To receive apologies for absence, including notifications of any changes to the membership of the Board.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Atiya-Alla and Kennedy.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 10 November 2021.

The minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 10 November 2021 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairwoman.

1.            To review the mental health offer within Torbay, including the addition of new ward at Torbay hospital and an outline of the Community Mental Health Framework on how people are supported with severe mental health needs.

2.         To consider the impact of domestic abuse on individuals and families’ health and wellbeing and the support available to help them.

Key line of enquiry:

The Police have advised that they are no longer able to use the Haytor Unit at Torbay Hospital as a ‘place of safety’ and are having to take people detained with mental health issues to Exeter or Plymouth.  What is being done to ensure that there is a suitable ‘place of safety’ within Torbay for the Police to take people detailed with mental health issues?

(Note:  Melanie Walker – Chief Executive, Dr Colm Owens – Joint Acting Medical Director, and Dr Sonja Manton - Programme Director - Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism, Devon Integrated Care Service (Devon Partnership NHS Trust) and Jo Williams – Director of Adults and Community Services and Tara Harris – Divisional Director for Community and Customer Services have been invited to the meeting for this item.)

The Chief Executive, Melanie Walker, Joint Acting Medical Director, Dr Colm Owens and Programme Director - Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism, Devon Integrated Care Service, Dr Sonja Manton, attended the meeting and provided an update on the work of the Devon Partnership NHS Trust in supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing and responded to Members questions in respect of the following:

·                     How people across health and social care were being educated about dementia and what services and support was available to help people with dementia and their families.

·                     Concern over lack of community support and facilities within Torbay to help people with dementia.

·                     Time taken to obtain a diagnosis for dementia and referral to appropriate services.

·                     Travel distance for people to receive mental health support.

·                     Concern around the place of safety being located in Exeter and the impact on the Police and families having to travel out of area.

·                     Capacity of beds for people with mental health issues and need for specialist provision to be centralised to ensure they can be safely staffed.

·                     Concern over the high numbers of referrals and contacts with people on a monthly basis.

·                     Linkages between physical and mental health conditions and the impact this can have on people’s ability to work.

·                     People using mental health as an excuse for poor or criminal behaviour.

·                     Concern over the increasingly aging population and the sustainability of mental health services and the need to work more collaboratively.

·                     Shortage of community beds and the need to work with nursing homes to increase provision.

·                     Social and economic impact and the importance of good housing and jobs to help people with their health and wellbeing.

·                     How young people’s mental health needs were being addressed.  (It was noted that this was being discussed at the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on 9 December 2021 and Members of the Board were encouraged to attend that meeting.)

·                     How services in Torbay compared nationally.

·                     High numbers of suicide within Torbay and how the Council and Councillors could help raise awareness and encourage people to talk about suicide.

·                     Why the numbers of people with autism and ADHD had increased.

Resolved (unanimously):

1.         that the Board reviews the work being carried out on workforce recruitment and development and the interface with health and care across the Integrated Care Organisation System, including the voluntary sector, linked to making Torbay a good place to work and live at a future meeting; and

2.         that the Board reviews the work around suicide awareness and prevention at a future meeting.

To receive an update on the progress made to implement the Cabinet’s response to the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Board in respect of Torquay Town Deal and Paignton Future High Street.

The Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Tourism and Housing, Councillor Long, and the Divisional Director for Economy, Environment and Infrastructure, Alan Denby, provided an update in respect of the Torquay Town Deal and Future High Streets Programmes and responded to questions on the following:

·                     Upton park, use of facilities at the bowling club and antisocial behaviour.

·                     Lessons learned from the first projects and to consider in the future focussing on less projects to make a bigger impact.

·                     Hollicombe was not part of the schemes, what was happening with that site.

·                     An update on the Debenhams site and when this would be brought forward.

·                     How many people had benefited from Kickstart and apprenticeships in Torbay and how this would be taken forward in the future.

·                     Impact of shortages in suppliers and contractors on the delivery of the programmes.

·                     What the vision was in terms of growth, employment and closing the gap for people living in the most deprived wards in Torbay.

·                     What was being done to help some of the community groups to become sustainable and secure additional funding.

Resolved (unanimously):

1.         that the Board receives an update in March on Kickstart on what will be done to replace this and to encourage young people back into work; and

2.         that the Board reviews grant funded programmes in September 2022.

(Note:  Councillor Loxton left the meeting during discussion of this item.)