, and will be assisting with the hosting arrangements in March 2024.
Any queries should please be directed in the first instance to the team by email: ASCInspectionSupport@somerset.gov.uk
Wi-fi access and support
To support easy access to Somerset Council Wi-fi as an external visiting colleague or partner please visit: https://www.wifi.service.gov.uk/connect-to-govwifi/
LGA Peer Challenge Team
We warmly welcome the following individuals who make up the LGA Assurance Peer Challenge Team for Somerset:
- Lead Peer – Hilary Hall, Corporate Director Community Wellbeing (holding the statutory DASS function), Herefordshire Council
- Member Peer – Councillor Steve Darling, Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinator and Leader of Liberal Democrat Group, Torbay Council
- Commissioning Peer – Peter Fairley, Director for Integration and Partnerships, Essex County Council
- Commissioning Peer – Juliette Garrett, Head of Commissioning for Older People, West Sussex
- Ops Peer – Dan Wilkins, Head of Transforming Adult Social Care and Quality, Wiltshire Council
- Principal Social Worker – Kayleigh Bradford, Devon County Council
- Performance / Quality Peer – Cheryl Hampson, Head of Quality & Performance, Gloucestershire County Council
- Peer Challenge Manager – Chris Rowland, Local Government Association
Peer Challenge Timetable
A word version of the Timetable can be accessed here: Somerset LGA Assurance Peer Challenge Timetable FINAL Word Version
Key Document Library
The following key documents are shared below to support the LGA Peer Challenge Team in their understanding of Adult Social Care in Somerset.
Our Day 1 ‘Welcome Presentation’
Our Adult Social Care Self-assessment (containing a range of links and case studies) and the local context
- ASC Self Assessment – January 2024 FINAL
- Appendix 1 The National Context
- Appendix 2 Our Financial Context
- Appendix 3 Our Demographic Profile
- Appendix 4 ASC Strategy 2023-2026 In public domain
- Appendix 5 The experience of people using our services 2023
Council and service structure
- Council Leadership Team Structure (as of 24 January 2024)
- Adult Social Care Structure Chart (Feb 2024)
Adult Social Care governance, performance and transformation programme
- Adult Social Care Core Governance Arrangements
- My Life, My Future Transformation Programme Pack In public domain
- Adult Social Care Risk Register – 6 February 2024
- ASC CEO Performance Scorecard January 2024
- ASC Working Together Board – Terms Of Reference
Adult Social Care operations and practice quality
- Risk management in Adult Social Care
- ASC Financial Management and Decision Making – November 2023
- ASC Financial Decision Making – Practitioner Guidance Nov 2023
- Adult Social Care Practice Quality Framework
- Adult Social Care Practice Quality Audits Summary Feb 2024
Adult Social Care commissioning and quality
- ASC Market Position Statement FINAL DRAFT
- Somerset ASC Commissioning Strategy FINAL
- Market Sustainability Plan 2023 In public domain
- State of Somerset Care Market – February 2024
- ASC Contract Management Policy In public domain
- ASC Care Provider Quality Assurance Policy In public domain
- ASC Provider Failure/Closure Policy In public domain
- SOP_Somerset Model of Intermediate Care
Safeguarding Adults
- Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report In public domain
- Safeguarding Adults Board Strategic Plan In public domain
- SSAB Performance & Quality Report Feb 2024
Carers
Supporting evidence
Our organisation – Somerset Council
- Somerset Council Plan (2023-2027) – In public domain
- Somerset Council website – In public domain
- Somerset Council website – Care and support for adults – In public domain
- Somerset Council Adults and Health Scrutiny Committee – In public domain
- Somerset Customer Contact Centre slides March 2024
Our service – Adult Social Care
- Adult Social Care Lead Member Annual Report – February 2024 In public domain
- Adult Social Care Policies and Procedures (TriX)
Our Public Health offer
- Home (healthysomerset.co.uk)
- Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2023
- Somerset Health and Wellbeing Board and Integrated Care Partnership
- Improving Lives Strategy 2019-2028
- Somerset Annual Report of the Director of Public Health 2023
Our Community offer (Prevention and Early Help)
- Connect Somerset – working together to improve early help in the community
- Somerset Independent Living Centres SILCs
- SILC Quarterly Report Summary – February 2024
- Community Equipment and Wheelchair Service
- Somerset Independence Plus
- Falls prevention
- Somerset Village and Community Agents
- Get help at home with micro-providers
- Somerset Carers Service
- Somerset Commitment to Carers Report Draft V7
ASC Operations
- Quarterly Update Report Overdue Assessments and Reviews – February 2024
- DoLs MCA briefing for LGA Peer Challenge March 2024
- Preparing for Adulthood Team Process
- AMHP Update – February 2024
- The Somerset Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) Service Operational Policy
- SOP Complex Case Panel JAN 22 for review
Commissioning, market shaping and care provider quality assurance
- ASC Commissioning Assurance Report SSAB – February 2024
- Care Provider Learning Engagement Meetings
- Commissioning and Quality Board Terms of Reference
- Mental Health Scrutiny Workshop
- Micro-providers – A Strategic Review April 23
- C2 Direct Payments – An introduction
- C3 Direct Payment guidance
- C10 Direct Payments Policy
- C9 Direct Payments – Easy Word
- DP Training Presentation – Adults – August 2023
Practice Quality and assurance
- LGA Employer Standards Health Check Report 2022
- ASC Practice Quality Board Terms of Reference
- ASC Learning from serious incidents policy
- Competency-Framework—SW—June-2023
- Competency-Framework—OT—April-23
- Competency-Framework—ASCP—April-2023
- Competency-Framework—OTA—April-23
- Competency-Framework—AP-SW—April-2023
- Competency-Framework—AP-OT—April-23
Safeguarding Adults in Somerset
- Somerset Safeguarding Adults Board website (SSAB) In public domain
- Guidance for safeguarding adults in Somerset In public domain
- Practice guidance and resources In public domain
- Latest Quarterly SSAB Performance and Quality Report – February 2024
- ‘Safeguarding is everyone’s business’ – new campaign launched for Stop Adult Abuse Week (somerset.gov.uk) In public domain
Adult Social Care workforce strategies
- ASC Workforce Strategy 2022_24
- Somerset ICS People Plan Strategy 2023-28
- Proud to Care Somerset website In public domain
- 2023 ‘My Time to Care’ campaign In public domain
- Skills for Care – A summary of the adult social care sector and workforce in Somerset, 2022/23 In public domain
- LGA EDI Peer Challenge Report for Somerset Council Oct 2023
- Learning and Development Presentation 6th March 2024 final version
‘My Life, My Future’ – ASC Transformation Programme
- MLMF Programme Update Report – Scrutiny Committee – December 2023 In public domain
- MLMF Programme Update Slides – Scrutiny Committee – December 2023 In public domain
- 240306 LGA Peer Review My Life My Future
Finance, Performance and Risk
- 2024/25 General Fund Revenue Budget Report (Corporate and Resources Scrutiny Committee – 2 February 2024)
- ASC MTFP Challenge Session – Autumn 2023
- Stark warning as Somerset Council sets balanced budget for 2024/25
Some example case studies, stories and videos
- Somerset Independent Living Centre video
- Somerset Micro-providers – the hidden heroes of the growing independent care market (Video) In public domain
- My Life My Future Case Study Examples]
- Derek and Margaret’s story
- Carers Support Case Studies
- Safeguarding Case Studies
- Home Closure Case Study
- Older People Mental Health Case Study
- Discharge to Assess Case Study
- Housing Client Case Studies
- Optimal Handed Care Case Studies
- Direct Payment Plus Case Studies
- Red Cross CCS SPOC Case Study
- Learning Disability – Case Study