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Board summary - March 2024

The Chair, Mark Yates, opened the session with heartfelt thanks to those Board members for whom this would be the last meeting, namely Sarah Dugan, Chief Executive and Tessa Norris, Non-Executive Director. The Board then heard from a carer, who shared her incredibly valuable experiences and reflections having supported her son through community paediatrics, CAMHS and adult services. We heard the great importance of listening to parents / carers in order to improve the care we provide for people, but also to ensure that they themselves have the support they need.

Positive news and assurance

  • Ofsted have completed an inspection of Sir Jules Thorn House 2 at Osborne Court and given a rating of ‘Good’. The inspection for Sir Jules Thorn House 1 is now underway.
  • Training and work to raise awareness of risk management processes is underway and a revised risk management policy is going through Audit Committee for approval.
  • Capital and Revenue budgets for 2024/25 were approved but there are a few elements which may be subject to change as we finalise plans.
  • Our Quality Account priorities for 2024/25 were approved and clearly align with our Improvement Plan. The priorities are to act on staff feedback (specifically relating to the feedbackgiven following the CQC inspection), implementing Patient Safety Incident Reporting Framework (PSIRF), rolling out Care Opinion, and improving risk assessment and crisis planning inmental health.
  • Our key programmes are progressing the ARISE workforce programme is a priority and goals are currently being set and adult mental health inpatient and rehab pathways work isgaining traction, with engagement events coming to an end and work on the clinical model beginning.

Matterns of concern

  • Worcestershire County Council have served notice on the (mental health) Reablement Service. A formal process is now being progressed for staff and patients with the aim of closing the service by September 2024.
  • National planning guidance has been delayed, however, 2024/25 initial plans have been submitted to NHS England.
  • Our safeguarding capacity was flagged as a risk and mitigations will be taken to Quality and Safety Committee.
  • A review of Children and Young Peoples services is underway to support plans to reduce pressures, specifically within CAMHS, considering Tier 2 capacity with the ICB and the potentialfor increased lower-level interventions.

Updates provided

  • We have been requested to provide a local mental health needs assessment over the coming year for children and young people who are on the waiting list for gender services at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust service when it closes this month.
  • Our teams are considering latest guidance and reports on discharge in mental health inpatient settings and the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicides to ensure learnings are implemented.
  • The NHS Oversight Framework Segmentation Review has confirmed that the Trust will move from segment 2 to segment 3 with effect from Q3 of 2023/24, largely in response to our latest CQC report. 
  • Board changes include the appointment of Robert Mackie as Interim CEO when Sarah retires, Dr John Devapriam as Interim Deputy CEO (alongside his role as Medical Director) and Denise Lewis as Interim Director of Finance. Lisa Yates will undertake the role of Senior Information Risk Owner. All of these changes come into effect on 15th April 2024. Tessa Norris, Non-Executive Director will be replaced from 1 April 2024, by Veena Allison who has been appointed as Non-Executive Director for a 3-year term. Martin Charters, Non-Executive Director as also had his term of office extended until 30 April 2025.
  • The CQC report has now been published with the overall rating moving from Good to Requires Improvement. The Improvement Plan is underway, and a significant amount of work hasbeen completed since the inspections began in February 2023. 
  • The national NHS Staff Survey results were published on 7th March 2024 and work to review the results and develop an action plan to address issues identified is underway, in line withour Improvement Plan.

Decisions agreed

  • The Terms of Reference for the Joint Mental Health Committee were approved.
  • The new Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Equity (EDIE) strategy was approved and will serve as a living document to support our improvement work.