Engaging with Powys teaching Health Board to help shape future services

Last Thursday I attended an event in Llandrindod Wells where representatives from the Third Sector discussed the future planning of services and activities as part of Powys teaching Health Board’s three year Integrated Medium Term Plan. This plan will be used as the basis for future commissioning of the Third Sector by PtHB. The meeting was attended by several mental health charities, including Brecon & District Mind, Mid Powys Mind, Ponthafren Association and Hafal.

Carl Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations

Carl Cooper, Chief Executive Officer at Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations, introduced the day, explaining that the Third Sector is a significant partner in the process working with people in communities and organisations to help the health board plan and deliver “better health and care services” in Powys.

Carl said that “we are here today to be part of the process to shape and influence and be involved in the planning and delivery process.” He observed that there were several challenges to bring to the discussion, particularly in terms of resource allocation and budget planning in a climate where prevention and community resilience are key priorities.

Carol Shillabeer, Chief Executive Officer, PtHB

Carol Shillabeer, Chief Executive Officer of PtHB followed, to describe how the IMTP emerged following a decision by the Welsh Health Minister in 2009 to set out a collaborative approach. This was during a period of major legislative reforms at the time. The IMTP aims to bring together a number of other strategies already being worked on, including the Hearts & Minds Mental Health strategy, and those focussing on Older People and Carers. Carol assured those present that the IMTP does not just sit on a shelf, but act as a guide for the population as a whole, and for Welsh Government, to test PtHB against the commitments it made to deliver services.

The overall vision of the IMTP is: “truly integrated care, centred on the needs of the individual.” This year during a staff engagement exercise (“Chat to Change”) PtHB emphasised the need to work together with other organisations alongside other specific values and behaviours.

Carol also introduced us to the 4 Aims (out of a total of 6) which were to form the basis for further discussion at our tables:

• Improving health & wellbeing
• Ensuring the right access
• Involving the people of Powys
• Making every £ count

In speaking about mental health Carol said that it is “a huge area where we can make a difference to people’s lives. We have kept the priorities of mental health services but there is a long way to go and much more do to.” She explained that the management of mental health services had been brought back into Powys in the North of the county and also in Ystradgynlais. Services in the Mid and South are currently still managed by Aneurin Bevan Health Board, but will return to Powys later in the year. On another positive note Powys has received 500,000 Euros to introduce computerised Cognitive Behaviour Therapy a service which people can access in their own homes.

PtHB want to make sure that there is effective partnership working and to engage with people to achieve a good plan. Staff are already looking at working more closely with Powys County Council, and want to use continued integration as a way of achieving objectives in the future around all areas of health service provision. Carol explained that this is already happening in terms of mental health services.

Freda Lacey, Senior Officer Health & Social Care, PAVO

Freda Lacey and her team had planned the day down to the finest detail. Once the table discussions were complete (report to be circulated later) Carl opened up the floor and asked for key issues to be highlighted. These included (just a brief sample):

• The need for more services to be delivered locally.
• Sharing of resources – including people, skills, premises, training.
• Emphasis on the Third Sector not just being “polyfilla” to fill the gaps.
• The Third Sector are asked to do more and more for less and less.
• The vital importance of introducing and using more innovative technologies.
• The need to remember those that are digitally excluded for whatever reason.

Hayley Thomas, Interim Director of Planning & Performance, PtHB

Hayley Thomas, Interim Director of Planning & Performance at PtHB, commented that this was to be an ongoing process and that PtHB is absolutely committed to working with the Third Sector. An “everyday” version of the IMTP will be developed taking into account the feedback given at the event and shared via PAVO.

Trish Buchan, Third Sector Organisation rep, Powys teaching Health Board

Trish Buchan, previously of PAVO and now Third Sector Organisation rep on PtHB, added that one of her objectives is to raise the profile of the Third Sector at Board level, and reiterated the commitment of the health board to work closed with the Third Sector going forward.

All in all it was an extremely interesting morning. I was facilitating some of the discussions focussing on how to involve the people of Powys. Around the various tables it really felt that there was a passion and enthusiasm for more collaborative and innovative working – if time can be set aside by all to really consider the most effective way of achieving this. And whilst there was much healthy debate on one thing we all agreed – the Third Sector is absolutely not just “polyfilla.”

Freda Lacey on her new role in the Health and Social Care (H&SC) team, PAVO

Handing over the role - Senior Officer Health & Social Care
L - R: Trish Buchan (now on Powys Teaching Health Board), Freda Lacey (new in post)

One of my Health and Social Care team colleagues recently said to me that I should introduce myself to the Sector and tell people who I am. Because I’ve worked for PAVO in the Mental Health team for several years, I’ve assumed people know who I am. However, I recently met and had a very good conversation with the manager of the Brecon Volunteer Bureau who hadn’t heard of me before, so, I thought it probably was time to make myself more widely known.

The role

I have been recruited to fill the vacancy of Senior Officer Health & Social Care, as left by Trish Buchan who is now the Third Sector Organisation rep on the Powys teaching Health Board. At the time I started the nature of the role needed to shift to respond to current changes within procurement and commissioning, both in terms of the national context with new European Union guidelines, and locally, as more joint commissioning initiatives between the Health Board and Local Authority are developed.

I’m in the 7th week of being “inducted” into my new role and, in many ways, I feel familiar and comfortable with the direction of travel. I’ve been reflecting on the changes I’m witnessing and while the nature of the work is somewhat different to what I had been doing within my previous role in Mental Health, this new work also relies on a foundation of forming good relationships and engendering open, timely communication between the Sector and our colleagues within the Health Board and Local Authority.

My role can be broken down into several key activities:

• To help broker possibilities for collaboration within the commissioning process.
• To act as a conduit for timely information and response.
• To offer general and focused support to organisations and networks responding to business development opportunities.
• To represent the third sector on strategic management boards with Health Board and Local Authority colleagues.

Ultimately I am there to help ensure that voluntary organisations involved in Health and Social Care are engaged and equipped with what they need to respond quickly to changing needs within public services.

This is me 

So who am I personally? I’m drawn to use a process/initiative which forms part of caring for people who have been diagnosed with a dementia to help me tell you who I am. Publicised by Alzheimer’s Society, their “This is me” activity provides the tools for telling the key parts of someone’s life story. I’ve found the process very fruitful as an exercise in self-reflection and hope that it gives you a flavour of who I am - you can read it here. 

L - R: Freda Lacey, Claire Powell, Anne Clark, Ruth Middleton - Health & Social Care team

Who are we as a team and what are we about?

Pete Lathbury is the Head of Third Sector Support and as such helps give our team direction.

There are four of us (two part-time and two full time) in the Health and Social Care team. Myself, two third Sector Brokers – Anne Clark and Claire Powell, and Ruth Middleton who helps collate and provide vital information to the Sector on Health and Social Care news and manages our network events.

In reflecting on my first seven weeks’ highlights:

• I have helped plan and deliver a recent Health and Social Care Network event.
• Attended a Virtual Ward meeting in the North in addition to engaging with the Third Sector Brokers as they attend others that are being developed or rolling out rapidly.
• Helped facilitate two Sector meetings with colleagues providing Carers’ Services that are being recommissioned by the Council.
• Initiated 10 meetings with Sector, Local Authority and Health Board key influencers.
• Met with the Local Authority commissioner and Disability Powys relating to the Physical Disability and Sensory Loss (PDSL) commissioning engagement strategy.
• Met and discussed service level agreements with three Health and Social Care third sector organisations delivering services for older people.
• Attended a scoping workshop with the Health Board looking at their Strategy for Consultation and Engagement.

Freda updates attendees at the recent Health & Social Care Network event

To say my first seven weeks have been eventful would be an understatement and yet, I am finding the work very varied, interesting and exciting. I am also endeavouring to be mindful of my capacity, that of the team and balancing priorities.

The process of change, in having to respond to the Council and Health Board’s challenges about reducing costs, the needs of the citizens of Powys, and the current landscape of shifting more public services into and onto the community, are all driving the strategic public agenda forward at a rapid rate of acceleration.

While there are always opportunities in transforming services, there are also threats to the ways things have currently been and expected to be (sometimes for years) and the levels of discomfort and fear that rapid change engenders cannot be under estimated.

One of the important parts of my role, and the team’s going forward, is to ensure that we provide timely communication about what is happening, provide a forum for sharing information, and ensure that the Sector can jointly collaborate within local, strategic service planning and delivery.

I am very much looking forward to getting to know Health and Social Care colleagues in more depth and gaining greater understanding of the pressures being faced. I welcome open contact, communication and feedback.

So do get in touch by emailing freda.lacey@pavo.org.uk or calling 01597 822191.